SEO Dictionary & Marketing Glossary

What is Broken Link?

A hyperlink which is not functioning because its destination cannot be reached or the linked page or file is unavailable.

SEO and Marketing Terms: Broken Link

A hyperlink which isn’t functioning because its destination can’t be reached or the linked page or file is unavailable. Broken links often happen when a page is removed, moved, renamed, or entered with a typo.

For example, a link to a deleted product page might display a “404 Not Found” message instead of the product information. Broken links can point to pages within your own website or to another website.

Why do broken links matter?

They create a poor user experience by interrupting someone’s attempt to find information, contact a business, or complete a purchase. Broken internal links can also prevent search engines from reaching useful pages through those links. However, a page returning a 404 error does not automatically hurt the rankings of your site’s other pages.

How are they fixed?

Correct a mistyped address or update the link to the content’s current location. If you control a page that has moved permanently, a permanent redirect can send visitors from its old address to the new one. If the content is gone and has no suitable replacement, remove or replace links pointing to it.

Avoid sending every missing page to the home page; the destination should match what the visitor expected. For example, if you have a broken link going to an article, you might redirect to the article’s category.

Further Reading

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