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Statistics about Link Rot?
67% of websites have broken links (Ahrefs study):
Broken links account for a loss of up to 75% of referral traffic (Search Engine Journal report):
Search Engine Journal article on broken links losing traffic
Fixing broken links can boost your ranking: Regularly cleaning up broken links can actually improve your SEO rankings, as it boosts both user experience and crawlability. A study by Backlinko shows that user engagement is a key factor for SEO, and ensuring a smooth experience with no broken links can contribute positively to ranking.
Backlinko article on SEO signals
What Is Link Rot?
Have you ever clicked a link on a website and seen this message? “404 Page Not Found”
That means the link is broken — the page is either deleted or moved. This is called Link Rot.
Link rot can happen to:
- Links you added on your website (outbound links)
- Links from outside websites pointing to your site (backlinks)
Just like food goes bad over time, your website links can also “rot” if no one checks them.
Why Broken Links Hurt SEO
I used to ignore broken links, thinking it was not a big deal. But then I learned how much they can hurt SEO:
- You lose the trust of Google and visitors
- You lose traffic if people can’t open pages
- You lose authority when backlinks point to broken pages
Even if your content is excellent, link rot can slowly pull down your search rankings without warning.
How I Fixed Link Rot (With No Coding)
When I found out my site had broken links, I got worried. I’m not a developer. But then I found a few easy tools that helped me fix everything — step by step.
Let me show you how I did it.
Step 1: I Scanned My Site Using Screaming Frog
Tool used: Screaming Frog SEO Spider
Goal: Find broken links (404 errors)
How I did it:
- I downloaded the free tool from screamingfrog.co.uk
- I opened the app and entered my website URL
- Clicked “Start” and waited for the crawl to finish
- I went to the ‘Response Codes’ tab and selected ‘Client Error (4xx).’
This showed me a list of all the broken outbound and internal links on my website.
Step 2: I Fixed Those Broken Links
For each broken link, I did one of these:
- Replaced it with a working page
- Removed it if no replacement was found
- If it was my own page, I set a 301 redirect to a similar page
This fixed the user experience and helped Google trust my site again.
Step 3: I Checked Lost Backlinks Using SEMrush
Tool used: SEMrush – Backlink Audit
Goal: Find other websites linking to my broken pages
How I did it:
- I created a project in SEMrush
- Went to the Backlink Audit tool
- Checked the “Target URL Error” section
- It showed me which backlinks were pointing to 404 pages on my site
These were lost backlinks I didn’t even know I was losing.
Step 4: I Recovered Backlinks Using Redirects
When SEMrush showed me which backlinks were broken:
- I redirected those old broken URLs to similar live pages
- If the backlink was very valuable, I emailed the website owner and asked them to update the link
This helped me recover the authority and traffic I had lost silently.
Step 5: I Now Do Link Checks Every 3 Months
Just like we go for regular checkups, I now check my site links every 3 months.
I keep a Google Sheet with:
- Broken links found
- Action taken (redirected, replaced, or removed)
- Tool used
- Next check date
This small habit keeps my site healthy and more trusted by Google.
Final Thoughts
Broken links can hurt your SEO. The good news is that you don’t need to code or hire a developer to fix them. With some curiosity and simple tools like Screaming Frog and SEMrush, you can easily repair broken links, even if you are new to SEO. If I could do it in my first year, you could do it!
FAQ: Common Questions About Link Rot
1. What is Link Rot in SEO?
Link rot happens when links on your website or from other websites become broken over time. This can happen if a page is deleted, moved, or a website goes offline. These broken links can negatively affect your SEO and user experience.
2. What are the impacts of Link Rot?
Broken links can harm your SEO in several ways:
- You lose search engine trust (Google may see your website as unreliable).
- Users leave your site disappointed when they can’t open a page.
- You lose valuable backlinks if they point to broken pages, which can harm your site’s authority.
3. Can Link Rot be fixed without coding?
Yes, fixing link rot does not require coding skills. Using simple tools like Screaming Frog and SEMrush, you can find and fix broken links easily by replacing or redirecting them.
4. How do I find broken links on my website?
You can use tools like Screaming Frog to scan your website for broken links. The tool will show you any pages with 404 errors (not found), allowing you to fix or replace those links.
5. How often should I check my website for broken links?
It’s a good idea to check your website for broken links every 3 months. This ensures that all links remain valid and that your site stays in good health for both users and search engines.