Link Rot and Link Decay: Why Backlinks Die and How Fast
Link rot (also called link decay) is the gradual disappearance of links across the web as pages move, sites shut down, and content gets rewritten. For backlinks, it means a steady, silent erosion of the profile you built.
Why links die
- Pages are deleted or return 404.
- Sites are redesigned and old links are dropped.
- Content is refreshed and your link is edited out.
- Domains expire or change ownership.
- Links are switched to
nofollowor behind redirects.
The pace is faster than people think
A meaningful share of backlinks degrade within a couple of years. If you're not measuring it, you're losing equity you already paid for.
Defending against decay
The defense is detection plus recovery: continuous monitoring to catch losses early, and a recovery process to win links back before the trail goes cold.
Stop losing paid backlinks
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