If you’ve ever clicked on a link only to land on a sad little 404 page, you already know the pain.

So… what’s a broken link, really?

It’s exactly what it sounds like:
A link that goes nowhere.

Maybe the destination page was deleted.
Maybe the URL changed.
Maybe it was a typo from day one.
Either way, the result is the same:

“404 – Page Not Found”

Ugh.

And I’m afraid it’s not just frustrating for your visitors—it’s hurting your SEO behind the scenes.

Why Broken Links Matter

Let’s break it down:

User experience takes a hit
Visitors feel like they’ve hit a dead end. Not exactly the vibe you’re going for, right?
Crawlers get confused
When Googlebot runs into too many broken links, it might start thinking your site’s not well maintained.
Link equity gets wasted
That lovely backlink pointing to your site? If it lands on a broken page, poof—all that juicy link building effort goes down the drain.

How to Spot Broken Links

You don’t need to go on a manual clicking spree.

Here’s what smart folks do:

Use Google Search Console to scan for crawl errors
Run a site audit with tools like Screaming Frog, Ahrefs, or Semrush
Set up alerts for 404 errors through your CMS or analytics tool

Make it part of your regular site maintenance—like oil changes for your car.

Fixing Broken Links: A Quick Guide

When you find one, you’ve got options:

Redirect it (301) – Ideal if the content has moved
Replace it – Swap the broken link with a working, relevant one
Remove it entirely – When there’s no good alternative

Pro tip: If the broken page used to get backlinks, redirect it.
That way, you don’t lose the authority you’ve earned.

Internal Links Break Too

Yep, even your own pages can betray you.

That blog you unpublished last year?
The landing page from an old campaign?
If they’re still linked somewhere, you’re leaking link juice and hurting crawl flow.

That’s why regular checks matter.

And while we’re on it—breadcrumb navigation can help here too. If your structure changes but the breadcrumbs aren’t updated, boom: broken links.

Final Word

Broken links might seem small, but they chip away at your authority—quietly, over time.

So be the site owner who gives a damn.

Fix the dead ends, polish the paths, and keep the clicks flowing where they should.