Introduction
Broken links and 404 errors are a normal part of the life of a website, but they become a problem when important pages disappear, visitors are sent to dead ends, or search engines repeatedly encounter URLs that no longer lead anywhere useful.
A single 404 page is not automatically an SEO disaster. In fact, a proper 404 response is exactly what a website should return when a page genuinely no longer exists.
The problem is usually not the existence of a 404 itself. The problem is what caused it, whether important links still point to it, whether there is a more appropriate destination, and whether the website is being maintained well enough to prevent unnecessary broken paths.
For businesses investing in website design Wanneroo, broken-link management should be part of ongoing website maintenance rather than something that is only checked when a customer reports a problem.
What Is a Broken Link?
A broken link is a link that points to a destination that no longer works as intended.
This may happen because:
- a page was deleted
- a page URL changed
- a file was removed
- an external website changed its structure
- a link contains a typing error
- a website migration missed a redirect
- a product was permanently removed
- a domain expired
- a third-party resource disappeared
When a visitor clicks the link, they may see a 404 page, a server error, an unrelated destination or nothing useful at all.
Internal broken links occur when one page on your own website points to another page on the same site that no longer exists.
External broken links occur when your website points to another website whose destination has moved or disappeared.
Both are worth monitoring, but internal broken links are generally easier to control and often more important because they directly affect your own website structure.
What Is a 404 Error?
A 404 status means that the requested page or resource could not be found.
This is a standard HTTP response and is not inherently a problem.
If someone enters a URL that has never existed, a 404 response is appropriate.
If an old page has been permanently removed and there is no suitable replacement, returning a genuine 404 may also be the correct outcome.
Google does not expect every old URL on the internet to remain available forever.
Where problems begin is when a website returns a normal-looking page with a successful 200 status even though the content is effectively missing. Google may interpret this as a soft 404.
Google has specifically explained that a page which looks like a missing-page response but returns a 200 status may be treated as a soft 404, and that this is generally undesirable. Google discusses soft 404 behaviour in its Search Central guidance.
Do 404 Errors Hurt SEO?
A normal 404 response does not automatically damage the ranking of your whole website.
What matters is context.
A 404 can become more significant when:
- an important page that used to receive search traffic disappears
- other pages still link to the missing URL
- external websites link to the missing page
- navigation or footer links point to it
- the missing page had useful content that should have been preserved
- a migration creates large numbers of avoidable 404s
If a page has been replaced by a closely related new page, a permanent redirect is often the appropriate solution.
If there is no meaningful replacement, a genuine 404 may be better than redirecting the visitor somewhere irrelevant.
Search engines should be given an honest response about what happened to the resource.
Why Broken Links Matter for Visitors
Broken links are not only an SEO issue.
They affect trust and usability.
Imagine a potential customer reading a service page and clicking:
- a pricing link that no longer works
- a portfolio example that has disappeared
- a downloadable brochure that returns an error
- a contact link pointing to an old form
- a product page that no longer exists
The visitor may not know whether the business is still active, whether the website is maintained or whether the information can be trusted.
That is especially important for businesses competing for local enquiries through web design Wanneroo, where the website itself forms part of the first impression.
A professional-looking website with several dead links can quickly undermine confidence.
Broken Internal Links Can Weaken Website Structure
Internal links help visitors move through a website and help search engines discover and understand pages.
Google states that it uses links both to discover pages and as a signal for understanding relevance. It also recommends using standard crawlable links with descriptive anchor text. Google’s link best-practice guidance explains how internal links help crawlers find content and understand relationships between pages. citeturn716083search0
If an important internal link points to a 404, several things happen:
- the visitor reaches a dead end
- the intended destination receives no internal-link support
- search engines waste effort following an invalid path
- the wider site structure becomes less coherent
Our article How Internal Linking Strengthens Your Website SEO explains why internal links are such an important part of both usability and search structure.
When Should You Redirect a Broken URL?
A redirect is appropriate when an old URL has a clear and relevant replacement.
Examples include:
- an old service page replaced by an updated service page
- a renamed product with a new URL
- a blog article moved into a new structure
- a website rebuild that changes URL paths
- two older pages consolidated into one stronger page
In those cases, a permanent 301 redirect can guide both visitors and search engines to the replacement.
The destination should be genuinely relevant.
Redirecting every deleted page to the home page is usually poor practice because the visitor does not receive what they expected.
A person clicking an old article about website hosting should not automatically land on a generic home page with no explanation.
When Should You Leave a 404?
A 404 can be correct when:
- the page was removed intentionally
- the content is no longer relevant
- there is no suitable replacement
- the URL was never valid
- a user simply mistyped the address
Trying to eliminate every 404 can create worse outcomes than allowing legitimate missing pages to return the correct status.
The aim is not to have zero 404s.
The aim is to avoid unnecessary 404s and handle intentional removals properly.
What Makes a Good 404 Page?
A good 404 page should still help the visitor.
It may include:
- a clear explanation that the page could not be found
- a link back to the home page
- a link to important services
- a search function
- contact information
- a simple navigation menu
The page should not pretend that the missing content still exists.
It should also return the correct HTTP status.
A visually attractive custom 404 page that returns 200 is technically misleading.
External Broken Links Matter Too
External links can become outdated even when your own website has not changed.
An article may link to:
- a government page that moved
- a supplier that restructured its website
- a product that was discontinued
- an old PDF
- a research resource that changed URL
External links should be reviewed periodically, especially in evergreen content that remains published for years.
Do not automatically remove every external link that changes.
First check whether the same source has moved to a new URL.
For important references, prefer stable first-party resources such as government departments, standards bodies and official documentation.
How to Find Broken Links
Broken links can be identified through several methods.
You can:
- crawl the website with a suitable audit tool
- review Search Console reports
- check server logs
- test navigation manually
- review older blog posts
- use a link-checking service
The W3C provides a public Link Checker and other website validation tools that can help identify broken links and markup problems.
For a small website, a manual review can still catch many obvious problems.
For a large WordPress site, automated crawling is much more efficient.
Google Search Console Can Reveal Crawl Problems
Search Console can help identify pages Google attempted to crawl but could not access successfully.
It can also help confirm whether a specific URL is indexed and how Google sees it.
Google recommends standard crawlable links and a clear URL structure so its crawlers can discover site content efficiently.
If you have not used Search Console before, our article Google Search Console for Small Business explains how the main reports work.
Broken Links Often Appear After Website Redesigns
Website redesigns and migrations are common sources of broken links.
Problems can arise when:
- page slugs are changed
- old content is deleted
- categories are reorganised
- media files are replaced
- a new page builder changes links
- old navigation links are copied into the new site
- redirect maps are incomplete
This is why URL mapping should form part of migration planning.
Our guide Planning a Website Migration Without Losing Important Search Visibility covers redirects, URL inventories and launch checks in more detail.
Check Links After Changing a Page Slug
Changing a URL may seem harmless inside WordPress, but every link to that old address can become outdated.
Before changing a slug, check:
- internal links
- navigation menus
- buttons
- portfolio entries
- blog posts
- email campaigns
- PDF documents
- external backlinks where known
If the old URL has already been indexed or linked externally, a permanent redirect is usually worth implementing.
Do not change URLs simply to make them marginally prettier unless there is a worthwhile reason.
Product and WooCommerce 404 Errors
Ecommerce websites create additional challenges because products can be discontinued, sold out or replaced.
A temporarily out-of-stock product does not normally need to disappear.
Keeping the page available can allow:
- customers to understand the product
- search visibility to be preserved
- back-in-stock messages to be shown
- alternatives to be recommended
If the product is permanently discontinued, consider whether there is a genuinely suitable replacement.
If there is, a redirect may make sense.
If there is not, allowing the old URL to return a proper missing-page response can be cleaner than redirecting it to an unrelated product category.
Do Not Create Redirect Chains
Redirects themselves need maintenance.
A redirect chain occurs when one old URL points to another old URL, which then redirects again.
For example:
/old-service/ → /services-old/ → /services/
The better arrangement is usually:
/old-service/ → /services/
Long redirect chains create unnecessary requests and make website maintenance more complicated.
When URLs change again, review older redirects and point them directly to the final destination where appropriate.
Anchor Text Should Still Make Sense
Fixing a broken destination is also a good opportunity to review the wording of the link.
Google recommends anchor text that is descriptive, concise and relevant to the destination.
Instead of:
Click here
use something that describes the destination, such as:
Read our guide to website maintenance.
This is more useful for visitors and gives search engines clearer context about the page being linked to.
How Often Should Broken Links Be Checked?
There is no single schedule that suits every site.
A small brochure website may need occasional checking.
A busy site publishing new content every week should be reviewed more frequently.
Good times to run a broken-link check include:
- after a redesign
- after a migration
- after changing site structure
- after deleting products or pages
- after bulk content editing
- during scheduled website reviews
Our article Why Your Website Should Be Reviewed Regularly explains why periodic maintenance is important beyond link checking alone.
Broken Links Are Usually a Maintenance Problem, Not a Crisis
Most websites will accumulate some outdated links over time.
The important distinction is between an occasional genuine 404 and a site that has been allowed to deteriorate.
For businesses relying on web development Wanneroo support, a sensible maintenance process should include:
- monitoring important URLs
- checking internal links
- maintaining redirects
- reviewing old articles
- checking navigation and calls to action
- testing after significant website changes
Google’s Search Essentials continue to emphasise helpful content, crawlable links and clear website structure rather than trying to eliminate every technical imperfection. citeturn716083search3
Keep Your Website Useful and Easy to Navigate
Broken links and 404 errors should be handled according to what is most useful and accurate for the visitor.
A missing page with no replacement should return a genuine 404.
A page that has moved should normally redirect to the correct new location.
Internal links should point directly to working destinations, and important external references should be checked periodically.
For businesses looking for web design Wanneroo, website design Wanneroo or web development Wanneroo support, ongoing maintenance is just as important as the original website build.
PrimeSites Digital helps businesses with WordPress website design, web development, hosting, SEO, redirects, migrations, technical maintenance and ongoing website improvements.
If you would like us to review an existing website or help fix technical problems, get in touch with PrimeSites Digital or book a free chat.
