Broken Link Building: Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

Introduction

Backlinks are the lifeblood of SEO, acting as votes of confidence that signal a website’s trustworthiness to search engines. However, not all link-building tactics are equal — and some stand out for being both white-hat and incredibly effective. One such strategy is broken link building.

Broken link building is a time-tested technique that involves identifying dead or outdated links on websites and suggesting your own relevant content as a replacement. Not only does this help site owners maintain a good user experience, but it also earns you a valuable backlink — a true win-win.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through every step of broken link building: what it is, why it works, how to do it, tools to use, tips to scale, and common mistakes to avoid.

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What Is Broken Link Building?

Broken link building is the process of:

1. Finding broken (non-functional) outbound links on other websites.

2. Recreating or providing a relevant, high-quality replacement piece of content.

3. Reaching out to the site owner and suggesting they replace the dead link with yours.

When done right, this approach helps webmasters maintain healthy, functioning websites while helping you build quality backlinks.

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Why Broken Link Building Works

1. Value-Driven Outreach

You’re not just asking for a backlink — you’re providing value by pointing out a broken link and offering a solution. That makes your outreach much more likely to get a response.

2. White-Hat Technique

Unlike shady link schemes or link exchanges, this method follows Google’s guidelines and improves the web’s overall quality.

3. Scalable Strategy

With the right tools and process, you can uncover thousands of broken link opportunities and scale outreach over time.

4. Niche Relevance

Since you target specific topics, the links you earn are often contextually relevant — boosting your SEO power.

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Step-by-Step Guide to Broken Link Building

Step 1: Identify Your Niche and Content Topics

Before you start looking for broken links, you need relevant content on your website. This could be:

• In-depth blog posts

• Resource pages

• Case studies

• Tutorials

• Tools or downloads

If you don’t already have a relevant resource, plan to create one that could replace a common broken link in your industry.

Pro Tip: Use Ahrefs’ Content Explorer or Google Search to find resource-heavy content that commonly gets linked to and could eventually become outdated.

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Step 2: Find Broken Link Opportunities

Here are several proven methods to find broken links:

A. Check Competitor Backlinks for 404s

Tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush allow you to:

• Plug in a competitor’s domain

• Filter for “404” links in their backlink profile

• View which referring domains are linking to these dead pages

These are perfect opportunities to recreate similar content and pitch to those referring sites.

B. Use “Resource Page” Queries in Google

Search for:

• site:.edu "resources" + your keyword

• "useful links" + keyword

• "helpful websites" + topic

Then use a Chrome extension like Check My Links or Broken Link Checker to scan the page and identify dead links.

C. Leverage Ahrefs Content Explorer

Ahrefs’ Content Explorer allows you to:

• Search for a keyword

• Filter by pages with broken backlinks

• Export referring domains for outreach

This is one of the fastest ways to find scalable broken link opportunities.

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Step 3: Recreate or Repurpose the Content

Once you identify a dead page that’s getting backlinks, analyze the original content using:

• Wayback Machine (archive.org): View what the dead page used to say.

• Ahrefs/Screaming Frog: See what anchor texts are used to link to it.

Then, recreate a better version of the content. Aim to:

• Add more detail or visuals

• Update outdated information

• Make it more actionable and user-friendly

Important: Don’t copy the original word-for-word. Use it as inspiration and improve upon it.

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Step 4: Collect Contact Details

Now that you have your content and link targets, it’s time to gather contact information.

Use tools like:

• Hunter.io

• FindThatLead

• Voila Norbert

• Snov.io

You can also visit the target site and look for a Contact, About, or Team page.

Make sure to log:

• Website URL

• Name of the contact

• Email address

• Original dead link

• Replacement content link

Use a spreadsheet or a CRM like Pitchbox or BuzzStream to organize your data.

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Step 5: Outreach and Email Templates

Outreach is critical to broken link building. Be polite, personalized, and direct.

Example Template:

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Subject: Broken link on your [Page Title] page

Hi [Name],

I was browsing your page here: [insert page URL] and noticed a broken link pointing to [insert dead link].

Just thought I’d give you a heads-up, since it’s not working anymore and might hurt your users’ experience.

As luck would have it, I recently created a similar resource that might make a good replacement:
[insert your URL]

Feel free to take a look — and of course, no pressure at all. Just wanted to help you keep your site in top shape!

Best,
[Your Name]
[Your Website]
[Email Signature]

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Outreach Tips:

• Always personalize: Mention their name, site, and specific URL.

• Keep it short and friendly.

• Avoid spammy language like “SEO expert” or “high-authority backlinks.”

• Follow up once after 5–7 days if you don’t hear back.

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Step 6: Track Your Results

Keep a record of:

• Emails sent

• Replies received

• Links earned

• Link quality (DA/DR)

• Time to response

This helps you refine your approach and scale what’s working.

Use tools like Google Sheets, BuzzStream, or NinjaOutreach to keep track of your outreach metrics.

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Tools for Broken Link Building

Here’s a list of tools that make broken link building easier:

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Tips to Scale Broken Link Building

• Automate prospecting: Use scraping tools or Ahrefs’ batch analysis feature to process hundreds of domains.

• Use multiple templates: A/B test subject lines, tone, and CTAs.

• Build outreach SOPs: Create a repeatable workflow for your team or virtual assistant.

• Create evergreen content: So you can use it for multiple outreach campaigns.

• Leverage interns or freelancers: For list-building or email sending, while you focus on high-level strategy.

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Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Sending Generic Emails

Always personalize your message. Site owners can spot mass outreach from a mile away.

❌ Not Verifying the Broken Link

Double-check that the link is truly broken and not just temporarily down.

❌ Offering Low-Quality Content

Don’t expect a link if your replacement content is thin, outdated, or irrelevant.

❌ Ignoring Follow-Ups

Sometimes, one reminder can double your reply rate. Don’t give up after one email.

❌ Targeting Irrelevant Sites

Make sure the link opportunity is topically relevant to your niche and worth pursuing.

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Case Study: Broken Link Building in Action

A digital marketing agency targeted SEO resource pages and found 75 broken links pointing to a single outdated article. They recreated the content as a more comprehensive “2025 SEO Checklist.”

After sending 60 personalized emails, they earned 22 backlinks — including links from DA 70+ websites.

Key Takeaways:

• Quality content matters.

• Relevance beats quantity.

• Thoughtful outreach yields real results.

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Final Thoughts

Broken link building is not just an effective way to earn backlinks — it’s a value-based strategy that genuinely helps other site owners and improves the web. While it requires time and research, the payoff in terms of link quality and SEO gains is significant.

Whether you’re an SEO beginner or looking to diversify your link-building strategy, broken link building is a must-try tactic in 2025 and beyond.