What can I do to fix the hundreds of broken links on my website that Ahrefs has flagged?

If Ahrefs has flagged hundreds of broken links on your website, it's crucial to address them promptly for several reasons. Broken links not only hurt the user experience but also have a negative impact on your website's SEO performance. Here are some steps you can take to fix these broken links:

1. Identify and prioritize broken links:

• Use Ahrefs or other tools to generate a list of broken links on your website.
• Sort the list based on priority, focusing on high-traffic pages or important landing pages first.

1. Update or fix internal broken links:

• If the broken links are internal (links within your website), update them by correcting the URL path.
• Go through your content management system (CMS) or web design platform (like Webflow) and modify the links accordingly.
• Ensure the updated links are directing users to the correct pages.

1. Redirect broken external links:

• If the broken links are external (links pointing to other websites), you can apply redirection.
• Set up 301 redirects in your CMS or web design platform to divert users from the broken links to working ones.
• Identify relevant pages on your website to redirect users to, ensuring they offer similar or related content.

1. Customize error pages:

• Create and design custom error pages (404 pages) to enhance the user experience when they encounter broken links.
• Add helpful information, such as a search bar, popular categories, or a sitemap, to guide users and keep them engaged on your website.

1. Update sitemaps and notify search engines:

• Update your website's XML sitemap to reflect the changes made to the broken links.
• Submit the updated sitemap to search engines like Google and Bing through their respective webmaster tools.
• This ensures search engines are aware of the changes and can re-crawl and index your website accordingly.

1. Use website auditing tools:

• Apart from Ahrefs, you can utilize other website auditing tools like Screaming Frog or Google Search Console to identify broken links.
• Regularly audit your website to catch any newly broken links and fix them promptly.

By addressing broken links on your website, you not only improve the user experience but also demonstrate to search engines that your website is well-maintained and reliable. This can positively impact your SEO efforts and help with organic search rankings.

Additional Questions:

1. How can I improve my website's user experience?
2. What are some best practices for optimizing internal links on my website?
3. How do I submit an XML sitemap to Google Search Console?