How Can I Check & Fix Broken Links in My Blog?

By Maxwell

 





 

Your blog, packed with helpful advice on everything from scholarships to admissions e.g. You've linked to resources, tools, and perhaps even other great articles on your own site. But what happens when those links stop working?

It's a surprisingly common issue, and if you've ever clicked a link on a website only to be greeted by a "404 Not Found" page, you know how frustrating it can be. For your readers, broken links are a roadblock – they interrupt the flow of information, signal that your site might be outdated or poorly maintained, and can even erode trust. For your blog, they're a subtle traffic killer, impacting both user experience and your standing with search engines like Google.

You might be thinking, "Do broken links really matter that much?" The short answer is, yes! Google discourages them because they lead to a poor user experience. If Google sees too many broken links, it can subtly affect your search rankings because it suggests your content might not be as reliable or current. Plus, a frustrated reader who hits a dead end is less likely to stick around or come back.

But don't panic! Finding & fixing broken links on your blog is a straightforward process, even if you're not a tech expert. This guide will walk you through exactly how to identify these "dead ends" and, more importantly, how to fix them efficiently. Let's get your blog's pathways clear and smooth again!

 

1. What Exactly are Broken Links?  The Silent Site Killers

A "broken link" is simply a hyperlink that, when clicked, leads to an error page (most commonly a "404 Not Found" error) instead of the intended destination. They can happen for a variety of reasons:

  • You changed a page's URL on your own site but forgot to update all internal links pointing to it.
  • The external website you linked to moved or deleted its content. This is incredibly common!
  • Typos in the URL when you originally created the link.
  • The website you linked to went out of business or was taken offline.
  • Technical issues with the server or your website's database.

Regardless of the cause, the effect is the same: a dead end for your readers and a potential negative signal to search engines.

 

2. Why Fixing Broken Links is Crucial for Your Blog?

Beyond the immediate frustration for your readers, here are the key reasons why you should prioritize checking and fixing broken links:

  1. Improved User Experience (UX): This is paramount. A smooth, uninterrupted journey through your content keeps readers engaged and builds trust. If they hit too many broken links, they'll leave and might not return.
  2. Enhanced SEO (Search Engine Optimization):
    • Crawlability: Search engine bots (like Googlebot) crawl your site by following links. Broken links act as dead ends, preventing bots from finding and indexing other valuable content on your site.
    • Authority & Trust: A site with many broken links can appear neglected and less authoritative in Google's eyes, potentially impacting your search rankings. Google wants to send users to high-quality, reliable resources.
    • "Link Juice" Preservation: When you link to a valuable external resource, some "link juice" (SEO value) flows from your site to theirs. If the link is broken, that value is wasted.
  3. Professionalism: A well-maintained blog with working links conveys professionalism and attention to detail. This is especially important for a finance-focused blog e.g
  4. Monetization Potential: If you have broken affiliate links, you're literally losing potential income. Fixing these ensures your efforts to monetize are actually paying off.

 

3. How to Check for Broken Links (Your Tools & Methods)

There are several ways to find broken links, ranging from manual checks to automated tools. We'll start with the easiest and most comprehensive options.

Method 1: Using a WordPress Plugin (Easiest for Most Beginners)

For WordPress users, a dedicated plugin is often the simplest and most efficient way to scan your entire blog for broken links.

Recommended Plugin: Broken Link Checker

  1. Install & Activate:
    • Log into your WordPress dashboard.
    • Go to Plugins > Add New.
    • Search for "Broken Link Checker."
    • Click "Install Now" and then "Activate."
  2. Configuration (Optional but Recommended):
    • After activation, you'll usually find its settings under Tools > Broken Links.
    • You can configure how often it scans, what types of links it checks (internal, external, image, YouTube), and how it notifies you (dashboard, email).
  3. Scan & Review:
    • The plugin will automatically start scanning your blog in the background. This can take some time for larger sites.
    • Once the scan is complete, it will display a list of broken links in your WordPress dashboard under Tools > Broken Links (or it might add a notification bubble in the admin bar).
    • The list will show you the broken URL, the text it was linked from, and where it's located on your site (e.g., in a post, a page, a comment).

Method 2: Using Online Broken Link Checker Tools (Good for Any Website)

If you don't use WordPress, or if you prefer an external tool, there are many free online checkers available.

Popular Free Online Tools:

  • Online Broken Link Checker: (brokenlinkcheck.com) – Simple, fast, and gives you a clear report.
  • Dead Link Checker: (deadlinkchecker.com) – Similar to the above, often used for quick checks.

How to Use Them:

  1. Go to the website of your chosen tool.
  2. Enter your blog's URL in the provided field.
  3. Click "Check" or "Scan."
  4. The tool will crawl your site and present a report of any broken links it finds.
  • Pros: Works for any website platform, no installation needed.
  • Cons: Free versions often have limits on the number of pages they'll crawl, or they might be slower than a dedicated plugin. They typically won't allow you to fix links directly from the report; you'll have to go back to your site.

Method 3: Google Search Console (For Identifying Crawl Errors)

Google Search Console (GSC) is a powerful, free tool from Google that helps you monitor your site's performance in search results. It won't list every broken link, but it's crucial for identifying pages Google couldn't crawl due to a "404 Not Found" error.

  1. Set up GSC (if you haven't already): Add your blog as a property and verify ownership.
  2. Check the "Pages" (or "Index Coverage") Report:
    • In the left-hand menu, navigate to Index > Pages.
    • Look for the "Not found (404)" section. This report shows you URLs that Google tried to crawl but received a 404 error for. These are often external links or internal links to pages that no longer exist.
  3. Check the "Links" Report: While not directly for broken links, this report shows you your top internal and external links. It's useful for understanding your link profile.
  • Pros: Direct data from Google, helps you identify critical crawl errors.
  • Cons: Doesn't give you a comprehensive list of every broken link, especially those in your content that point to other sites, unless Google attempts to crawl them.

 

4. How to Fix Broken Links (Your Action Plan!)

Once you've identified the broken links, it's time to fix them. Your approach will depend on whether it's an internal link (pointing within your own site) or an external link (pointing to another website).

Fixing Internal Broken Links (The Most Important Ones!)

These are links from one page on your blog to another page on your blog. Fixing these is paramount for both user experience and SEO.

  1. Identify the Source: The broken link checker tool or plugin will tell you where the broken link is located (e.g., "Post: 'Beginner's Guide to Blogging', Paragraph 3").
  2. Find the Correct Destination (If it exists):
    • Did you change the URL (permalink) of the target page?
    • Did you accidentally delete the target page?
    • If the page exists with a new URL, find that new URL.
  3. Update the Link:
    • Go to the post or page where the broken link is located in your WordPress editor.
    • Edit the existing link. Remove the old, broken URL and insert the correct, new URL.
    • If the page no longer exists and won't be recreated: Remove the link entirely, or replace it with a link to a relevant, existing page on your site. You don't want dead ends.
  4. Consider 301 Redirects: If you permanently changed the URL of a page (e.g., yourdomain.com/old-post to yourdomain.com/new-awesome-post), set up a "301 redirect." This tells browsers and search engines that the page has permanently moved.
    • Why 301s are great: They automatically redirect users and pass on most of the SEO value from the old URL to the new one.
    • How to do it (WordPress): Use a plugin like "Redirection" or "Rank Math" (which includes a redirection manager) to easily set up 301 redirects. Your hosting provider might also have a redirect tool in your cPanel.

Fixing External Broken Links

These are links from your blog to other websites.

  1. Identify the Source: Again, the checker tool will tell you where the broken external link is.
  2. Research the New Destination (If applicable):
    • Did the external website simply move the content to a new URL? Do a quick Google search for the original article title or main keywords to see if you can find the new location.
    • Sometimes, an entire website goes offline.
  3. Your Options for Repair:
    • Update the Link: If you find the content at a new URL, edit your post and update the link with the correct URL. This is the ideal solution.
    • Replace with an Alternative: If the original resource is gone, find a similar, high-quality resource on another reputable website and link to that instead. This maintains the value you're providing to your readers.
    • Remove the Link Entirely: If you can't find a suitable replacement, simply remove the broken link. It's better to have no link than a broken one.
    • Contact the Site Owner (Less Common for Beginners): For highly valuable, unique content, you could try contacting the owner of the external site to ask if they moved or replaced the content.

 

5. Making Broken Link Checking a Habit

Don't just fix broken links once and forget about them. Websites are dynamic, and external links, especially, are constantly changing.

  • Regular Scans: Schedule regular checks. For a new or small blog, once a month is a good starting point. As your blog grows, you might increase the frequency or rely more on your WordPress plugin's automatic scans.
  • After Major Updates: Always run a scan after a major theme update, plugin update, or after significantly reorganizing your content (changing permalinks, deleting pages).
  • During Content Audits: When you go back to update or refresh old content, make checking all links part of your audit process.

 

Conclusion

Dealing with broken links might seem like a small detail, but in the world of blogging, these small details add up. By regularly checking and fixing these digital dead ends, you're not just improving your blog's technical health; you're actively enhancing the user experience, boosting your SEO, and reinforcing your reputation as a reliable source.

So, grab your broken link checker of choice, take a systematic approach, and start clearing those pathways. Your readers (and Google) will thank you for it!


 



 

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