Broken Links: The Impact on Accessibility and SEO

We've all been there. You click on a link only to be met with the dreaded "404 Not Found" page.

Broken links leading to "404 Not Found" errors frustrate users. Beyond the inconvenience, these errors harm your website's search engine optimization (SEO) and adversely affect its accessibility.

How Links Break

Broken links can occur for various reasons. By understanding the causes, you can be more proactive in avoiding them.

Website Restructuring: When websites undergo redesigns or reorganize their content, URLs can change without proper redirects.
Content Removal: The linked page might have been intentionally deleted or moved without updating the referring links.
Domain Changes or Expiration: If an external website's domain name changes or expires, all links pointing to it will break.
Server Issues: Temporary server outages on the linked website can also result in a 404 error.
Typos and Errors: A simple slip of the fingers when typing or pasting a URL can lead to a non-existent destination.

How Broken Links Affect Accessibility

Think about a user navigating your website with a screen reader. They listen to the link text and choose to click. When they click a broken link, the screen reader might announce "link" followed by an error message or silence, creating a frustrating and disorienting experience that effectively blocks access to the intended content.

For users with cognitive disabilities, encountering broken links can disrupt their flow, increase confusion, erode trust, and may lead them to abandon your site altogether. A website filled with broken links signals a lack of attention to detail and a disregard for user experience and the WCAG standards for accessibility.

How Broken Links Affect Search Engine Optimization

Websites aiming for high visibility in search results must pay close attention to the quality of their links. A website riddled with broken links can negatively affect its standing in search rankings in several key ways. Search engines interpret broken links as a sign of neglect or poor maintenance. Consequently, this can make it harder for the website's pages to appear prominently when users search for relevant information.

Here are some key ways that broken links affect your search rankings:

Reduced Crawlability: Search engines crawl your website to discover and index content. Broken links can hinder their ability to navigate your site efficiently, leading to incomplete indexing and potentially missed valuable content.
Poor User Experience Metrics: High bounce rates and low time on page metrics, often due to users hitting dead ends, signal search engines that your website isn't providing a satisfactory experience. This can negatively affect your rankings.
Lost Link Equity: If you've earned valuable backlinks from other websites that now point to broken pages on your site, you're losing out on the SEO benefit those links provide.

Crafting a Helpful 404 Page

While preventing broken links is the ultimate goal, a well-designed 404 page can alleviate frustration, guide users back on track, and help diagnose issues.

Here are some best practices:

Keep it Simple: Avoid technical jargon and use plain language. Acknowledge the error in a simple, apologetic tone. For example, "We’re sorry. The page you're looking for seems to be missing."
Maintain Brand Consistency: Ensure your 404 page aligns with your website's overall design, including branding elements like your logo and color scheme. This helps users know they are still on your site.
Provide a Clear Path Back: Include a prominent link to your homepage. This is the most crucial element for guiding lost users.
Include a Site Search Function: Provide a visible and functional search bar to allow users to find the content they are looking for.
Suggest Popular or Relevant Content: Based on the context of the broken link, offer links for alternative content or some of your most visited content.
Provide Contact Information: Provide users with a way to report broken links, which will help you identify and fix issues promptly. At a minimum, supply users with an email address and phone number.

Keeping Your Links in Check

Here are some proactive strategies to help prevent broken links in the first place:

Monitor Website Changes: Be mindful of URL changes during website updates or content migrations and implement 301 redirects to the new locations. Using a monitoring app like DubBot during website redesigns and content migrations is a great way to expose broken links and correct them before going live.
Regular Link Audits: DubBot offers eight content quality and accessibility checks, including checking for broken links. DubBot checks your website for broken internal and external links on a regular cadence.
Utilize Link Management Tools: For larger websites, consider using link management platforms that can help track and manage your links more efficiently.

Broken links are more than just minor inconveniences; they represent significant barriers to accessibility and hinder your SEO performance. By understanding how they become broken, recognizing their impact, implementing a regular monitoring tool, and using effective 404 pages, you can ensure a smoother, more accessible, and ultimately more successful online presence.

Resources

A human author creates the DubBlog posts. The AI tool Gemini is sometimes used to brainstorm subject ideas, generate blog post outlines, and rephrase certain portions of the content. Our marketing team carefully reviews all final drafts for accuracy and authenticity. The opinions and perspectives expressed remain the sole responsibility of the human author.