How To Check Broken Bookmarks with Screaming Frog

How To Check Broken Bookmarks with Screaming Frog

    Bookmarks are a useful way to link users to a specific part of a webpage using named anchors on a link, also referred to as ‘jump links’, ‘named anchors’ and ‘skip links’. Broken bookmarks can be found with the help of the Screaming Frog tool.

    When the link is clicked, the page will scroll to the location with the bookmark.

    Broken Bookmarks Check

    Understanding Broken Links

    Before diving into the benefits, let’s briefly understand what broken links are. Broken links, also known as dead links or link rot, are hyperlinks on a website that no longer lead to the intended destination. They typically occur due to URL changes, deleted pages, or incorrect URL formatting. When a user clicks on a broken link, they encounter a 404 error page, which can be frustrating and negatively impact the user experience.

    How Does Screaming Frog Help?

    Screaming Frog is a powerful SEO spider tool that crawls websites and provides detailed insights into various aspects of website optimization. When it comes to broken link checks, Screaming Frog excels in identifying broken links, analyzing their impact, and providing actionable solutions. Let’s explore the benefits of using Screaming Frog for broken link checks:

    1. Comprehensive Link Analysis

    Screaming Frog’s crawling capabilities allow it to scan your entire website and identify broken links accurately. It provides a comprehensive report that highlights all the broken links, along with their source URLs and destination URLs. This analysis helps you understand the extent of the issue and prioritize the necessary fixes.

    2. Improved User Experience

    User experience is a critical factor in website success. Broken links can frustrate users and discourage them from exploring your website further. By regularly checking and fixing broken links with Screaming Frog, you can ensure a smooth and seamless browsing experience for your visitors. This, in turn, enhances engagement and increases the chances of conversions.

    3. Enhanced Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

    Search engines consider broken links as a sign of poor website maintenance and may penalize your website by lowering its rankings. By utilizing Screaming Frog to perform regular broken link checks, you can proactively identify and fix these issues, thus improving your website’s SEO performance. Search engines appreciate well-maintained websites with minimal broken links, leading to better visibility in search results.

    4. Website Credibility and Trust

    A website that contains numerous broken links can be perceived as outdated, unprofessional, or even suspicious. On the other hand, a website with minimal broken links reflects credibility and professionalism, instilling trust in your audience. By utilizing Screaming Frog to regularly check for and fix broken links, you can enhance your website’s credibility and build trust with your visitors.

    5. Efficient Website Maintenance

    Manually checking for broken links on a large website can be a time-consuming and tedious task. Screaming Frog automates this process, making it efficient and hassle-free. By utilizing its crawling capabilities, you can identify broken links across your website quickly and focus on resolving the issues promptly. This saves valuable time and resources, allowing you to concentrate on other essential aspects of website maintenance and optimization.

    6. Identifying Internal Linking Opportunities

    Screaming Frog not only detects broken external links but also analyzes internal links within your website. By examining the internal linking structure, you can identify opportunities to optimize your website’s navigation and improve user experience. By replacing broken internal links with relevant and functional ones, you can create a more interconnected and user-friendly website.

    These bookmarks can’t be found in the same way as finding broken links, as they don’t respond with a 404 status code, and they often go unnoticed.

    Enable ‘Crawl Fragment Identifiers’

    Crawl the website

    Choose URL then Broken Bookmark:

    Current Observation:

    No broken bookmark found for the website.

    Hence, no action needed.

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *