Broken Link Building: Find & Replace Dead Links for Easy Backlinks
Broken link building is the easiest white-hat link building tactic. This guide built 847 high-authority backlinks in 90 days.
TL;DR
Broken link building finds dead links on high-authority sites, creates replacement content, and offers it to webmasters who gladly link to you. It\'s a win-win strategy that built 847 backlinks in 90 days with a 43% success rate. This guide covers 12 proven tactics: finding broken links at scale, creating 10x replacement content, outreach templates that convert, automation workflows, and competitive analysis. SEOLOGY automates the entire broken link building process.
Why Broken Link Building Works So Well
Unlike cold outreach, broken link building provides genuine value to webmasters--you\'re helping them fix a problem:
The 12 Broken Link Building Tactics
Finding Broken Links (4 Tactics)
1. Use Ahrefs Site Explorer
Method: Enter competitor domains in Ahrefs → Best by Links → Filter for 404 status codes.
Gold mine: Look for pages with 50+ referring domains that are now dead.
Pro tip: Target pages with DR 40+ linking domains for maximum impact.
2. Check Competitor Backlinks
Strategy: Analyze where competitors get links, find dead resources they\'re linking to.
Process: Export competitor backlinks → Run through broken link checker → Identify dead pages with 10+ links.
Result: Pre-qualified link opportunities in your exact niche.
3. Target Resource Pages
Why resource pages: They link to external sites frequently--more opportunities for broken links.
Search operators: "keyword + resources", "keyword + useful links", "keyword + further reading"
Goldmine pages: University resource pages (.edu domains) with 100+ outbound links.
4. Use the Wayback Machine
Advanced tactic: Find popular pages that existed but are now dead using archive.org.
Process: Search "your topic" on Wayback → Find dead authority sites → Check who linked to them via Ahrefs.
Result: Discover link opportunities competitors miss.
Creating Replacement Content (3 Tactics)
5. The 10x Content Rule
Critical: Your replacement content must be 10x better than the dead page.
How to 10x it: More comprehensive, updated data, better visuals, actionable examples, original research, video/interactive elements.
Benchmark: If the dead page was 1,500 words, make yours 3,000+ words with unique insights.
6. Match Original Intent
Key principle: Your replacement must serve the same purpose as the dead link.
Analysis: Use Wayback Machine to see original content, understand why people linked to it, replicate that value.
Warning: Don\'t pitch unrelated content--it destroys credibility.
7. Create Multiple Formats
Strategy: Offer replacement content in different formats to match different site needs.
Formats: Blog post, infographic, video tutorial, downloadable PDF guide, interactive tool.
Impact: 34% higher success rate when offering multiple format options.
Outreach That Converts (3 Tactics)
8. The Perfect Outreach Email
Subject line: "Broken link on [Page Title]"--simple, helpful, not salesy.
Email structure:
1. Found broken link while researching [topic]
2. Here\'s the dead URL: [link]
3. I created [replacement resource] that covers the same topic
4. Would you consider updating the link?
Word count: Under 100 words--busy webmasters don\'t read novels.
9. Personalize at Scale
Balance: Personalization increases response rates, but doesn\'t scale well.
Solution: Use merge tags for site-specific details (site name, page title, broken URL) while keeping body template consistent.
Tools: BuzzStream, Pitchbox, or Hunter.io for personalized email automation.
10. Follow Up Strategically
Reality: 73% of link placements come from follow-up emails, not initial outreach.
Follow-up schedule: Day 5, Day 10, Day 20--then stop.
Follow-up angle: "Just bumping this up in your inbox--did you get a chance to review?"
Automation & Scale (2 Tactics)
11. Build Broken Link Workflows
Systematic approach: Weekly workflow to find, create, and pitch broken link opportunities.
Workflow:
Monday: Find 50 broken link opportunities
Tuesday: Create 5 replacement pieces
Wednesday: Write personalized outreach emails
Thursday: Send batch 1 of outreach
Friday: Send batch 2 + follow-ups
Result: Consistent stream of 20-30 new backlinks monthly.
12. Track and Optimize
Metrics that matter: Outreach open rate, response rate, link placement rate, time to link.
Benchmarks: 60%+ open rate, 20%+ response rate, 40%+ link placement rate.
Optimization: A/B test subject lines, email length, follow-up timing--improve monthly.
Tools for Broken Link Building
| Tool | Purpose | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ahrefs | Finding broken links | $99/mo | Comprehensive broken link discovery |
| Check My Links | Chrome extension checker | Free | Quick manual checks on resource pages |
| Screaming Frog | Crawling specific sites | $259/yr | Deep site analysis for broken links |
| BuzzStream | Outreach management | $24/mo | Scaling personalized outreach |
| Hunter.io | Finding email addresses | $49/mo | Verified contact information |
Common Broken Link Building Mistakes
❌ Mistake 1: Pitching Inferior Replacement Content
Your replacement must be objectively better than the dead page. Thin, rushed content gets ignored. Take time to create comprehensive, valuable resources.
❌ Mistake 2: Generic Email Templates
"Dear Webmaster" emails get deleted. At minimum, personalize with site name, page title, and specific broken URL. Generic outreach has <5% success rate.
❌ Mistake 3: Targeting Low-Authority Sites
Focus on DR 40+ sites. Links from weak sites don\'t move the needle. Quality over quantity--10 DR 60+ links beat 100 DR 10 links.
❌ Mistake 4: No Follow-Up System
Most webmasters don\'t respond to the first email. Set up automated follow-ups at 5, 10, and 20 days. This is where 73% of links come from.
❌ Mistake 5: Ignoring Context
Read the page with the broken link. Understand why they linked there originally. Pitch replacement content that fits that exact context--not your homepage.
How SEOLOGY Automates Broken Link Building
SEOLOGY automates the entire broken link building workflow:
- Automatically scans competitor backlinks for broken link opportunities
- Identifies high-authority pages (DR 50+) with dead outbound links
- Suggests replacement content topics based on original dead page intent
- Finds verified email addresses for webmasters automatically
- Generates personalized outreach emails with broken URLs and replacements
- Manages follow-up sequences automatically until link is placed
- Tracks success rates and optimizes outreach templates over time
Automate Broken Link Building Today
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Tags: #BrokenLinkBuilding #LinkBuilding #Backlinks