Fixing Broken Links Found During Your SEO Audit

A dead link ends the journey

A broken link is any URL in your description, card, or end screen that no longer loads. An SEO audit should hunt these down because each dead link sends a willing viewer into a dead end. The person already clicked, which makes the loss worse than a missed view.

Links break for boring reasons. A store closes, a page moves, a file is deleted, or a URL changes shape. None of that matters to the viewer who just hits an error.

Where to look for dead URLs

• Descriptions on every video, especially older ones.
• Pinned comments that point to downloads or pages.
• Cards and end screens wired to retired videos.
• Bio and channel links that route through a redirect chain.

A click that lands on an error page is worse than a click you never earned.

Fix, replace, or cut

If the destination moved, update the link to the new address. If the product or page is gone for good, remove the link and rewrite the sentence so it still reads cleanly.

Point links to a page you control when you can. A landing page on your own site survives the changes that kill third party URLs. This turns a fragile link into one you can maintain.

Check after every change

Broken links multiply after a channel overhaul, a site rebuild, or a rebrand. Make the link check part of the same routine as the rest of your audit.

Most tools will crawl your descriptions and list the failures for you. The crawl is fast; the work is deciding what each link should point to now.

Key takeaways

• Treat every dead link as a lost viewer who already showed intent.
• Check descriptions, comments, cards, end screens, and profile links.
• Update moved URLs, remove dead products, and rewrite the sentence.
• Prefer links to pages you control so they survive change.
• Re-run the crawl after any rebrand or site rebuild.