How to find broken backlinks
Conducting a site audit specifically focused on backlinks is crucial for identifying links that are no longer functioning.
SEO tools are employed to crawl the web, checking the status of each link that points to your website. These tools are uncovering links that lead to non-existent pages, often indicated by a 404 Not Found error, among other server responses.
These tools provide a report detailing all the problematic links. It's useful to choose a tool that shows both the location of the broken link on the referring site and the intended target URL on your site. This data is vital for effectively repairing the links.
While manual checks using site analytics or browser extensions can spot broken backlinks, they are less efficient than automated tools, especially for expansive websites. Automated solutions offer a more comprehensive approach, scanning the full breadth of your backlink profile for any issues.
The 5 best tools for locating broken backlinks
Having the right tools to detect and manage broken backlinks is essential for maintaining a robust online presence.
These tools not only help identify broken backlinks but also assist in analyzing the overall link profile of your website, which has a big impact on search engine rankings and user experience. A variety of tools are available, each with its own set of features tailored to different aspects of link management.
Here are the 5 best tools for managing broken backlinks
Google Search Console (Free)
Google's own tool, Google Search Console, excels in tracking search performance and pinpointing broken backlinks detected by Google's sophisticated crawlers.
As a direct source of insights from the search engine giant itself, it's an unrivaled, essential asset for SEO monitoring and maintenance, offering the an accurate and up-to-date data for optimizing your website's visibility.
Ahrefs (Paid):
Ahrefs provides a backlink analysis, crucial for uncovering and repairing broken backlinks. This process is key to restoring the valuable link equity that bolsters your site's SEO.
Using Ahrefs provides detailed insights into your backlink profile, offering the information you need to strengthen and maintain its effectiveness.
SEO.AI (Free):
SEO.AI's tool allows you to quickly and easily check any domain for broken backlinks. In addition to providing a list of broken backlinks, the tool offers an overview of each URL and domain rating. Plus, the broken link checker is available at no cost.
SEMrush (Paid):
SEMrush offers website analysis that includes features for backlink analysis, content marketing, PPC, and social media.
The tool is accessible during a free trial, allows for a single project and site audit to showcase its capabilities. This audit report lists all broken link issues, detailing the URLs of both the page where the broken link is found and the broken target page.
Moz Pro (Paid):
Moz Pro's site crawl feature is an integral component of its extensive SEO toolkit, adept at detecting broken backlinks across your website. It not only identifies the issues but also offers practical solutions to address them, enhancing your site's SEO vitality.
With Moz Pro, you gain the advantage of a holistic approach to SEO, where maintaining a clean link profile is seamlessly integrated with other strategies to improve your website's overall search engine performance.
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