Let\u2019s jump in and get these links fixed!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What are Broken Links?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Broken links are links on your website that point to currently broken pages. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n But what causes broken links? Let\u2019s find out together!<\/p>\n\n\n\n You might be wondering, what\u2019s the difference between broken links and broken backlinks?<\/p>\n\n\n\n A broken link<\/strong> is simply a link on your site that doesn\u2019t work. It\u2019s like a road that leads to nowhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A broken backlink<\/strong>, however, is a link from another site that points to a page on your site that does not work anymore. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Unlike broken internal or external links, which are links on your site, fixing broken backlinks can be a bit challenging, as you should contact the referring domain\u2019s website admin and ask them to fix it for you or take other measures (e.g. 301 redirects).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both can hurt your site\u2019s SEO, but broken backlinks are especially important to fix since they impact how other websites see you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To find broken links on your site, we suggest using Google Search Console (GSC), because it\u2019s free and easy-to-use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Step 1: Sign in to your GSC account and head to \u201cPages\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Step 2: Click on \u201cNot found 404\u201d to find all broken links on your website.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Here, you can find all the broken links on your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also use Screaming Frog to find all your broken pages both internal and external. <\/p>\n\n\n\n All you need is to crawl your website and then click \u201cClient Error 4xx\u201d from \u201cResponse Codes\u201d to view all broken links.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then, click on the \u201cInlinks\u201d tab to see the source of the broken links.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFrom\u201d refers to the source where the 404 broken link is placed, while \u201cTo\u201d is the actual broken link.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, in this case we have an external link that is broken. However, you should also check your website for internal broken links as well, and Screaming Frog\u2019s SEO Spider can assist you in that, too. Proper internal linking<\/a> helps distribute link equity and improve site navigation, so fixing broken internal links is just as important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s a simple breakdown of the main reasons why broken backlinks occur. <\/p>\n\n\n\n No matter the cause, broken links on your site need attention. They don\u2019t help your SEO and, in fact, they can hurt your rankings, so it\u2019s essential to fix them quickly to keep your site performing at its best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Broken links can\u2019t help your SEO, and can even hurt your search engine rankings<\/a> and traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Broken links can also negatively impact user experience (UX). When people click on a link that leads to a dead page, it creates frustration and drives them away. This can result in higher bounce rates, which signals to search engines that your website isn\u2019t meeting user expectations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Broken backlinks need extra attention because backlinks are one of Google\u2019s ranking factors<\/a>. That\u2019s why it\u2019s so important to make sure all your backlinks, especially valuable do-follow ones, are working properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But there\u2019s more: if Google sees that your backlinks are broken, it might think your content is outdated or no longer valuable and webmasters of the referring sites might have found newer, more relevant content to link to instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a big red flag\u2014not only for your SEO but also for your brand\u2019s reputation. Broken backlinks can signal that your site isn\u2019t being maintained, which can reduce trust with both search engines and visitors. To navigate SEO effectively, it\u2019s also important to be aware of link building myths<\/a> that could impact your strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ever wondered if a disappearing backlink is broken or just lost? Here\u2019s what makes broken and lost backlinks different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Broken backlinks are links that used to work but no longer do. This happens when the target page on your site is deleted, moved without a proper 301 redirect, or has an error (like a 404 page).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lost backlinks<\/a>, however, are a bit different. These are links that used to point to your site but are now completely gone. Unlike broken backlinks, lost backlinks don\u2019t lead anywhere\u2014they aren\u2019t part of the referring website\/page anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that you understand the difference between broken and lost backlinks, let\u2019s move on to finding those broken links.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019ll walk you through some simple steps to help you get started!<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s quite easy to find links to your site that are broken with Ahrefs\u2014just follow these simple steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Step 1: Sign in to your Ahrefs account and type your domain into the \u201cSite Explorer\u201d search bar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Step 2: Head to the \u201cBroken Backlinks\u201d report.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Here, you\u2019ll find all the inbound links that are pointing to pages on your site that are broken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pro Tip:<\/strong> To narrow down your results, filter for “Dofollow” backlinks and choose the “404 Not Found” status. You can also sort by key link building metrics<\/a>, such as “Domain Rating” (DR) or “Domain Traffic,” to focus on the most valuable backlinks.<\/p>\n\n\n\nBroken Links vs. Broken Backlinks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How to Find Broken Links<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Using](\"https:\/\/saynine.ai\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/404-links-searchconsole-1024x453.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Example](\"https:\/\/saynine.ai\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/broken-backlinks-searchconsole-1024x469.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Screaming](\"https:\/\/saynine.ai\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/404-links-screamingfrog-1024x547.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Screaming](\"https:\/\/saynine.ai\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/broken-backlinks-screamingfrog-1024x543.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n4 Main Reasons for Broken Backlinks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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How Do Broken Links Affect Your SEO?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Broken vs. Lost Backlinks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How to Find Broken Backlinks to Your Website With Ahrefs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/saynine.ai\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/ahrefs-broken-backlinks-report-1024x384.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nHow We Fixed Our Clients\u2019 Broken Backlinks: 2 Case Studies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Case](\"https:\/\/saynine.ai\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/broken-backlinks-case-study-example-1024x459.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Broken](\"https:\/\/saynine.ai\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/link-disavow-example-1024x475.png\")
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