Well a dead link is a dead link so why would you want to keep a dead link .............. meaning a link that was no longer live
I'm interested in how you can find a link is dead. My phpld directory never reports to me that some of the links in my database are dead.
We use many 3rd party tools here is an example http://www.dead-links.com/ That is one of many that we use
So deadlinks are useless, okay. Do search engines pick up on repricol links, and would it go to my directory and index it?
Be careful with those though...I run SiteSift and I run a dead link checker on a regular basis (Its custom coded). It puts the dead links in a waiting area then rechecks them after a few days. THEN if they are dead it dumps them. Always give a site a second chance in case their were brief connectivity issues the second you checked. Also, some sites block automated checkers (I suppose for security reasons or bandwidth issues) so a manual once over doesn't hurt. You definately don't want dead links sitting around because it makes the directory look outdated and unproffesional.
was gonna say the same thing, i give a dead link a few days/maybe a week or 2 if im busy to come back online before i delete them.
Remove all dead links but make sure first that they are "dead". What i do is: Run my link checker then dead links are found then set to invisable so they won't show in directory but are still in the database, then after 2 weeks & again at 4 weeks i retest those links, links dead for over 1 month are removed.
One thing I would suggest... If the dead link was a paid link, I would email the submittor - they may be having a temporary issue. Perhaps even if it wasn't a paid link. I know many don't check those accounts, but it at least gives them the chance to let you know if there's a problem. For the past few days one of my sites has been down hard due the utter joy of being targeted by a hacker forum. I have every intention of going back online, but with changing scripts and hosts at the same time - there's just so many hours in the day. Another site, not under hacker attack, but being totally redesigned and also moved to a new host has undergone all sorts of upheaval this week (timing is everything); but with a few lingering exceptions is fully back online. As you can tell, your question has me concerned that anyone checking their links this week will dump my listings and makes me a tad more sensitive that all dead links are not truly dead.
And likewise, all live links, e.g. those not showing a 404 or other error code, are not always live. Sometimes you just have to check stuff manually, just as you did when the site first got added. There are lots of dead sites that just have a single page up saying "Sorry we have closed", or "We have moved".
removing dead links should be good for a directory, didn't dmoz lost PR because it listed too many deadlinks/hijacked sites?