Frustrated with all your link-building efforts going nowhere? You’re doing the hard work, but the results just aren’t coming in.

Broken link building might help you. It’s good for both sides—you get quality backlinks, and site owners get their broken links fixed.

Let’s explain how to use this method to make your SEO better.

What is Broken Link Building?

Broken Link Building (also known as Dead Link Building) is the practice of building backlinks by replacing links to 404 pages with a working link to a target website. 

Essentially, you will look for other people’s websites for links that are dead or no longer active and recommend your content as a replacement. You help the website owner by highlighting links that are no longer working, and in return, you ask them to link to your high-quality content.

This method benefits both sides: the website owner gets rid of outdated, broken links, and you earn a valuable backlink to your content, which can help improve your site’s SEO.

How to Do Broken Link Building: Step-by-Step

Here’s an easy guide to help you get started with Broken Link Building:

Step 1: Locate Broken Pages of Competitors

The first step in a broken link building strategy is to find pages on your competitor’s websites that no longer work, also known as 404 error pages. These broken pages give you a great opportunity to take action since these sites are already linking to content that no longer exists.

Here’s how you can locate these broken pages:

1. Use SEO Tools: Tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Screaming Frog will be helpful in finding broken links from other websites. You can easily recognize those links leading to pages showing a 404 error after revisiting backlinks from these sites.
2. Search for Competitors’ 404 Errors: Most SEO tools have filters that allow you to show only results with 404 errors. Enter your competitor’s URL, filter it for broken links, and a list of pages that are no longer active will pop up. You’ll be targeting those broken pages for outreach.
3. Look for Relevant Pages: Focus on broken pages that align with the content you can offer. Ideally, the page should be in your niche or closely related to what your website covers. This makes it easier to create content that matches and gives you a better chance of getting a backlink.

With the help of Ahrefs, I identified 404 error pages by analyzing the backlink profile for broken links.

From the previous step, I’ve taken one broken link, “What is a Natural Backlink Portfolio? | Understanding Natural Links,” which leads to a 404 error page.

The link, “What is a Natural Backlink Portfolio? | Understanding Natural Links”, is leading directly to a 404 error page, as shown in the image.

Step 2: Identify Backlinks Leading to These 404 Pages

Immediately after finding those broken pages on your competitors’ sites, find out which websites link to such broken pages. This is very important because these sites already have links to content that no longer exists.

Here, you are in a position to give them something better and updated, like your content. Here’s how to do it:

1. Use Backlink Analysis Tools: Now that we have found the 404 error pages by using Ahrefs, the next step is to make a list of websites that have links to those broken pages.By putting the broken URLs into the tool, you will get a list of sites linking to these 404 pages. This list is essential for your outreach, as it gives you specific targets to approach with your replacement content.
2. Export the List: Once you have a list of websites linking to the 404 page, export it to a spreadsheet for easy tracking. This list will be your primary outreach target, as these are the sites you’ll be offering your new, relevant content.
3. Check Link Quality: Not all backlinks are created equal. Take the time to evaluate the quality of each linking site. Target highly authoritative websites or those with a high reputation in your niche and a well-maintained website. Make the quality links the focus of outreach in order to make the effort worth it.
4. Prioritize Relevance: Ensure that sites linking to this broken page are within your niche or related fields. Getting a backlink from a related site is much more valuable to your SEO than one from a site unrelated to it.

By finding which websites are linking to the broken pages, you now have a clear list of potential backlink opportunities. In the next step, you’ll learn how to reach out to these site owners and pitch your content as a solution.

In the above image, I used Ahrefs to extract all the broken links (404 errors). With this list, we can start reaching out to the site owners, offering our content as a replacement for the broken links.

Step 3: Determine Contacts for Outreach 

Now, once you have a list of websites that link to the broken pages, it’s time to determine whom to get in contact with. Finding the right contact is a crucial step in receiving an effective response from your efforts at building links.Here’s how to find the right contacts: 

1) Look for the Right Contact Information 

You want to make sure you’re reaching out to the person who manages the content on their website. This may be a content manager, webmaster, or editor. Tools such as Hunter.io and FindThatLead allow for searches of email addresses attached to the domain in question to find the relevant contact.

2) Check the Website’s Contact or About Page 

Most websites have a Contact Us or About page. Sometimes, they list contact emails on such pages. Perhaps not directly to the content manager, but at least it is something worth trying. Other websites may also provide different e-mails for different departments like content, PR, or technical support.

3) Use LinkedIn 

If, for some reason, you are unable to find an email on the website, then check Linked In for website team members. Search terms like Content Manager, SEO Manager, or Webmaster. If possible, message them directly on LinkedIn or use something like Hunter.io to get their work email address.

4) Personalize Your Approach

Once you have the correct contact information, make sure you personalize your outreach email. Include their name and show that you’ve spent time on their website by referencing something specific you noticed. This helps build a connection and shows that your pitch isn’t just a mass email.

Finding the right contact ensures your outreach has a higher chance of being seen and considered, making the whole process much more effective.

With the contact details provided, you can now reach out to the site.

Step 4: Deliver Your Pitch

Now that you have found the right contacts, it is time to send a good e-mail pitch. That means suggesting your content to replace the broken link, but in a manner that is helpful, not pushy. Here’s how to do it effectively:

1. Start with a Friendly Introduction: Begin your email with a warm, personalized introduction. Use their name and mention something specific about their website to show that this isn’t a generic mass email.
2. Mention the Broken Link: Politely point out the broken link on their website. Don’t make it sound like a mistake on their part, but rather, that you noticed it and wanted to help them fix it.
3. Introduce Your Replacement Content: Offer your content as a helpful resource to replace the broken link. Explain how your content is relevant and why it would benefit their readers.
4. Be Polite and Grateful: Always end your email by thanking them for their time and consideration. Keep the tone polite and respectful.
5. Include Links to Your Content: Don’t forget to include a direct link to the content you’re offering. Make sure it’s easy for them to review your resource.

Now, reach out to them and provide details about the broken page, along with the benefits of fixing it.

A friendly, well-written pitch makes it more likely that the website owner will replace the broken link with your content. Remember to keep it professional, helpful, and respectful.

Step 5: Follow Up If You Don’t Hear Back

Following up is a key part that can help or hurt your outreach for building links. People are busy, and emails can easily be lost or forgotten. A polite follow-up helps make sure your message is seen, but it’s important to do this without being too forceful. Here’s how to handle it:

1. Wait a Few Days Before Following Up: Give them time to respond. The golden rule is to send that follow-up email in about 5 to 7 days. You don’t want to show impatience, yet you don’t want to wait so long that they forget the first message.
2. Be Polite and Respectful: Your follow-up should be friendly, not demanding. Gently remind them of your original email without making it seem like you’re pressuring them.
3. Keep It Short and to the Point: Your follow-up should be brief and straightforward. There’s no need to rehash the entire pitch—just a quick reminder is enough. They’ve likely read your first email, so there’s no need to go into detail again.
4. Express Understanding: It’s good to acknowledge that they may be busy or didn’t have time to respond. This keeps your tone friendly and non-pushy.
5. Give Them an Easy Out: Sometimes, people don’t answer because they are not interested but do not know how to decline. Giving them the opportunity to decline politely facilitates a good impression.

If they don’t reply, follow up with them.

Following up in this respectful way shows persistence without coming across as aggressive, increasing your chances of securing a valuable backlink.

What Are the Benefits of Broken Link Building?

So, why is broken link building worth your time? It’s not just about getting more backlinks (though that’s a big part of it). There are several key benefits that make this strategy stand out from other link-building methods:

• High-Quality Links: By helping fix broken links, you naturally earn links from reputable sites in your niche. A single backlink from a high-authority site can significantly boost your SEO.
• Better Outreach Success: You will be solving a problem rather than sending random emails to website owners, which heightens the chances of acquiring a backlink.
• Improved User Experience: Assisting the site owner with fixing broken links and making navigation easier is good for both.
• Scalability: It is easy to find broken backlinks using tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush. In fact, more than 10% of all links on the web are broken, which gives you many chances to get backlinks without making new content.

Best Practices of Leveraging Broken Link Building (2024)

Broken link building can be a powerful strategy for improving your website’s performance in search engines. Here are some best practices to keep in mind as you implement this technique in 2024:

1. Stay Organized: Keep track of your efforts in a spreadsheet or tool. Note the broken links you’ve found, the websites you’ve contacted, and the responses you’ve received.
2. Focus on Quality: A link from a reputable site is more valuable than several links from lesser-known sources.
3. Be relevant: Ensure that the content you’re offering as a replacement is relevant to the broken link.
4. Build Relationships: Treat your outreach as an opportunity to build relationships with other website owners and bloggers.
5. Monitor Your Results: Monitor your backlink profile to see the impact of your broken link building efforts. Use tools to track the new links you’ve acquired.
6. Stay Ethical: Avoid any tactics that could be considered spammy or unethical. Be honest in your outreach and focus on providing genuine value.
7. Adapt and Evolve: SEO is constantly changing, so be prepared to adapt your broken link building techniques as needed. Stay informed about the latest trends and best practices to ensure your efforts remain effective.

Conclusion 

It’s clear that broken link building isn’t just a one-time task. It’s an ongoing strategy that requires consistent effort and attention. 

You can continuously improve your site’s visibility and authority by regularly checking for broken inbound links and providing relevant content.

As you refine your approach, broken link building can become a powerful tool in your SEO strategy, helping your site gain more recognition and improve search rankings.

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