As we all know, broken links are prevalent across the web and can significantly impact WordPress SEO rankings. According to a report, when an online consumer encounters a broken link or a page not loaded screen during their first experience, there is an 88% chance they won’t return to the site. Finding and fixing broken links is easier than you think. However, as a site owner, it is essential to monitor for dead links continuously.
This blog post will discuss broken links, their causes, and solutions. From using WordPress SEO audit tools to plugins, we will help you learn how to fix broken links in WordPress.
What is a Broken Link and Its Causes?
Broken links, also known as dead links, are links that no longer work. They often occur when a webpage is deleted or moved to a different location, causing the server to display a ‘404 not found’ error message. On WordPress sites, broken links typically arise when moving a site to a new domain name or deleting a post or page without proper redirection. Typos can also result in broken links that go unnoticed for months or years.
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Therefore, it is crucial to regularly monitor and fix broken links on your WordPress website to prevent them from negatively impacting your SEO rankings. In this blog post, we’ll delve into the causes of broken links and provide solutions, including SEO audit tools and WordPress plugins, to help you maintain a functional and user-friendly site.
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Are You Thinking Of Checking Broken Links Manually? Here’s Why You Shouldn’t!
Manually checking for broken links on your WordPress site might seem like a straightforward solution, but it could be better. Here’s why you should avoid this tedious task and opt for a more efficient approach.
Time-Consuming Process
- Manually going through each page and testing every link can take enormous time, especially if you have a large site with many posts and pages.
- This method requires continuous effort as broken links can appear anytime, necessitating repeated checks.
Inefficiency
- While you’re busy hunting for broken links, your attention is diverted from other essential tasks that can help grow your site.
- Manually checking links is prone to human error; you might miss some links or overlook pages altogether.
What are the Better Alternatives to Finding Broken Links?
Fortunately, several tools can automate this process, saving time and ensuring every broken link is noticed.
1. Use Semrush
SEMrush is a comprehensive SEO tool that helps monitor various site metrics, including broken links.
How to Use It:
- Create a Semrush account.
- Go to the site audit page, enter your URL, and start the audit.
- Review the report and click on the “Broken” section to see the list of broken links.
- Export the report to fix the broken links later.
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2. Try Ahrefs
Ahrefs is another powerful SEO platform that can detect broken links and offers other SEO improvement tools.
How to Use It:
- Sign up for Ahrefs and choose a plan.
- Use the Site Explorer to crawl your site by entering your URL.
- Go to Pages → Best by links, sort by 404 Not Found, and export the results.
- Check Outgoing links → Broken links for broken external links and export this report.
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3. Try Google Search Console
Google Search Console, or GSC, is a free service from Google that lets you monitor your site’s performance and detect issues like broken links.
How to Use It:
- Add and verify your domain in Google Search Console.
- Select your site, go to Coverage, and click “Excluded” to see issues.
- Click on “Not found (404)” to see all broken links causing 404 errors.
- Download the report for further action.
Indeed, you can check for broken links manually, but using automated tools like Semrush, Ahrefs, and Google Search Console is way more efficient and effective. This approach allows you to focus on more critical aspects of your site, ensuring it remains functional and user-friendly without the hassle of manual checks.
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Let’s Understand How to Fix Broken Links in WordPress Properly!
We’ve shown you three excellent tools to find broken links in WordPress. Now, let’s discuss how to fix those broken links efficiently.
Redirect Broken Links
The best way to fix a broken link is to redirect it to another relevant page. For instance, If you’ve moved the contents of an article to a different URL, redirect the old link to the new one.
If an article no longer exists, redirect the old link to a similar page with related content. You can set up these redirects using 301 redirects.
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Using the All-in-One SEO (AIOSEO) Plugin
The easiest way to fix broken links and set up redirections is using the All in One SEO (AIOSEO) plugin for WordPress. This plugin offers a powerful redirection manager that helps you track 404 error pages and create 301 redirects.
Steps to Fix Broken Links with AIOSEO:
- Install and Activate AIOSEO Pro: First, install and activate the AIOSEO Pro plugin. If you need help, see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.
- Activate Redirects: Go to the All in One SEO » Redirects page and click the ‘Activate Redirects’ button.
- Enable 404 Logs: Navigate to the ‘Settings’ tab under Redirects and enable 404 logs in the ‘Logs’ section. Using the dropdown menu, set the time period for recording 404 logs. For optimal performance, we recommend selecting no longer than one month. Click the ‘Save Changes’ button.
- View 404 Logs: After enabling 404 logs, you’ll see a ‘404 Logs’ tab in the Redirects section. Click on this tab. Initially, there will be no data, but AIOSEO will list broken links under the ‘URL’ column once active. You’ll also see how many people visited the link (Hits column) and the last accessed date.
- Add Redirects: Click the ‘Add Redirect’ button for any broken link. Then, enter the Target URL where you’d like to redirect visitors. Select ‘301 Moved Permanently’ as the redirection type from the dropdown menu. Click the ‘Add Redirect’ button.
- Test the Redirect: Visit the old broken link to ensure it redirects to the new page correctly.
- Repeat for All Broken Links: Repeat the process for all broken links on your website.
Following these steps, you can efficiently fix broken links on your WordPress site, ensuring a better user experience and maintaining your SEO rankings.
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Wrap Up
Fixing broken links on your WordPress site is crucial for maintaining a good user experience and preserving your SEO rankings. Manually checking each link takes time and effort, especially for more significant sites. Instead, using automated tools like Semrush, Ahrefs, and Google Search Console can save you considerable time and ensure that every broken link is noticed.
Once you’ve identified the broken links, the All in One SEO (AIOSEO) plugin offers a streamlined way to set up 301 redirects, effectively managing and fixing broken links. This approach keeps your site functional and user-friendly and helps you focus on more critical tasks.
We hope you found this information helpful and that it makes managing your WordPress site easier. Happy blogging!
