Framework: your internal 404s vs external broken links — fix order

Framework: your internal 404s vs external broken links — fix order

Dead links exist on both sides. Sequence the cleanup.

1. Internal first: crawl your own site (Screaming Frog), 301 every internal 404 to the nearest live equivalent. Recovers lost equity you already own.
2. External second: hunt other sites' dead links pointing at competitors for new acquisition.
3. Decision rule: internal fixes are guaranteed wins (you control the redirect); external is probabilistic. Bank the certain ones first.
4. QA gate: after internal redirects, re-crawl to confirm zero redirect chains over 2 hops.

Automation: scheduled internal crawl + redirect-chain report monthly.

Definition of done: internal 404s at zero, redirect chains ≤2 hops, external pipeline opened.