Housekeeping that matters.
WHY IT MATTERS
Broken links frustrate visitors and waste search engine crawling.
A 404 page is a dead end where a visitor leaves.
FINDING THEM
A site crawler with a free tier will list every broken link Search Console reports URLs returning errors Analytics shows 404 page views and where they came from
FIXING THEM
If the page moved, redirect the old address to the new one If the page was removed, redirect to the closest relevant page If it was never valid, fix the link
DO NOT REDIRECT EVERYTHING TO THE HOMEPAGE
Search engines treat that as a soft 404, and visitors find it unhelpful.
EXTERNAL LINKS
Links to other sites break as those sites change. Check them periodically and update or remove.
YOUR 404 PAGE
Make it useful: a search box, links to main sections, and contact details. A well-made 404 recovers visitors that a blank one loses.
ROUTINE
Check quarterly. Broken links accumulate quietly.
