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Broken Links SEO: Do They Hurt, and How Do You Fix Them?

August 19, 2025
Broken Links SEO: Do They Hurt, and How Do You Fix Them?

Let’s be honest: nobody wakes up excited to hunt down broken links. It’s not glamorous. It’s not even mildly thrilling. But if you’re running a business website, managing digital marketing, or just trying to keep your SEO game strong, ignoring broken links is like ignoring that weird noise your car makes — eventually, it’ll cost you.

So, will broken links on your site hurt SEO? And how do you find and fix them without losing your mind (or your lunch break)? Let’s break it down, with a little help from our AI-powered friends at bloggingmachine.io.

Broken Links SEO: The Real Impact

First, the facts — because nothing says “fun” like cold, hard data:

  • 74% of SEO professionals confirm that broken links negatively impact search rankings.
  • Websites that fix their broken links see a 28% boost in SEO performance.
  • The average website has 5.2 broken links per 100 pages (which, let’s face it, is about 5.2 more than anyone wants).
  • Lost backlinks from broken links can reduce your domain authority by 17%.

If you’re thinking, “But Google’s smart! Surely they’ll just ignore a few broken links?” — well, yes and no. Search engines are clever, but they’re also busy. Broken links waste their time (a.k.a. crawl budget), meaning they might miss your best content while tripping over dead ends. Not exactly a winning strategy.

User Experience: The Silent SEO Killer

SEO isn’t just about pleasing robots. It’s about real people, too. And people really, really hate broken links:

  • 88% of users report frustration when they hit a dead link.
  • 38% higher bounce rate for sites with broken links.
  • 69% of mobile users won’t come back after finding a broken link.
  • 60% of visitors exit immediately when they land on a 404 page.
  • 17% drop in brand credibility after a 404 error.

In other words, broken links are like serving cold coffee at a business meeting — everyone remembers, and nobody’s impressed.

The Business Case: Broken Links Cost Money

If you’re still not convinced, let’s talk about the bottom line:

  • Companies lose 6% of potential revenue due to broken links.
  • 70% of users will abandon a purchase if they hit a broken checkout link.
  • 38% of customer support tickets are about broken links (because who doesn’t love extra emails?).
  • Over half of B2B websites have at least one broken resource link.

So, yes — broken links hurt SEO, user experience, and your wallet. But don’t panic! Fixing them is easier than you think (and, dare we say, almost satisfying).

How to Find Broken Links (Without Losing Your Sanity)

You could, in theory, click every link on your site. But unless you have a lot of free time (or a very patient intern), automation is your friend. Here’s how the pros do it:

Manual Methods

  • Click through your navigation and key landing pages.
  • Review older blog posts and resource pages.
  • Check your most important conversion paths (because nothing says “professional” like a broken “Buy Now” button).

Automated Tools

  • Google Search Console: Free, reliable, and shows crawl errors.
  • Screaming Frog SEO Spider: A classic for crawling your site and flagging dead links.
  • Ahrefs and SEMrush: Great for larger sites or agencies.
  • Broken Link Checker (for WordPress): Plug and play.
  • Sitebulb and DeepCrawl: For the data-obsessed.

For a deeper dive into these tools, check out Moz’s guide to broken link building and Google’s official Search Console documentation.

How to Fix Broken Links (and Look Like a Hero)

Once you’ve found the culprits, here’s how to fix them — without breaking a sweat:

  1. Prioritize: Start with high-traffic and conversion pages.
  2. 301 Redirects: If a page moved, set up a permanent redirect to the new location.
  3. Update Internal Links: Make sure your own links point to the right places.
  4. Replace or Remove External Links: If a resource is gone, find a new one or delete the link.
  5. Custom 404 Pages: Guide lost visitors back to civilization (or at least your homepage).
  6. Monitor Regularly: Set a reminder — monthly or quarterly audits work wonders.

Pro tip: 42% of broken links happen during site migrations. If you’re redesigning or moving platforms, double-check your redirects before launching. Your future self will thank you.

Best Practices for Broken Links SEO

  • Audit regularly: Monthly or quarterly, depending on your site size.
  • Fast error pages: Keep 404s under two seconds to reduce bounce rates.
  • Helpful 404s: Add navigation and search to your error pages.
  • Resubmit your sitemap after big fixes in Google Search Console.
  • Broken link building: 48% of SEO pros use this as an outreach strategy (find broken links on other sites, suggest your content as a replacement).
  • Customer happiness: 75% of businesses report fewer complaints after fixing broken links.

For more on technical SEO, see Search Engine Journal’s guide and Ahrefs’ tutorial on finding broken links.

Why Consistent, High-Quality Content Still Wins

Here’s the twist: even if you fix every broken link, your SEO won’t skyrocket unless you’re publishing engaging, relevant, and optimized content. That’s where we come in. At bloggingmachine.io, our AI agent generates SEO-optimized articles effortlessly — no caffeine required. We automate content creation, keyword optimization, and topic research, so you can focus on running your business (or, you know, enjoying lunch).

Consistent, purposeful content attracts readers, builds trust, and keeps your site fresh for search engines. And when you combine that with a squeaky-clean link profile? That’s the secret sauce for organic traffic growth.

FAQ: Broken Links SEO

Q: Do broken links always hurt SEO? A: Not every broken link is a disaster, but too many can hurt your rankings, user experience, and credibility. Google may not penalize you directly, but they will crawl your site less efficiently.

Q: How often should I check for broken links? A: For most SMBs, a quarterly audit is enough. Larger or frequently updated sites should check monthly.

Q: What’s the best tool for finding broken links? A: Google Search Console is free and effective. For deeper analysis, try Screaming Frog or Ahrefs.

Q: Should I fix external broken links too? A: Yes! Outbound broken links frustrate users and can harm your site’s perceived quality.

Q: Can I automate broken link fixes? A: Some CMS platforms offer plugins that help, but manual review is still needed for the best results.

Final Thoughts

Broken links are like weeds in your SEO garden — ignore them, and things get messy fast. But with regular audits, smart tools, and a dash of AI-powered content from bloggingmachine.io, you can keep your site healthy, your users happy, and your rankings climbing.

And hey, if you ever need a break from link-checking, let us handle your next blog post. We promise it’ll be more fun than fixing 404s.

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