Link building is a challenging aspect of website maintenance but one that is vital for a strong SEO effort. Having the time and patience to check all of your links and ensure they are consistent in both quality and function can be stressful, but successful webmasters can and do check for this – and know how to respond when any situation arises. If you want to be proactive just like the professionals, then you will first want to understand what it is you are keeping an eye out for in regards to the links you have on other sites. Below, we will outline the main areas in which you should be concerned when links fail and what to do in each situation.

No Follow Links

If any of your no follow links go bad, remember this: pinging links that are no follow do not negatively impact your SEO. No follow links – unlike do follow links – are ignored by search engine bots and are used solely as a way to drive traffic to your website. Many forum links, for instance, are no follow links by default. If you find bad or otherwise questionable no follow links to your site from other sites, then the only real concern is brand identity and how potential visitors might perceive you when discovering your website through these venues. If a no follow link has simply gone bad, in most cases it will be as easy to fix or replace it as it was to add it in the first place.

Broken Links

Obviously, broken links pertain to whenever a link to your page is clicked upon, only to result in an error. Sometimes, this can be your fault after shuffling around pages, while in other cases, a webmaster may have improperly typed out the URL. In many cases, fellow webmasters will be happy to correct the problem following you bringing the matter to their attention: websites that have broken links on them can be dinged when it comes to SEO, so it makes sense for both parties to work toward a speedy resolution on this matter.

Paid Links

Definitely the most problematic, pinging links that are paid can lead to real problems depending on the situation. Obviously, paid links through search engines will not negatively affect your SEO, but purchasing space on websites – even those that seem high quality – can be bad for your reputation in the long run. Many sites that sell advertising end up being down-rated by Google for being link farms or spam sites; save your money and time by avoiding the temptation to advertise with other websites and your link maintenance efforts will be more simplified.

Conclusion

Understanding each type of link you have is the best way of addressing a problem when it arises. With no follow links, you will want to re-establish the link as quickly as possible. When it comes to broken links, collaborating with the webmaster that has the links helps rectify the situation before it can cause damage. Finally, be sure to avoid paid links on any sites that have a revolving window of advertisements. These three actions will keep even the greenest of webmasters’ link building strategies in-check.