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Doing nothing can pay off in search results.
Here’s why: When other people fiddle around with and “fix” their blogs, they break links.
Don't let this be your blog
Every broken link is one less search result for you to compete with.
If you haven’t used Broken Link Checker, try it out. You might be startled at how many broken links it finds on your blog. You might be dismayed at how many of those links are internal links – on your blog – that you broke!
As I write this, I’ve just finished eliminating a half dozen broken links. Some internal, some external. One needed complete replacement. I had to do a web search to find it’s new URL.
Eliminating broken links on your blog isn’t difficult, but you do need to keep track of your own 404 logs, and make sure you’re not delivering any HTTP 404 error pages. Make sure every valid incoming URL has a home, whether that incoming URL is stale or not. Sure, maybe you changed some permalinks. That’s cool, just make sure to get everything redirected properly. I use Godley’s Redirection plugin extensively, it’s the right tool for the job.
Once you have great content on your website, don’t fiddle around with your links. Your unoptimized links may hurt for SEO in the short term… in the long term, not so much. The upshot:
The less you fiddle, the less you break.
If you really need to change your linking strategy, make a plan, start small, test extensively, consider hiring a professional web developer.
But think hard beforehand… your position in the search engine’s index could be at risk.
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{ 42 comments }
That plugin looks pretty sweet. I shall have to try it.
K. Praslowicz´s last blog ..My Favorite Ansel Adams Photograph
I was unpleasantly surprised first time I installed it. Now it’s default on every new site I set up.
Dr Wordpress!´s last blog ..What Does a Pink Limousine Have to do With Blogging? (It’s the Week in Review!)
Broken Link Checker is a great plugin, and I recommend it highly as well. Thanks for the info on Godley’s Redirection, as well as the detailed advice on how to use it in your July post. That will save me looking for a redirection tool.
Karilee´s last blog ..Tools For Finding Domain Names – Part 2
You bet.
Feel free to use your byline here. bootstrapblogger is really, really good.
Dr Wordpress!´s last blog ..Dynamic Content Generation – How WordPress is Like a Sushi Restaurant
Hey thanks, that’s some good advice! I recently imported from a Blogger blog and I think I lost a ton of links by doing so. (Not sure how.) I’m going to try the plugins you suggested and see what comes of it.
Heather Kephart´s last blog ..Goals for 2010: Blogging or Writing?
Keep us posted Heather!
Dr Wordpress!´s last blog ..DIY WordPress: your “gateway” drug into programming
I deactivated the plugin a while ago, after reading this post I decided I needed to try it out again.
Anyone else have problems with the admin area going really slow after activating this plugin? Since I’ve already had two problems with conflicts with the new wordpress 2.9, I’m wondering if it’s that.
Mike Crimmins´s last blog ..Fresh Brews: Coffee Obsessed And Free Wifi
Which plugin, Redirection or Broken Link Checker?
Dr Wordpress!´s last blog ..Watering Holes and Quid Pro Quo – WIAW Week in Review
yup, single broken link will affect our SERP. I usually do checking trough web site, but i will give a try the broken link checker plugin that you mention in this article. It seems easier than do checking directly in broken link checker web site.
Dana @ Online Knowledge´s last blog ..Build Bond and Trust Trough Comments
Dana, checking through an external website is actually better, provided it’s done automatically on a certain schedule, generates good reports, and is cost- and time-effective.
Broken Link Checker will induce some overhead. It is a plugin, so it will get scanned periodically, and it does have to run a bunch of queries, and that takes time as well.
I use BLC mostly to save time. I can keep an eye on it while I’m doing other admin chores.
Were I outsourcing everything or I had an employee handling the grunt work, I would use an external check to be sure.
Dr Wordpress!´s last blog ..Blog World Recap: How to Attract a Large and Loyal Audience
Well this is GREAT news… I’m perfectly qualified to do nothing!
DING DING DING! We have a winner!
Yep. Lisis just gave us comment #1000 here on Website In A Weekend!
Dr Wordpress!´s last blog ..WordPress Screencast – Practical WordPress Tip #1 Grabbing links fast
What did she win, Dr. W? I mean, does anyone do anything without a prize, these days? Lisis, I think you should withhold that valuable 1000th comment until Dave coughs up a prize. Chocolate might do… What say you, Dave?
Holly Jahangiri´s last blog ..Exhausted & Overexposed: Hand-Crafted Hypertext Disappearing from the Web?
$15 gift certificate from Amazon.
This story isn’t over!
I announced it in the Pink Limo Week in Review Friday (linked). One of those “high speed low drag” kind of things.
Dr Wordpress!´s last blog ..What Does a Pink Limousine Have to do With Blogging? (It’s the Week in Review!)
Hey Dave,
Recently I moved my blog to a new URL and server. I did a huge manual check and changed hundreds and hundreds of links. However, it’s possible I missed some. I use this plugin to check for them.
Cheers, mate!
Gordie´s last blog ..How To Use Goals, Autosuggestion, Commitment And Consistency.
Gordie – I may be doing that soon. Would you be interested in sharing your experience here?
Dr Wordpress!´s last blog ..DIY WordPress: your “gateway” drug into programming
Sure can.
Update: I installed the link checker and found 13 broken links. Most of them were outgoing links. I fixed or deleted all the broken links.
Cheers.
Gordie´s last blog ..How To Use Goals, Autosuggestion, Commitment And Consistency.
Sweet!
You can delete afterwards. Just install and run it once a month or so to keep everything cleaned up.
Dr Wordpress!´s last blog ..7 Tips for Producing Snackable, Factual Content
Increase my search engine ranking by doing nothing–I like that idea.In fact,I never do anything to my permalinks in case of break links.
Darni, it’s pretty sweet, right? You get better because other people mess up!
Dr Wordpress!´s last blog ..Static Versus Dynamic Websites – Operational, Informational, Interactional
I don’t think bloggers realize how many things they break along the way.
I tend to be very careful but I assumed that I still might have some broken links so I just grabbed the plugin just to see. No broken links!
Now I can sleep well tonight.
Gabe | freebloghelp.com´s last blog ..The 5 bestest features of WordPress 2.9
Gabe – Uninstall it if you’re done with it.
Dr Wordpress!´s last blog ..Dynamic Content Generation – How WordPress is Like a Sushi Restaurant
Such a basic and excellent tip, I know I have been toying around with my 404 pages and bad links for months, never seem to get the job done and tighten things up the way I would like to.
Extreme John´s last blog ..This Exchange Website, That Exchange Website!
Broken Link Checker will let you knock all this crap out at once.
I should write a little guide to how to use it. It does have options, and there’s several options for what to do with any particular broken link.
Dr Wordpress!´s last blog ..Blogging Goals for 2010: Answers are Easy, the Questions are Hard!
Nice tip. I’ve totally forgot to check broken links on my blog. Great to hear that there is a plugin to do all the dirty work
Social Media Guide´s last blog ..Introduction to Blog Communities – Beginner Guide
Make it happen, bro!
Dr Wordpress!´s last blog ..Blog World Recap: How to Attract a Large and Loyal Audience
The one annoying thing on my blog is that I have a relative link written in between some
<code>tags, and it registers as a broken link, since the code is displayed out of place.Other than that, this plug in is rather nice, and part of my usual suite of plugins I install on a blog.
Deacon´s last blog ..Christmas Comes Early
How’s that?
Dr Wordpress!´s last blog ..7 Tips for Producing Snackable, Factual Content
Oh, so code tags work in comments, I see
Feel free to fix my mess above, Dave.
Deacon´s last blog ..Christmas Comes Early
You can use these HTML tags and attributes:
ROFL!! What was THAT? Was that what Deacon meant by a “mess”? Heck, you can’t even be pedantic around here without getting yourself into trouble. (Okay, so maybe that wasn’t so much “pedantic” as it was “smart a$$” but it’s getting to that point in the holidays where I either start sobbing uncontrollably, snap everyone’s head off, or get impossibly silly. Trust me, everyone prefers that last option, in my experience.)
Holly Jahangiri´s last blog ..Exhausted & Overexposed: Hand-Crafted Hypertext Disappearing from the Web?
I love this time of year.
Everyone’s laughter is tinged with hysteria. As if they were going mad. Or at least a little bit batty.
Dr Wordpress!´s last blog ..7 Tips for Producing Snackable, Factual Content
Wow.
Don’t use any plugin to track 404 pages but using Google Webmaster Tools.
Jayce´s last blog ..How to hack Facebook account profile
Jayce, that’s definitely guest post material if you’re willing to write it. Look for an email!
Dr Wordpress!´s last blog ..Blogging Goals for 2010: Answers are Easy, the Questions are Hard!
Well I am using blogger blog. On one article I have listen that new google caffeine will rank on seeing different facrors of our blog like our blog loading speed, broken links etc. I have used one tools for check my broken links, but I can not understand how to make good my broken links.
Well is it one important factors for SEO?
Short answer for what I think you’re asking:
Do a google search on broken link checkers.
You should be able to find something on the
web pretty easy.
Dr Wordpress!´s last blog ..Blogging Katamari Style (I’m gonna roll you up!)
I am so glad I happened across this post tonight. I had the plugin on my “must have” list for the longest time but then deactivated it.
After reading this post this evening I reactivated it and to my surprise I had 18 broken links and 100 redirects (which I have to do more research on).
Thanks for being a kick in my butt!
Michelle @ Your Virtual Assistant´s last blog ..2010 Goals for Your Virtual Assistant
Hi Michelle, was wondering where you went.
Try this one for redirection: http://website-in-a-weekend.net/website-maintenance/redirection-plugin-404-errors-wordpress-blogs/
Dr Wordpress!´s last blog ..MasterMind Power I: How 5 Boys Achieved Unparalled Success
I so miss stopping by too! I haven’t been to ExtremeJohn or Gabe’s recently either. January is always my busiest month with “one-time” bookkeeping projects!
Thanks for the link, totally going to check that out now!
Great suggestion. I’ll definitely be checking out more of your blog soon.
(Off to fix 12 broken links)
-Austin @ Foreigner’s Finances
Austin, I’ll be swinging by to read more about making nachos in Tokyo.
Dr Wordpress!´s last blog ..Help Haiti Blog Challenge: I’m Yours… All Weekend
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