Broken Link Building: A Step-by-Step Guide

The one outreach tactic where you are doing the recipient a favour first. Slower than it looks in case studies, and still the most reliable way to earn editorial links without a budget.

What broken link building is

You find a page that has died — a discontinued tool, an abandoned blog, a moved resource — identify the live pages still linking to it, publish something that serves the same purpose, and email the site owners to point out the dead link and offer your page as the replacement.

Does it still work?

Yes, with realistic expectations. Reply rates are lower than in 2015 because everyone has seen the template. What has not changed is the underlying dynamic: a 404 on a page someone maintains is a real problem, and you are the person reporting it. That is a much better opening than "I loved your article."

It also stacks well with resource page link building, since resource pages accumulate dead links faster than any other page type.

Step 1: Find the dead pages

1. Start from a dead competitor. Products shut down constantly. Run the defunct domain through a backlink tool and you will find hundreds of live pages still linking to it.
2. Or scan resource pages. Search "your topic" + "resources", crawl the page, and check for 404s.
3. Or use your own gap data. The competitor gap analysis in your dashboard surfaces domains linking to competitors but not to you — a good starting pool.
4. Filter hard. Only pursue dead URLs with several referring domains, on topics you can genuinely cover.

Step 2: Build the replacement

This is where most attempts fail. If the dead page was a 4,000-word tutorial and your replacement is a product page, nobody swaps the link. Match the format and the intent:

• Check the original in the Wayback Machine and note what it actually covered.
• Cover the same ground, updated for 2026, and add whatever the original lacked.
• Keep it free, ungated, and light on product pitching.

Step 3: The outreach email

Short, specific, and one follow-up. Something like:

Subject: broken link on your [topic] page

Hi [name] — the [anchor text] link on [exact URL] points to [dead URL], which now 404s. Looks like [company] shut down last year.

We published a replacement that covers the same thing: [your URL]. Use it if it fits, or just drop the dead link either way.

Thanks, [name]

• Name the exact page and the exact anchor — proof you actually looked.
• One link suggestion, not three.
• One follow-up after five to seven days, then stop.

More templates in our backlink outreach guide.

Realistic numbers

From 100 well-qualified pitches, expect roughly 20–30 replies and 3–8 placed links. That is a good day's work for links you did not pay for. Anyone promising 30% conversion is selling something — see how to vet link building companies.

FAQ

Does broken link building still work?

Yes, at roughly a 3–8% conversion rate on qualified prospects.

What tools do I need?

A backlink index, a link checker, and email. See the best link building tools.

Can I skip building new content?

Only if you already have a close match. Pitching an unrelated page is the fastest way to get ignored.