First let’s define what a ‘link’ is. In simple talk a link is a connection from one Internet page to another. The link can be from another site to yours. The link can be from your site to another. A link can also be from one page of a website to another page within the same site.
Links within your website (from one page to another) allow the viewer to easily navigate your website. Just as important, links provide a path for search engines to drill down through the pages of your site and to store the data in memory. Encouraging the search engines to do so helps expedite the awareness of all your web pages and potentially raise the site’s ranking and subsequent traffic.
If you have broken links within your website it reflects as a poorly maintained site as it brings both viewers and search engines to dead end pages with a “404 error – page cannot be found”. Pointing these links to the correct pages or deactivating them will be of significant help in the effectiveness of your website and its search engine ranking.
There are numerous sites with tools for checking your site links. Their reliability and accuracy varies widely. Most will provide the URL (page) containing the link. If your website was designed with easy administrative access and you have the technical knowledge you can navigate to the correct page and either update or de-activate the broken link. Otherwise you should have your web-master or SEO specialist identify and correct the needed changes. In some instances your website designer / developer can assist with this task.
In summary, broken (dead) links will have a negative effect on your site visitors and your search engine rankings and should be addressed and corrected. And keep in mind that photos and other graphic images may also contain links, so check your website carefully.