Kathy Jacobs Design & Marketing

Graphic Design, Website Design, & Online Marketing

Let's Talk Request a Quote
  • Home
  • About
    • What People Say
    • Awards
    • Clients
    • Specialties
    • Giving Back
    • The Team
  • Services
    • Print Media
    • Websites
    • Content Creation
    • Online Marketing
  • Our Work
    • All Work
    • Websites
    • Print
      • Brochures
      • Books & Booklets
      • Interpretive Signs
      • Banner Stands
      • Tabletop Displays
      • Trade Show Displays
      • Other Print Media
    • Logos
  • How It Works
  • Blog
  • Contact

Checking the Links on Your Website

Share
Tweet
Pin
Share

If your website has a link to content on another website, this is called an external link. External links are links on your website that point to pages on another website.

While these links provide useful information and resources for your visitors, if they are out of date or are broken (the page no longer exists), then it provides a bad user experience.

Websites are often reorganized or redesigned, which can cause a change in the URL for a specific page. If your website links to that page, your visitors will get an error when they click on the link.

It’s important to check all links on your website to make sure that they are up-to-date, but it is more likely that external links need to be updated.

Keeping external links up-to-date helps you

  • Provide a good user experience for your visitors
  • Show that your website is kept current and fresh
  • Avoid any potential negative impact on your search engine rankings

Set up a time each quarter to run a check on the external links on your website. If it’s scheduled on your calendar, you’re more likely to fit it in to a busy work schedule.

How to Check External Links

There are several free tools out there that can assist you with checking the internal and external links on your website. Here are some that I recommend trying out:

Xenu Link Sleuth

This program is only for PC’s, so Mac users, don’t even bother. Still, it’s worth listing here as it is one of the first programs to assist with checking links. You can download it here: http://home.snafu.de/tilman/xenulink.html. As always, be sure to scan the download with your anti-virus software before installing.

Broken Link Checker

This online service provides the opportunity to check for broken links on your website. The free version is a bit limited, but it is useful. You’ll be able to see where the link was found and it also provides a snapshot of the code where the link was found. Be sure to read the terms of service before agreeing to utilize it. You can find their website at: http://www.brokenlinkcheck.com/broken-links.php

 

W3C Link Checker

This is a good tool for checking individual pages, but you have to get the premium service to check all pages on a given domain at once. The free version checks external links, internal links, and images. It’s relatively fast and will return results that are clear and easy to understand. The results also show you pages that your website links to that have been redirected. Those links will still work, but it is a good idea to go ahead and update them for the future. Access the tool at: https://validator.w3.org/checklink

 

How to Check Internal Links

It’s not a bad idea to check links on your website too – just in case you linked to a temporary document that was used for a time-limited marketing campaign and then removed or something like that. Some of the tools above will also work for internal links as well.

Google Webmaster Tools

The easiest way to do this is to check your Google Webmaster Tools account. If there is a broken link, it will show up as a Crawl Error. When you click on an error it will show you the link and the page the link can be found on. You can then go in and fix or remove the link.

Share
Tweet
Pin
Share

Filed Under: Websites

Get My Newsletter

Get tips and ideas that help grow your busines or organization delivered right to your inbox!

* indicates required

Recent Articles

Travel Itineraries for National Days Boost Economy in Slower Times

Creating themed itineraries or travel packages built around fun national days gives visitors a reason to explore your community and support local … [Read More...]

2025 Short-Form Video Guidelines: Reels, YouTube Shorts, TikTok Videos Length

As you plan, shoot, and edit short-form videos for each social media platform, you need to know the latest maximum video length for Reels, YouTube … [Read More...]

Kathy Jacobs Design & Marketing, LLC

Marietta, GA 30062
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Read our Privacy Policy

Copyright © · Kathy Jacobs Design & Marketing, LLC