Tip 7 of 31: Fix Broken Pages and Unnecessary Redirects

Every broken page on your website is a door that leads nowhere. Every unnecessary redirect is a detour that adds confusion. Both are fixable.

The Problem

Broken links happen when a page is moved, deleted or renamed without links being updated or the old URL being forwarded to a relevant new location. They commonly lead visitors to a 404 error page.

For people, this is a frustrating dead end. For search engines and other permitted crawlers, broken internal links can make useful pages harder to discover and leave outdated URLs in your website structure.

Redirect chains are a different but related problem. One redirect is usually fine. But when a new location is also moved, and then moved again, you can end up with a chain of three, four or five redirects before the final page loads.

That chain adds delay and makes the website more difficult to maintain. On very large or frequently updated websites, unnecessary redirects can also consume crawling resources that would be better used elsewhere.

The Cost of Ignoring This

One of our clients generated £45,000 in placement fees from their website in a single month. That result depends in part on people and search engines being able to reach the right pages efficiently.

Broken links and unnecessary redirect chains make navigation and crawling harder. They do not normally cause a dramatic collapse overnight, but unresolved technical issues can gradually weaken the experience your website provides.

What to Do

Ask your developer to run a crawl of your live website and identify:

• 404 errors for pages that should still exist
• Removed pages that have a relevant replacement
• Redirect chains longer than one step
• Redirects that loop back on themselves
• Internal links pointing to old URLs
• Sitemap entries pointing to redirected or missing pages

Fix broken links by updating them to point directly to the correct live page.

Where an old page has moved and there is a genuinely relevant replacement, redirect the old URL directly to that page. Do not redirect every deleted page to the homepage or an unrelated service page.

If content has been permanently removed and there is no relevant replacement, allowing the URL to return a proper 404 or 410 response is appropriate.

Simplify redirect chains by pointing each old URL directly to the final destination. Update internal links so they reference the final canonical URL rather than relying on a redirect.

Up Next

Tip 8 of 31 covers important content that exists on your page but may be difficult for some search engines and automated systems to access when it depends heavily on JavaScript or user interaction.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I find out which pages are returning 404 errors?

Google Search Console shows URLs returning 404 errors in its Page indexing report, including pages Google attempted to crawl but could not find. Crawl tools such as Screaming Frog or Sitebulb can identify broken internal links across your own website. Check internal links, sitemap URLs and important pages with external inbound links.

Does a 404 error always mean there is a problem?

Not always. A page that has been permanently removed and has no relevant replacement should normally return a 404 or 410 response. A problem arises when a page should still exist, remains linked from your website or sitemap, or has a suitable replacement that visitors are not being directed to.

How many redirects in a chain is too many?

More than one is worth reviewing. A single redirect is standard, but longer chains add latency and increase the possibility of crawling, maintenance or user-experience problems. Where possible, update redirects and internal links so each old URL points directly to its final relevant destination.

Can redirect issues affect AI citations specifically?

Redirect problems can make a page less straightforward for some crawlers and automated systems to access, particularly when a chain is long, loops or ends in an error. However, using a direct, stable URL does not guarantee that an AI-assisted system will cite or recommend the page.

How often should I check for broken links?

Once a quarter is a reasonable practical baseline. After a migration, platform change or large content update, check immediately. If your website publishes or removes content regularly, automated monitoring that alerts you when important pages return errors may be worthwhile.

Darren Revell, Co-Founder, RecruiterWEB