GlossaryLinks
Link decay
Also called: Link rot
Link decay is the slow loss of backlinks over time as pages are deleted, edited, redirected or sites close down.
Link decay, also called link rot, is what happens to backlinks over time. A publisher updates an article and drops your link, a page is deleted, a site is redesigned, or a whole blog disappears. Studies of the web show a steady share of links vanish each year.
This matters because links you paid effort for don't always stay. A link can also stay live but change in value, for example if the page gets set to noindex, or the link is changed to nofollow. A one time check on the day of publishing isn't enough.
Practical point: re-check your links on a schedule. Look for removed links, changed attributes, redirects and pages that are no longer indexable. If a provider promises replacements, find out for how long. Also keep a list of your most valuable links so you can notice if they go.
LinkHatch checks links again after they go live and gives a free replacement if one disappears in the first 6 months.
Links you can check.
Every link we place comes with a receipt. The free link plan shows the pages worth pushing and what the links would cost.