A linking structure has always been a high priority when it comes to search engine optimisation due to it’s huge affect on rankings. The idea behind linking is the better the ranking for the page linking to your website the better it is for your website. But this can also become a huge blow to your site if the links coming in to your website lead to pages that no longer exist.

This is according to Chris Thomas of Reseo.com, who has explained in a post for ‘Smart Company’ that firms risk damaging their rankings by failing to resolve this issue quickly. The problem with trying to rectify this issue quickly may not always be down to the company, but down to the web master of the linking website. This is because some web masters may take a while to fix the link and direct it to an existing page, or may even remove the link altogether.

Mr Thomas recommends the use of 301 redirects instead of contacting the web master. By simply redirecting search engine robots and web users to another page it will help deteriorate the issue with links more or less. It has been reported in the past that 301 redirects can affect websites SEO campaigns too, so these should be a last resort if the web master doesn’t act quickly enough for your liking.

Be careful when linking with other websites, ensure that you check your links frequently in case a link does direct to an non-existent page so the issue can be resolved quickly and efficiently before search engines penalise your website.