Fix Link Rot Fast: Top 3 Proven Methods
In this video, we explain:
What is link rot?
How does link rot happen?
How to fix link rot?
WHAT IS LINK ROT?
Link rot refers to the gradual decay of the older links present in your backlink profile.
HOW DOES LINK ROT HAPPEN?
Link rot can occur in two ways: the first is the case of broken links, where a link pointing to a page has been moved by the publisher. You’ll see it appear as a 404 error. The second way is when new and more relevant pages appear on the internet for a particular topic; when your content becomes stale; or when it gets pushed down your site architecture. The newer pages tend to have more link equity due to their freshness, relevance, structure, and content quality. And now your older links will have less link equity.
HOW TO FIX LINK ROT?
Broken Links:
Your first step in link reclamation is to start off with a broken link analysis. Tools like Ahrefs can help you with that. If there’s any 404 error for internal linking, then you can either update the link so it’s pointing to the right page, or you can set up a 301 redirect for the broken URL. 301 redirects are a pretty good way to ensure all the link juice of the old page is passed on to the new. However, you should be careful with your redirections. A redirection should be to a page of similar or better value.
If the backlink is from your page to an external page that no longer exists, then you need to change the backlink so it’s pointing to a relevant and active external page.
Another top tip is to check for misspellings and other mistakes in the link. Some 404 errors are just simple mistakes. Someone might have misspelled your URL, such as by adding an ‘s.’ Just get that fixed and you’ll be good to go.
INCREASE YOUR LINK EQUITY
If you want to reclaim link equity, then you can work on your existing content so that it is more updated and relevant. Then, reach out to publishers to get fresh backlinks pointing to your site, which can help you with rankings and traffic.
REMOVE ZOMBIE PAGES
If you feel that a page is no longer useful, what we call “zombie pages,” then you can consider removing them from your site. But, be careful with this approach and use it only as a last resort. Remember, link rot happens to the best of us. But there are ways we can address it. Hope you found these tips super-useful.
Link Building HQ
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