4/18/2025

How to Track & Address Broken Links to Maintain SEO Health Across Your Website

In the world of digital marketing, maintaining the SEO health of your website is CRUCIAL. One significant factor that can undermine your SEO efforts is BROKEN LINKS. They can lead to frustrating user experiences, decreased traffic, and a drop in SERP rankings. But fear not! In this post, we’ll dive into what broken links are, their impact on SEO, and most importantly, HOW to track and fix them.

What Are Broken Links?

A broken link is a hyperlink that leads to a webpage that NO LONGER EXISTS. When clicked, it returns a 404 error, which signals that the requested page has either been MOVED or DELETED. Broken links can be both internal (links within your site) or external (links leading to outside websites). Having too many of these pesky links can not only damage your user engagement but also hurt your site’s credibility in the eyes of search engines.

Why Are Broken Links Bad for SEO?

Broken links can negatively impact your SEO in several ways:

User Experience: If visitors constantly hit 404 error pages, they might leave your site frustrated, increasing your bounce rate. This can lead to lower rankings.
Search Engine Crawlers: Search engines use crawlers to index your site. If they hit too many broken links, it can hinder their ability to properly index your pages, possibly harming your site’s visibility in search results.
Link Juice: When a page is linked from other sites and that link is broken, you lose the potential traffic and link juice that could have helped elevate your site's authority.

How to Track Broken Links?

1. Use Link Checking Tools

One of the simplest methods to track broken links is by using various LINK CHECKER tools that specialize in identifying these issues. Here are some great options:

Dead Link Checker: This tool is FREE and crawls your website to find broken links easily. It offers features that allow you to check multiple websites at once and send automated reports.
Broken Link Check: This handy tool checks internal & external links, giving a comprehensive report of where the issues lie in your site.
Ahrefs Broken Link Checker: Powered by the industry’s largest live backlinks database, Ahrefs helps you pinpoint broken links across your site. You can choose to track broken links on a regular schedule, ensuring your website is always up-to-date.

Also, don’t forget to check for image links that may also be broken! Use these tools periodically, so you stay aware of any broken links popping up.

2. Leverage Google Search Console

The Google Search Console is another excellent FREE resource you can't ignore. It allows you to monitor your website’s SEO health, and here’s how you can track broken links using it:

Access your account and go to the Coverage tab.
Here, you’ll see various indexing issues, including URLs that triggered 404 errors.
Fix the listed URLs or implement redirects where necessary. This tool is incredibly useful for maintaining overall site health.

3. Analyze Server Logs

If you have access to your website’s server logs, you can use these to find broken links. Look for 404 error codes in your logs. This method is more advanced but offers deep insight into which links are problematic. Along with identifying broken links, server logs can also reveal trends that may help you understand user behavior.

4. Conduct Regular Audits

Make it a habit to conduct regular SEO audits using tools like SEMrush or Screaming Frog. These tools can crawl your entire site and report back on a range of issues, including broken links. A monthly audit can save you time and ensure your site's integrity in search rankings.

How to Fix Broken Links?

Once you have identified broken links, it’s important to address them immediately. Here are steps you can take:

1. Redirect the Link

If the page has been moved to a new URL, implement a 301 redirect from the old URL to the new one. This is a permanent redirect and helps preserve any existing SEO value the old page had.

2. Remove or Replace Broken Links

If the page no longer exists and there is no relevant content to redirect to, you may need to simply REMOVE the broken link from your site or REPLACE it with a functional one. Make sure that any external links pointing to content that no longer exists are either replaced with new content or removed entirely.

3. Update Your Sitemap

After making these changes, update your XML sitemap and submit the new version to Google Search Console. This helps search engines understand your newly organized content and ensures they are indexing the pages appropriately.

4. Create a Custom 404 Page

While it’s always best to avoid broken links, it’s not always possible. Create a custom 404 error page that is user-friendly, possibly with links back to the homepage or relevant sections of your site. This helps retain users who may land on broken links and helps minimize bounce rates.

Best Practices for Maintaining Link Health

Regular Monitoring: Use your chosen tools periodically to monitor link health. Regular checks ensure you catch issues before they become problematic.
Stay Updated: If you change the structure of URLs for any reason (like a site redesign), ensure you have redirects in place and all internal links updated.
Engage Your Audience: Consider using tools like Arsturn that help you create interactive AI chatbots to engage with your audience. They can answer questions, assist with site navigation, and even address common errors like broken links! Keeping visitors engaged keeps them on your site longer.

Conclusion

Ultimately, maintaining the SEO health of your website hinges on tracking and addressing broken links. These pesky errors can hurt your site’s SERP rankings and user experience, affecting overall engagement. By using reliable tools, leveraging Google Search Console, and consistently auditing your site, you can stay ahead of any issues. Don’t forget to promote user engagement through innovative solutions like those offered by Arsturn to maintain and even boost your site’s SEO prowess. Let’s keep those links healthy!

Feel free to leave a comment below with your thoughts, tips, or questions about tracking and fixing broken links. Happy link managing!