Intro
A recent study by the Pew Research Center reveals widespread digital decay, highlighting that 38% of webpages from 2013 are no longer accessible a decade later. This analysis underscores the ephemeral nature of online information and its implications for digital content preservation.
Key Findings from the Study:
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Webpages Vanishing: 38% of webpages from 2013 are no longer accessible.
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Broken Links: 23% of news webpages and 21% of government webpages contain at least one broken link. Local-level government webpages, particularly those belonging to city governments, are especially prone to broken links.
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Wikipedia References: 54% of Wikipedia pages have at least one broken link in their "References" section.
Social Media Content Disappearance:
Pew Research also examined the impact of digital decay on social media by monitoring a real-time sample of tweets over three months. The study found that nearly one-in-five tweets were no longer publicly visible within months of posting. In 60% of these cases, the original posting account was made private, suspended, or deleted. The remaining 40% of vanished tweets were deleted by the account holder, but the account still existed. Tweets in languages like Turkish or Arabic and those from accounts with default profile settings were particularly prone to disappearing.
Defining Inaccessible Links and Webpages:
For the purpose of this report, Pew Research Center focused on pages that no longer exist, using a conservative approach. Pages were counted as inaccessible if they returned one of nine error codes indicating the page or its host server no longer existed or had become nonfunctional.
Why Digital Decay Matters:
Digital decay raises significant concerns about the preservation and accessibility of online content for future generations. The high rate of link rot and disappearing webpages poses challenges for anyone relying on the internet as a reliable information source. It complicates citing online sources as the original content may no longer be accessible in the future.
Implications for SEO Professionals:
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Regular Audits: SEO professionals need to regularly audit and update old content to identify and resolve broken links promptly.
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Backlink Profiles: Digital decay affects backlink profiles, impacting a site's link equity and authority. Monitoring and diversifying backlink sources can help mitigate the risk of losing valuable links.
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Focus on Stable Channels: Given the volatility of social media content, SEO efforts should drive users to more stable, owned channels like websites and email lists.
Pew Research Center’s study sheds light on the extent of digital decay across various online spaces, emphasizing the need for proactive measures to preserve and maintain the accessibility of online content.
