A well-maintained website is crucial for any barristers’ chambers or law firm, serving as a key resource for clients, potential clients, and legal professionals. Indeed, as websites form an ever more critical part of law firms’ and chambers’ recruitment strategy, the stakes are even higher. However, one common yet often overlooked issue that can undermine a website’s credibility and usability is broken links.
A 2022 survey of the top 100 law firm websites found that only 13% were broken-link-free; the average number of broken links per site was found to be 225. Fixing broken links on legal websites is an essential part of website maintenance, ensuring that users can access relevant content without frustration and, it would seem, an opportunity to outshine your competitors and build trust with your website audience.
What is a broken link?
A broken link, also known as a dead link, is a hyperlink that no longer works. When a visitor clicks on a broken link, they may encounter a 404 error page or another failure message, disrupting their browsing experience. This can occur in different parts of a website, including main navigation menus, internal pages, blog posts, and external references.
For barristers’ chambers and law firms, broken links can lead to missed opportunities—whether it’s a prospective client unable to access key information, or a barrister’s latest case update becoming inaccessible. Addressing these issues promptly is essential to maintaining the professionalism and reliability of your website.
How do links get broken?
There are several reasons why links become broken over time:
- Deleted or moved pages – If a webpage is removed or its URL is changed without updating internal or external links, users will encounter a 404 error.
- Changes in URL structure – If your website undergoes a redesign or content restructuring, links to older pages may no longer function unless they are redirected properly.
- External websites removing or updating pages – Legal websites frequently link to external resources such as judgments, legislation, and professional bodies. If these sources modify their URLs or remove content, your links to them will become obsolete.
- Typos or incorrect URLs – Mistakes when manually inputting URLs can result in broken links from the outset.
- Expired domains – If a linked website goes offline or its domain expires, any references to it will no longer work.
How to fix broken links
Fixing broken links on legal websites is an ongoing process that requires regular attention. Here’s how you can systematically identify and address them:
- Run regular link checks – Use tools such as Google Search Console, Screaming Frog, or Dead Link Checker to scan your website for broken links.
- Manually check important pages – Periodically review key sections of your website, including news updates, case summaries, and contact pages, to ensure all links function correctly.
- Update or remove outdated links – If a broken link points to an external resource that no longer exists, replace it with an alternative source or remove it entirely.
- Implement 301 redirects – If pages have moved, setting up 301 redirects will ensure that visitors (and search engines) are automatically directed to the new URL.
- Monitor external links – When linking to external legal resources, opt for URLs that are less likely to change (e.g., the homepage of a resource rather than a specific subpage) or use tools like Wayback Machine to find historical versions of missing pages.
False positives when detecting broken links
When auditing a website for broken links, it’s important to be aware of false positives—instances where a link is flagged as broken even though it is actually functional. This can happen due to temporary server issues, firewall restrictions, or how certain link-checking tools interpret URLs. Some legal websites, particularly those containing case law databases or secure client portals, may block automated crawlers, causing tools to incorrectly report working links as broken. For example (see below), a website requiring user authentication may return a 403 error to automated link checkers, even though the page works correctly when accessed normally.
Additionally, some dynamically generated URLs may appear invalid when scanned, even though they work correctly in a browser. To minimise false positives, always verify flagged links manually or cross-check results using multiple link-checking tools before making changes.
What is the benefit of fixing broken links?
Regularly fixing broken links on legal websites provides several benefits:
- Enhances user experience – Visitors can navigate the website without frustration, making them more likely to engage with your content.
- Improves SEO performance – Search engines penalise websites with excessive broken links, which can negatively impact rankings.
- Maintains professional credibility – A well-maintained website reinforces the professionalism of your chambers or law firm, ensuring clients and peers trust the information presented.
- Boosts accessibility – Ensuring all links function correctly means that important legal resources, case studies, and publications remain accessible to those who need them.
What are the risks associated with not fixing broken links?
Neglecting broken links can lead to several issues, including:
- Loss of potential clients – A prospective client encountering broken links on your website may view your chambers as disorganised or outdated, leading them to seek legal representation elsewhere.
- Damaged reputation – A website with broken links can reflect poorly on the professionalism of your chambers or law firm, potentially impacting your standing in legal directories and among peers.
- Negative SEO impact – Google and other search engines consider broken links a sign of poor website maintenance, which can lower your site’s ranking in search results.
- Reduced engagement – If barristers’ publications, case updates, or event details contain broken links, visitors may be less likely to return to your website for future updates.
- Missed marketing opportunities – Fixing broken links on legal websites ensures that all your marketing efforts, including newsletters and social media posts, direct users to the correct pages.
For barristers’ chambers and law firms, maintaining an error-free website is a crucial aspect of digital marketing and client engagement. Regularly auditing and fixing broken links ensures that your website remains a reliable resource for clients, prospects, and legal professionals. By proactively addressing broken links, you not only improve user experience and SEO but also uphold the professionalism and credibility of your chambers or law firm.
Next steps
If you’re a Square Eye client on a retainer support package, we regularly conduct broken link audits and check in with you to see if you’d like us to fix any broken links we find. If you’re on our hosting & maintenance support package, we offer broken link audits and fixing on request—just email [email protected] to schedule an audit or specify how long you’d like us to spend fixing broken links.