Imagine this scenario: An internet user is browsing a site to help solve a problem or answer a question they have.
So far, it’s keeping them engaged and providing vital information. But when they click on a link for further reading, they end up on a page that doesn’t exist—a broken link.
As a webmaster, you can turn broken links into opportunities by reaching out to sites with dead links and offering a relevant, working link from your content as a replacement.
This guide explains how to become a broken link builder who turns dead ends into golden opportunities to gain quality backlinks.
What are broken links?
A broken link is any link that leads to a non-existent page. When a site visitor clicks on a broken link, they’ll see an error that states the target page doesn’t exist on the server.
Broken links can be frustrating to the user experience (UX). For example, a user might try to explore a site only to find out they can’t access the resource they’re looking for because the link doesn’t work.
Screenshot provided by author
There are different types of broken links users can run into, including:
404 Not Found
A 404 error occurs when the server can’t find the requested page. This error is the most common type of broken link, and it typically happens if a webmaster deletes or moves a page or misspells the URL.
410 Gone
A 410 Gone Error is more specific than a 404. It tells users and search engines that the page is gone for good.
500 Internal Server Error
A 500 error occurs when the server encounters an issue that prevents it from processing the request. Common causes of the 500 error include misconfigured server settings, software bugs, or resource overloads on the server.
Redirect loops
A redirect loop occurs when one URL redirects to another, but the second URL redirects back to the original, creating an endless cycle. This prevents the page from loading. Redirect loops block users from accessing content and waste server resources.
They can also hurt a site’s SEO if the owner doesn’t address them because search engines won’t be able to crawl them properly.
DNS errors
A domain name system (DNS) error can happen when the browser can’t resolve the domain name to an IP address. This is common when a domain name expires or if there’s a problem with the DNS server settings.
Timeout errors
A timeout error often happens when the server takes too long to respond. This is usually due to heavy server load, slow connection, or improper server settings. Even though the content may still exist, server delays hurt UX and can negatively impact SEO.
What is broken link building?
Broken link building is a powerful SEO strategy. It takes some time and effort, but the results can be rewarding.
Here’s how it works:
- You identify broken links on other websites.
- Then, you create or find content on your site that’s relevant to the missing page.
- After that, you inform the site owner about the broken link. In your message, you offer your content as a suitable replacement.
- If the webmaster agrees, they update the broken link with a link to your page, which gives you a valuable backlink and improves your site’s SEO.
A big reason broken link building is so effective is that it benefits both parties. You help webmasters fix broken links, and in exchange, you gain valuable backlinks that can improve your site’s domain authority (DA) and search engine rankings. It’s a win-win situation.
Benefits of becoming a self-proclaimed broken link builder
You don’t need to be an SEO pro to be a broken link builder.
You can claim the title by doing the legwork—scouring the web for broken links, reaching out to site owners, and offering your own relevant content as a helpful replacement.
There are many advantages to doing this.
Earn new links to your site
Hunting for broken links means you’re actively seeking out fresh chances to gain high-quality backlinks. Each time you replace a dead link with your content, you boost your site’s SEO.
Data shows that the more quality backlinks your site has, the more traffic you’ll get.
Inherit links that previously pointed to competitors
Broken link building opportunities allow you to replace a link that once pointed to a competitor. This can help give your site an edge over the competition.
Build relationships and network opportunities
Notifying site owners and webmasters of broken links helps build connections. This creates new collaborations, partnerships, and networking opportunities that benefit your site in the long run.
Improve the user experience (UX)
Dead links frustrate users and drive them away. Fixing broken links and providing them with up-to-date, useful resources helps ensure a smooth, seamless UX.
And a better UX means more time on page and a lower bounce rate.
The ultimate broken link building guide
Finding broken links is the first step in a successful broken link building strategy. But what happens after you identify them?
Follow these tips to make sure your efforts as a broken link builder are as rewarding as possible.
Identify broken links
Start by looking for pages with lots of links. The more links you see, the higher the chance that you’ll find one that doesn’t work.
Blog posts, resource lists, or industry guides tend to have many outbound links. Because they’re resource-heavy, they’ll be around a lot longer than your typical page.
So, they’ll likely have quite a few outdated links you can replace with your content.
An SEO tool can help you identify dead links. Ahrefs and other solutions have a broken link checker feature that gives you a quick snapshot of the broken links on a page. You can do this for a wide range of sites, whether yours or a competitor’s.
According to Backlinko, Wikipedia is another good source for finding broken links. And you can bet that many sites are linking to those 404 pages.
Use this search string on Google to get started: site:wikipedia.org “keyword” intext:”dead link”
Screenshot provided by author
The search engine results will turn up pages on Wikipedia with at least one broken external link.
Screenshot provided by author
You’ll end up on a Wikipedia page when you click on one of these results. Scroll down to the bottom to the References section.
If the link to a source is broken, you’ll see the phrase [permanent dead link] next to it.
Find site owners who link to dead pages
Now that you know how to identify dead links, you can start looking for websites that link to those broken pieces of content.
Use an SEO tool to find those linking sites. You can input the URL of the broken page and see which websites are linking to it. The backlink or referring domains report will give you a list of all the sites that point to the dead page.
Not all linking sites are worth reaching out to. So, prioritize high-authority sites that are relevant to your niche. Look for active websites. They’re more likely to respond to your outreach and update their links.
Next, track down their content information. Most websites have a “Contact Us” page or an email in their footer. If not, you can use Hunter.io or Voila Norbert to locate the site owner’s email address.
Create personalized outreach emails
Now that you have all the relevant contact information, it’s time to do some broken link building outreach.
Personalize your outreach emails. Avoid generic templates. Address the recipient by name and reference their website or specific content.
Show genuine interest in their work and explain how replacing the broken link with your resource benefits them.
Example:
Subject line: “Broken Link Fix for Your SEO Resource Page”
Hi Sarah,
I was exploring your “SEO Resources for Beginners” page [insert URL here] and noticed a broken link pointing to Moz’s “Beginner’s Guide to SEO” [insert dead URL here]. Since that page isn’t active anymore, I wanted to suggest a replacement that might be a good fit.
I recently published a similar resource titled “SEO Basics: A Beginner’s Guide to Ranking,” which you can find here: [your URL]. It’s an up-to-date guide with actionable tips and even includes a free downloadable SEO checklist.
If you’d like, I’d also be happy to point out some other broken links I noticed while reviewing the page.
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!
Best regards,
[Your Name]
Recreate dead content
But what if you don’t have any existing content relevant to the broken link? The solution is simple: recreate it.
Study cache versions of the dead page using the Wayback Machine. Look at the structure, content, and purpose to understand what made it valuable.
Broken link
Rescued page using the Wayback Machine
Then, create a fresh, updated version of the content. Add your own unique insights or more current data.
Mention this updated content in your outreach email to demonstrate its value as a replacement.
Offer to help beyond the link
Let’s face it. The whole point of broken link building is to secure a backlink. However, offering additional value can make your outreach stand out.
Instead of just suggesting your link as a replacement, go the extra mile and point out other issues on their site, such as additional broken links, outdated resources, or formatting problems.
Why does this work?
It positions you as a helpful resource rather than someone who’s only focused on self-promotion. It creates goodwill and helps you establish a positive relationship with the site owner.
This increases your chances of securing the backlink. It also opens the doors for future collaborations.
Follow up (if necessary)
Follow up if you don’t hear back from a site owner after your first email. It’s possible they didn’t see the initial email. Or maybe they haven’t had time to review your suggestion.
After about a week or two, gently remind them of your previous email without sounding pushy.
If you don’t get a response after your second email, wait another 5-7 business days before trying one final follow-up. Keep this email even shorter. Let them know you won’t contact them again unless they’re interested.
Build long-term relationships
Don’t use link building as a one-time transaction.
The email above is a great example of an effective broken link building outreach strategy. But you can go even further by using it to form valuable connections with site owners, content creators, and industry leaders.
So, for example, when a site owner updates their content with your link, thank them sincerely. This can leave a positive impression.
You could say something like this:
Subject Line: “Thank You for Updating Your Resource!”
Hi [Recipient’s Name],
I wanted to thank you for adding my resource to your page, “Page Name].” I truly appreciate the effort you put into maintaining such valuable content. And I’m glad my guide was able to contribute to its quality.
Looking forward to staying connected and collaborating in the future!
Best regards,
[Your Name]
Here are some other tips for building relationships with other site owners:
- Show your appreciation by promoting their content on your social channels or in your email newsletter.
- After the initial interaction, stay in touch by sharing other relevant resources, commenting on their blog posts, or liking their social media posts.
- Suggest collaboration projects like guest posts or co-authored resources.
Become a pro broken link builder
You need three things to be successful in becoming a broken link builder. 1. Offer value. 2. Be creative 3. Show persistence.
Once you have all those, you can start turning broken links into powerful assets for your website.
But don’t stop there. Regularly monitoring your own backlink profile is just as important as finding opportunities on other sites. This makes sure your content is always high-quality, which helps you earn quality backlinks naturally.
Don’t know where to start with link building? Book an intro call with uSERP to build a backlink strategy that boosts authority and drives relevant traffic to your site.
