Broken Link in SEO Statistics For 2025

Broken links, also known as dead links, significantly impact website user experience, SEO performance, and online credibility. They can result from deleted web pages, incorrect URLs, or server issues. Businesses, digital marketers, and web developers need to monitor and fix broken links to maintain website functionality and avoid traffic loss.

This article presents a detailed statistical analysis of broken links, their impact on different industries, and best practices for prevention. The data highlights how broken links affect website rankings, conversion rates, and user engagement.

General Broken Link Stats

1. Approximately 42.5% of websites have at least one broken link (Source: Ahrefs).
2. 88% of online users are less likely to return to a website with broken links (Source: Nielsen Norman Group).
3. The average website has 5.2 broken links per 100 pages (Source: SEMrush).
4. 74% of SEO professionals say broken links negatively impact search rankings (Source: Moz).
5. 53% of online shoppers abandon a website if they encounter broken links (Source: Baymard Institute).
6. Government websites have 15% more broken links than business websites (Source: W3C).
7. 35% of broken links result from page deletions or website restructuring (Source: Google Search Console).
8. News websites experience 20% more broken links due to frequent content updates (Source: Reuters Institute).
9. 404 errors caused by broken links can increase a site’s bounce rate by 22% (Source: HubSpot).
10. Mobile users are 1.5 times more likely to leave a site due to broken links than desktop users (Source: Google Mobile Insights).
11. 71% of website visitors say broken links reduce their trust in a website (Source: BrightLocal).
12. 67% of web admins regularly check for broken links using automated tools (Source: Search Engine Journal).
13. 40% of e-commerce sites have at least one broken product page link (Source: Shopify).
14. Nonprofit websites have a 10% higher chance of broken donation links (Source: Nonprofit Source).
15. 55% of businesses conduct routine link audits to prevent broken links (Source: SEMrush).

Broken Links and SEO Impact Statistics

1. Websites with over 1% broken links are 30% less likely to appear on the first page of Google (Source: Moz).
2. Google’s ranking algorithm penalizes sites with excessive broken links (Source: Google Search Central).
3. 74% of SEO professionals consider broken link building a valuable backlink strategy (Source: Ahrefs).
4. Websites with broken internal links see a 21% drop in organic traffic (Source: SEMrush).
5. Crawlers ignore links on pages with excessive broken links, reducing indexability (Source: Google Webmasters).
6. Fixing broken links can boost SEO rankings by up to 15% (Source: Backlinko).
7. 57% of digital marketers use broken link audits to optimize their SEO strategy (Source: Search Engine Journal).
8. 76% of large websites (10,000+ pages) struggle with broken link issues due to constant content updates (Source: Screaming Frog).
9. Broken outbound links can reduce page authority by 12% (Source: Moz).
10. 68% of webmasters say broken links affect their site’s credibility with search engines (Source: Google Search Console).
11. Google’s algorithm updates have made broken links a stronger negative ranking factor since 2021 (Source: Search Engine Land).
12. Link rot affects about 25% of indexed links over a 3-year period (Source: Harvard Law Review).
13. Removing or fixing broken links can improve click-through rates (CTR) by 9% (Source: Ahrefs).
14. Websites with regularly updated links experience 28% better SEO performance (Source: SEMrush).
15. Broken links can lead to lost backlinks, reducing domain authority by 17% (Source: Majestic SEO).

User Experience and Broken Link Statistics

1. 88% of users are frustrated when they encounter broken links (Source: Nielsen Norman Group).
2. Websites with broken links have a 38% higher bounce rate than those without (Source: HubSpot).
3. 69% of mobile users will not revisit a site with broken links (Source: Google Mobile Insights).
4. User engagement drops by 25% on websites with multiple broken links (Source: Forrester Research).
5. 51% of consumers believe broken links reflect poor website maintenance (Source: BrightLocal).
6. 70% of users abandon a purchase if they encounter a broken checkout link (Source: Baymard Institute).
7. 42% of broken links are due to site migrations without proper redirects (Source: SEMrush).
8. 60% of visitors who find a broken link exit the website immediately (Source: Kissmetrics).
9. 404 error pages result in a 17% drop in brand credibility (Source: Nielsen Norman Group).
10. Fast-loading error pages (less than 2 seconds) reduce bounce rates by 12% (Source: Google PageSpeed Insights).
11. 35% of users think broken links indicate a website is outdated (Source: WebFX).
12. Companies lose 6% of potential revenue due to broken links (Source: Forrester Research).
13. 38% of customer support inquiries are related to broken links (Source: Zendesk).
14. 54% of B2B websites have at least one broken resource link (Source: HubSpot).
15. 75% of businesses report fewer customer complaints after fixing broken links (Source: BrightLocal).

Broken Link Detection and Prevention Statistics

1. 68% of companies use automated tools to detect broken links (Source: SEMrush).
2. Google Search Console detects only 85% of broken links on a website (Source: Search Engine Journal).
3. Screaming Frog and Ahrefs are the most popular broken link detection tools, used by 58% of SEO experts (Source: Ahrefs).
4. 43% of businesses check for broken links monthly (Source: Moz).
5. Broken links are most commonly found in outdated blog posts (Source: HubSpot).
6. 34% of web admins manually check their site for broken links (Source: Search Engine Journal).
7. Automated tools reduce broken link detection time by 60% (Source: SEMrush).
8. 47% of businesses use 301 redirects to fix broken links (Source: Backlinko).
9. 40% of broken links occur due to improper URL structures (Source: Google Webmasters).
10. 50% of broken links come from external sources (Source: Moz).
11. Updating internal links improves site health scores by 20% (Source: Ahrefs).
12. 45% of e-commerce businesses use broken link monitoring software (Source: Shopify).
13. Replacing broken links with functional ones improves site retention rates by 14% (Source: Forrester Research).
14. 80% of large corporations have dedicated teams for link audits (Source: Search Engine Land).
15. Redirecting broken links correctly can recover 90% of lost traffic (Source: Google Search Central).

Broken Link Statistics by Industry

1. E-commerce websites have an average of 4.5 broken links per 100 pages (Source: Shopify).
2. Government websites have two times more broken links than private sector websites (Source: W3C).
3. Educational institutions experience 17% more broken links due to frequent content changes (Source: EDUCAUSE).
4. Healthcare websites report 12% of their outbound links become broken annually (Source: Health IT Analytics).
5. News websites see a 25% higher rate of broken links due to frequent content updates (Source: Reuters Institute).
6. Tech industry websites have fewer broken links, with an average of 1.8 per 100 pages (Source: Moz).
7. Financial services websites have a 9% chance of broken links affecting customer trust (Source: Forbes).
8. Nonprofit organizations report 11% of donation-related links break yearly (Source: Nonprofit Source).
9. Retail websites with broken product page links lose an estimated 5-8% in sales (Source: Baymard Institute).
10. Travel websites experience a 13% drop in booking rates due to broken links (Source: Expedia Group).
11. Automotive websites with broken links see 18% fewer inquiries about vehicle listings (Source: AutoTrader).
12. Legal websites have a 22% higher likelihood of broken resource links due to frequent law changes (Source: ABA Journal).
13. Real estate websites lose 7% of potential leads due to broken listing links (Source: Zillow).
14. Entertainment industry sites report broken video and audio links 32% more often than other industries (Source: Variety).
15. B2B websites with broken case study links experience a 14% drop in lead conversions (Source: HubSpot).

E-Commerce and Broken Link Statistics

1. 40% of e-commerce websites have at least one broken product page link (Source: Shopify).
2. 70% of online shoppers abandon their purchase if they encounter a broken checkout link (Source: Baymard Institute).
3. Missing images or broken links lead to a 29% drop in conversion rates (Source: Nielsen Norman Group).
4. E-commerce sites lose 6% of revenue annually due to broken links (Source: Forrester Research).
5. Redirecting broken product page links correctly can recover 80% of lost sales (Source: Shopify).
6. Affiliate marketing links break at a rate of 23% per year, reducing commission earnings (Source: CJ Affiliate).
7. Email marketing campaigns with broken links see a 35% decrease in engagement (Source: Mailchimp).
8. 30% of e-commerce SEO audits identify broken links as a key issue (Source: SEMrush).
9. E-commerce blogs with broken links see a 21% drop in referral traffic (Source: Ahrefs).
10. Fashion and apparel websites experience a 9% loss in sales due to broken links (Source: Statista).
11. 44% of cart abandonment cases are linked to broken checkout links (Source: Baymard Institute).
12. Consumer trust in an online store drops by 15% when broken links are present (Source: BrightLocal).
13. Broken links on mobile e-commerce sites lead to 1.8x higher cart abandonment rates than on desktop (Source: Google Mobile Insights).
14. SEO rankings drop by 12% for e-commerce sites with multiple broken links (Source: Moz).
15. Fixing broken internal links increases conversions by 8% on average (Source: Shopify).

Cybersecurity Risks and Broken Links

1. 28% of broken links lead to cybersecurity vulnerabilities, such as phishing risks (Source: Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency).
2. Expired domains with broken links are sometimes hijacked for malicious purposes (Source: Krebs on Security).
3. 57% of users who click on a broken link do not verify the website’s legitimacy before proceeding (Source: Norton Cybersecurity Insights).
4. Malicious redirects from broken links contribute to 21% of phishing scams (Source: PhishLabs).
5. Fake websites using expired broken links trick users into entering sensitive data in 30% of cases (Source: McAfee).
6. E-commerce fraud increases when hackers exploit broken links on outdated product pages (Source: FBI Cyber Crime Report).
7. Government agencies report 19% of security incidents stem from broken links leading to untrusted third-party sites (Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security).
8. Financial websites with broken links see a 16% higher fraud risk (Source: Federal Trade Commission).
9. Malicious bots actively scan websites for broken links to exploit vulnerabilities (Source: Akamai Security Research).
10. Redirect chains caused by broken links increase exposure to malware by 22% (Source: Symantec).
11. Older websites with broken links have 40% more cybersecurity risks (Source: Palo Alto Networks).
12. Users who land on phishing pages from broken links are twice as likely to be scammed (Source: Proofpoint).
13. Broken links in email campaigns increase the risk of phishing by 18% (Source: Mimecast).
14. Fake customer support sites are often built from expired domains with broken links (Source: FTC).
15. Regular broken link audits can reduce cybersecurity risks by 35% (Source: Norton Security).

Mobile and Broken Link Statistics

1. Mobile users are 1.5 times more likely to leave a website due to broken links (Source: Google Mobile Insights).
2. 69% of mobile users will not return to a website if they encounter broken links (Source: HubSpot).
3. Mobile search rankings drop by 18% when a website has broken links (Source: Moz).
4. Broken links increase bounce rates by 24% on mobile devices (Source: Google Analytics).
5. 60% of mobile users abandon a website within 10 seconds if they hit a broken link (Source: Nielsen Norman Group).
6. AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) websites experience fewer broken links, improving user retention by 15% (Source: Google AMP Project).
7. E-commerce mobile checkout pages with broken links see 1.8x higher cart abandonment rates (Source: Baymard Institute).
8. Mobile users are 23% more likely to click on external broken links than desktop users (Source: SEMrush).
9. Fixing mobile-specific broken links improves user engagement by 17% (Source: Google PageSpeed Insights).
10. Redirect loops from broken links impact mobile performance 2x more than desktop (Source: Search Engine Journal).
11. Mobile apps with broken links receive 27% lower user ratings (Source: App Store & Google Play Analytics).
12. 67% of mobile website complaints are related to broken links (Source: Zendesk).
13. Google’s mobile-first indexing prioritizes websites with fewer broken links (Source: Google Webmasters).
14. Broken links in mobile push notifications reduce open rates by 31% (Source: CleverTap).
15. Fixing broken links on mobile-optimized sites increases conversion rates by 12% (Source: Forrester Research).

The Financial Cost of Broken Links

1. Businesses lose an estimated $2.6 billion annually due to broken links causing lost sales and decreased engagement (Source: Forrester Research).
2. Companies spend an average of $50,000 per year on broken link audits and fixes (Source: SEMrush).
3. SEO agencies charge between $500 and $5,000 to fix broken links for large websites (Source: Moz).
4. Broken links reduce ad revenue by 20% for content-based websites relying on display ads (Source: Google AdSense).
5. E-commerce websites lose between 5-8% of potential revenue from broken product page links (Source: Baymard Institute).
6. Affiliate marketers lose up to 23% of commissions annually due to broken referral links (Source: CJ Affiliate).
7. Each broken checkout link can cost an e-commerce store thousands of dollars per month in lost sales (Source: Shopify).
8. Financial institutions report a 16% increase in fraud risks due to broken or hijacked external links (Source: Federal Trade Commission).
9. Customer support costs increase by 12% for businesses with frequent broken links, as users report navigation issues (Source: Zendesk).
10. Small businesses experience a 9% drop in conversions when their website contains broken links (Source: HubSpot).
11. Real estate websites lose 7% of potential leads due to broken property listing links (Source: Zillow).
12. Broken links in B2B case studies reduce lead generation by 14% (Source: MarketingProfs).
13. News websites lose approximately $100,000 per year due to broken links affecting ad monetization (Source: Reuters Institute).
14. Universities and educational institutions see a 17% decline in online application submissions when broken links are present (Source: EDUCAUSE).
15. Redirecting broken links correctly can recover up to 90% of lost traffic (Source: Google Search Central).

Best Practices for Preventing and Fixing Broken Links

1. 68% of businesses use automated tools such as Screaming Frog or Ahrefs to detect broken links (Source: SEMrush).
2. Google Search Console detects only about 85% of broken links on a website, making additional tools necessary (Source: Search Engine Journal).
3. 47% of businesses use 301 redirects to fix broken links and maintain SEO value (Source: Backlinko).
4. 34% of web admins manually review their websites for broken links at least once per quarter (Source: Moz).
5. Automated tools reduce broken link detection time by 60%, making audits more efficient (Source: SEMrush).
6. Regularly updating internal links improves site health scores by 20% (Source: Ahrefs).
7. Replacing broken links with updated resources improves user engagement by 14% (Source: Forrester Research).
8. 80% of large corporations have dedicated teams for link audits and maintenance (Source: Search Engine Land).
9. E-commerce businesses that monitor links weekly see a 25% increase in conversions (Source: Shopify).
10. Broken link monitoring software is used by 45% of digital marketing agencies (Source: HubSpot).
11. Redirect chains caused by improper link fixes can slow page speed by 18%, affecting user experience (Source: Google PageSpeed Insights).
12. 40% of broken links occur due to improper URL structures, emphasizing the importance of careful linking (Source: Google Webmasters).
13. Fixing broken links on mobile-optimized sites increases mobile conversion rates by 12% (Source: Forrester Research).
14. Google’s algorithm updates have made broken links a stronger negative ranking factor since 2021 (Source: Search Engine Land).
15. Routine broken link audits can reduce customer complaints by 75% (Source: BrightLocal).

FAQs

What are broken links?

Broken links are URLs that lead to non-existent pages, resulting in 404 errors.

How do broken links affect SEO?

Google penalizes websites with excessive broken links, reducing their search rankings.

What causes broken links?

Common causes include deleted pages, site migrations, incorrect URLs, and external link rot.

How can I detect broken links?

Use tools like Google Search Console, Ahrefs, or Screaming Frog for automated detection.

What’s the best way to fix broken links?

Redirect them (301 redirects), update URLs, or remove dead links to maintain site health.