Broken links are like potholes on the highway of your online presence—they’re frustrating, unsightly, and potentially damaging. If left unchecked, they can hurt user experience, tank your SEO performance, and—perhaps most critically—chip away at your brand’s credibility. Unfortunately, some broken links fly under the radar, remaining hidden while causing long-term harm.
In this article, I will explore five hidden broken links that could be quietly damaging your reputation. Stick around, and we’ll also share actionable tips to identify and fix them before they wreak havoc on your website.
Why Do Broken Links Matter?
Broken links do more harm than just causing 404 errors. When users encounter them, it sends a message—whether intentional or not—that your website is outdated or poorly maintained. Worse still, search engines, like Google, penalize websites with broken links, affecting your rankings and visibility. If you have too many broken links, you risk diverting search engine pages from links that actually matter (Source: StableWP)
In today’s competitive landscape, where brand trust is everything, broken links are credibility killers. Ready to uncover the hidden culprits? Let’s dive in.
1. Outdated Internal Links
Sometimes, when you update or restructure your website, internal links pointing to old pages remain untouched. These outdated links might lead visitors to non-existent pages or outdated content, creating a poor experience.
Why It’s Harmful:
- Visitors get frustrated when they can’t find the information they’re looking for.
- Search engines may flag your site for poor user experience.
How to Fix It:
- Use tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs to scan for broken internal links.
- Update the links to point to the correct pages or redirect them using a 301 redirect.
2. Broken Links in Blog Content
Have you ever included a link to an external source in a blog post only to have that source disappear months or years later? These are “orphaned” links that no longer lead to valuable resources.
Why It’s Harmful:
- Visitors expect helpful resources, and broken links leave them disappointed.
- It makes your blog look unreliable.
How to Fix It:
- Perform a quarterly audit of your blog content using a broken link checker like Dead Link Checker.
- Replace broken external links with up-to-date sources or remove them altogether.
3. Hidden Links in Your Footer or Sidebar
Footers and sidebars are often overlooked during website updates, but they can house outdated links that quietly harm your credibility. Think about old partnership links, expired promotions, or even social media icons that don’t work anymore.
Why It’s Harmful:
- These links are often placed on every page, amplifying the negative impact.
- They create a perception of neglect.
How to Fix It:
- Regularly review your footer and sidebar elements.
- Test all links and ensure they’re functional or remove outdated ones entirely.
4. Broken Links in Emails or Newsletters
Your email campaigns or newsletters might include links to landing pages, blog posts, or external resources. But what happens when those links break over time?
Why It’s Harmful:
- Subscribers lose trust in your brand when links don’t work.
- Broken links reduce the effectiveness of your campaigns.
How to Fix It:
- Before sending an email, test all links thoroughly.
- For archived newsletters, set up redirects to guide users to updated pages.
5. Broken Redirects After a Website Migration
If you’ve recently rebranded, updated your domain, or overhauled your website, broken redirects could be lurking in the shadows. Redirects should seamlessly lead users from old URLs to new ones, but if they break, you’ve got a problem.
Why It’s Harmful:
- Search engines may struggle to crawl your site properly, leading to lost rankings.
- Users land on error pages instead of where they want to go.
How to Fix It:
- Use Google Search Console to identify broken redirects.
- Implement 301 redirects for all affected URLs to ensure proper navigation.
The Impact of Broken Links on SEO
Search engines rely on links to crawl your website and understand its structure. Broken links act as dead ends, signaling poor website health. If your site is riddled with these dead ends, Google and other search engines might penalize your rankings. Not to mention, when visitors bounce from your site after encountering broken links, it increases your bounce rate—a key metric that search engines monitor.
Google is not going to direct to a site that has multiple broken links instead helpful content that users need. (Source: Conductor).
How to Prevent Broken Links in the Future
Broken links don’t have to be an ongoing headache. Here are some preventative steps you can take:
- Perform Regular Link Audits: Use tools like Google Search Console, SEMRush, or BrokenLinkCheck to scan your website for broken links every quarter.
- Set Up Automatic Alerts: Some platforms allow you to receive notifications when a page on your site becomes unavailable.
- Redirect Old URLs: Always create 301 redirects when removing or moving pages.
- Test Links Before Publishing: Whether it’s a blog post, email, or landing page, verify all links work properly before going live.
- Invest in Website Maintenance: Having a dedicated webmaster or team to regularly check your site can save you a lot of trouble.
FAQs About Broken Links
1. How do I check for broken links on my website?
You can use tools like Screaming Frog, Google Search Console, or online broken link checkers to identify and fix broken links.
2. Do broken links really impact SEO rankings?
Yes, broken links harm your website’s crawlability, user experience, and can lead to lower search engine rankings.
3. How often should I audit my website for broken links?
Ideally, perform a link audit every quarter to catch and fix broken links before they cause serious harm.
4. Can I fix broken links myself, or do I need a professional?
Many broken links can be fixed using simple tools and redirects, but for larger websites, hiring a professional might be more efficient.
In summary
Broken links might seem trivial at first glance, but their impact on your brand credibility, SEO performance, and customer trust is anything but small. By proactively identifying and fixing hidden broken links, you can protect your brand’s reputation and ensure a smooth user experience.
Don’t let hidden issues like this sabotage your efforts—keep your digital presence clean, professional, and user-friendly!
Sources
“5 Major Website Issues That Will Seriously Hurt Your Business” StableWP, 7th August 2024, https://stablewp.com/5-major-website-issues-that-can-seriously-hurt-your-bottomline-most-common-wordpress-problems/
Baker, Conor.”Breaking Down Broken Links: Your Comprehensive Guide.”Conductor. 15th January 2025, https://www.conductor.com/academy/broken-links/
This post was a great reminder of how something as seemingly small as a broken link can quietly damage a brand’s credibility and user experience. I’ve run into this issue before on my own site, especially with older blog posts where affiliate links or external resources have changed. It’s easy to overlook them, but the impact on trust and SEO is real.
I liked how you pointed out less obvious areas like social media bios and email signatures—those are places I hadn’t even thought to double-check.
Thanks for such a helpful and eye-opening article!