Free Software – Check for Broken Links

When was the last time you checked for broken links on your website or blog?  Maybe you did yesterday, in which case congrats, you’re a step ahead of me.  If like me you’re frequently too busy adding landing pages and updating your site, then you may need some help.

It’s inevitable that you’re going to have broken links on your website, and you probably don’t have the time to check manually (if such a thing was really possible, which is isn’t in many cases), so here are two pieces of free software you can use to check for broken links, both tried and tested.



In the past I have always used Xenu to check for broken links.  It’s fast and accurate, but the reports can be tricky to read until you’re used to them.  However it’s reasonably easy to install and you can use it over and over again, for free, of course.



The other software I have tried recently is LinkChecker.  Not quite as fast as Xenu, but equally as thorough and it’s easier to read the report, line by line although the broken links window is very small.
Have a go with both of these and correct any links that are broken – some of the results are a bit confusing at first but it’s worth persevering.  Broken links can affect your rankings, and how professional you look to those who visit your website.

And lest I forget, if you happen to visit www.thesiteguide.com – which is being updated at the moment, and you find any broken links, please blast me an email to phd@thesiteguide.com – all help always gratefully received………