3. Use 301 Redirects
Often, the page still exists. You just need to send the traffic to the correct URL. One solution to the issue is a 301 redirect.
The 301 redirect automatically forwards visitors from the old page to a new page. Consequently, the new page still gets the necessary page ranking metrics that improve SEO.
This strategy works well for pages you’ve deleted or moved permanently to a different URL. A common example is when you merge information from two pages with related content. You can send the traffic from both pages to the new one for a page with stronger ranking metrics. Likewise, you need this technique when merging or migrating sites.
However, don’t just send traffic to any page on your site, such as your home page or a generic landing page. If the information is irrelevant to the intent of the user, you’ll still upset your audience and harm your SEO.
4. Correct Links With Typos
If the problem is a single typo, you’ll find it more efficient to fix broken internal links by just correcting the misspelling instead of going to the trouble of creating a redirect. Either fix the text in the link or the page URL itself. Just be sure to test that it works after you update the text.
5. Replace or Remove Outdated or Irrelevant Links
If a page no longer holds value for your audience, you may need to delete it. Try to replace incoming hyperlinks with a more relevant resource, maybe even an external link, if it adds value to your reader.
If replacing the link isn’t practical, delete the link. Remember, redirecting to an irrelevant page only hurts SEO because you frustrate users, and your domain appears poorly structured to web crawlers.
6. Prevent Broken Links in the Future
Even with helpful SEO tools, trying to fix broken internal links can eat up valuable time if you have a lot of them. Start by having a system of best practices for content creation and updates.
Remind writers, editors, and developers to check that URLs work when creating, updating, or moving a page. If you’re deleting or merging pages, make sure the person responsible for content pruning runs an audit to find out which other pages link to the deleted page and then updates hyperlinks, removes them, or uses a 301 redirect.
As a best practice, regularly audit your site for broken links with your SEO tools. With software such as Semrush, you can automate scheduling and executing these audits. If you don’t have time for that, work with an SEO agency that handles on-page SEO and provides you with regular updates.
Fix Broken Internal Links and Improve On-Page SEO With BKA Content’s Help
All of your web pages need on-page SEO and continual management for your digital marketing strategies to work. However, most small and mid-sized companies don’t have the necessary in-house resources or time. Fortunately, you can outsource these tasks to SEO experts.
Instead of spending your precious time learning how to fix broken internal links and handling on-page SEO, partner with our pros, who can get it done quickly and correctly. Contact our SEO experts at BKA Content to see how we can streamline your team’s SEO strategy.
