{"id":8337,"date":"2025-05-18T00:18:40","date_gmt":"2025-05-18T00:18:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aderonkebamidele.com\/blog\/?p=8337"},"modified":"2025-05-18T00:18:43","modified_gmt":"2025-05-18T00:18:43","slug":"broken-link-building-a-smart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aderonkebamidele.com\/blog\/broken-link-building-a-smart\/","title":{"rendered":"Broken Link Building: A Smart, Scalable Outreach Strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-start=\"105\" data-end=\"337\"><strong>Broken Link Building: A Smart, Scalable Outreach Strategy<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"105\" data-end=\"337\">In the ever-competitive world of <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Search_engine_optimization\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SEO<\/a>, link building remains a crucial tactic for boosting your site\u2019s authority and rankings. But let\u2019s face it, earning high-quality <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aderonkebamidele.com\/blog\/backlink-analysis-how-to-spy\/\">backlinks<\/a> is tough. That\u2019s where <strong data-start=\"303\" data-end=\"327\">broken link building<\/strong> comes in.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"339\" data-end=\"605\">It\u2019s one of the most <strong data-start=\"360\" data-end=\"411\">underutilized yet effective outreach strategies<\/strong>, offering real value to site owners while securing valuable backlinks for your site. In this post, we\u2019ll break down what it is, why it works, and how you can build a scalable process around it.<\/p>\n<hr data-start=\"607\" data-end=\"610\" \/>\n<h2 data-start=\"612\" data-end=\"647\">\ud83d\udd0d What Is Broken Link Building?<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"649\" data-end=\"727\">Broken link building is a <strong data-start=\"675\" data-end=\"712\">white-hat link building technique<\/strong> that involves:<\/p>\n<ol data-start=\"729\" data-end=\"976\">\n<li data-start=\"729\" data-end=\"794\">\n<p data-start=\"732\" data-end=\"794\"><strong data-start=\"732\" data-end=\"763\">Finding broken (dead) links<\/strong> on websites within your niche.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"795\" data-end=\"887\">\n<p data-start=\"798\" data-end=\"887\"><strong data-start=\"798\" data-end=\"832\">Creating or suggesting content<\/strong> on your site that matches or improves on the original.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"888\" data-end=\"976\">\n<p data-start=\"891\" data-end=\"976\"><strong data-start=\"891\" data-end=\"907\">Reaching out<\/strong> to the site owner to recommend replacing the broken link with yours.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p data-start=\"978\" data-end=\"1079\">It\u2019s a win-win: you help them improve their site\u2019s user experience, and you get a backlink in return.<\/p>\n<hr data-start=\"1081\" data-end=\"1084\" \/>\n<h2 data-start=\"1086\" data-end=\"1103\">\u2705 Why It Works<\/h2>\n<ul data-start=\"1105\" data-end=\"1489\">\n<li data-start=\"1105\" data-end=\"1202\">\n<p data-start=\"1107\" data-end=\"1202\"><strong data-start=\"1107\" data-end=\"1135\">It\u2019s helpful, not spammy<\/strong>: You\u2019re pointing out a problem and offering a ready-made solution.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1203\" data-end=\"1281\">\n<p data-start=\"1205\" data-end=\"1281\"><strong data-start=\"1205\" data-end=\"1226\">High success rate<\/strong>: You\u2019re not asking for a favor\u2014you\u2019re fixing an issue.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1282\" data-end=\"1381\">\n<p data-start=\"1284\" data-end=\"1381\"><strong data-start=\"1284\" data-end=\"1296\">Scalable<\/strong>: Once you master the process, it can be repeated across dozens or hundreds of sites.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1382\" data-end=\"1489\">\n<p data-start=\"1384\" data-end=\"1489\"><strong data-start=\"1384\" data-end=\"1409\">Evergreen opportunity<\/strong>: The web is full of outdated and removed pages\u2014there\u2019s always something to fix.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr data-start=\"1491\" data-end=\"1494\" \/>\n<h2 data-start=\"1496\" data-end=\"1548\">\ud83e\uddf0 How to Execute a Broken Link Building Campaign<\/h2>\n<h3 data-start=\"1550\" data-end=\"1587\">1. <strong data-start=\"1557\" data-end=\"1587\">Find Relevant Broken Links<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"1589\" data-end=\"1639\">Here\u2019s how to identify broken links in your niche:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"1641\" data-end=\"2196\">\n<li data-start=\"1641\" data-end=\"1817\">\n<p data-start=\"1643\" data-end=\"1669\"><strong data-start=\"1643\" data-end=\"1668\">Use Ahrefs or Semrush<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"1672\" data-end=\"1817\">\n<li data-start=\"1672\" data-end=\"1704\">\n<p data-start=\"1674\" data-end=\"1704\">Plug in a competitor\u2019s domain.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1707\" data-end=\"1760\">\n<p data-start=\"1709\" data-end=\"1760\">Go to <strong data-start=\"1715\" data-end=\"1732\">Best by Links<\/strong> &gt; filter by <strong data-start=\"1745\" data-end=\"1759\">404 errors<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1763\" data-end=\"1817\">\n<p data-start=\"1765\" data-end=\"1817\">Export broken pages with backlinks pointing to them.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1819\" data-end=\"2052\">\n<p data-start=\"1821\" data-end=\"1846\"><strong data-start=\"1821\" data-end=\"1845\">Check Resource Pages<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"1849\" data-end=\"2052\">\n<li data-start=\"1849\" data-end=\"1957\">\n<p data-start=\"1851\" data-end=\"1879\">Use search operators like:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"1884\" data-end=\"1957\">\n<li data-start=\"1884\" data-end=\"1920\">\n<p data-start=\"1886\" data-end=\"1920\"><code data-start=\"1886\" data-end=\"1918\">intitle:resources + your topic<\/code><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1925\" data-end=\"1957\">\n<p data-start=\"1927\" data-end=\"1957\"><code data-start=\"1927\" data-end=\"1955\">inurl:links + your keyword<\/code><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1960\" data-end=\"2052\">\n<p data-start=\"1962\" data-end=\"2052\">Use tools like <strong data-start=\"1977\" data-end=\"1995\">Check My Links<\/strong> (Chrome extension) to scan these pages for broken links.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"2054\" data-end=\"2196\">\n<p data-start=\"2056\" data-end=\"2085\"><strong data-start=\"2056\" data-end=\"2084\">Use Broken Link Checkers<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"2088\" data-end=\"2196\">\n<li data-start=\"2088\" data-end=\"2145\">\n<p data-start=\"2090\" data-end=\"2145\"><a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brokenlinkcheck.com\/\" target=\"_new\" rel=\"noopener\" data-start=\"2090\" data-end=\"2145\">BrokenLinkCheck.com<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"2148\" data-end=\"2196\">\n<p data-start=\"2150\" data-end=\"2196\"><a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.drlinkcheck.com\/\" target=\"_new\" rel=\"noopener\" data-start=\"2150\" data-end=\"2196\">Dr. Link Check<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 data-start=\"2198\" data-end=\"2236\">2. <strong data-start=\"2205\" data-end=\"2236\">Create or Repurpose Content<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"2238\" data-end=\"2361\">If the broken page was a guide, article, tool, or checklist, <strong data-start=\"2299\" data-end=\"2323\">create a new version<\/strong> on your site. Make sure your content:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"2363\" data-end=\"2505\">\n<li data-start=\"2363\" data-end=\"2409\">\n<p data-start=\"2365\" data-end=\"2409\">Matches the topic and intent of the original<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"2410\" data-end=\"2466\">\n<p data-start=\"2412\" data-end=\"2466\">Offers updated, improved, or more complete information<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"2467\" data-end=\"2505\">\n<p data-start=\"2469\" data-end=\"2505\">Is well-designed and easy to link to<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 data-start=\"2507\" data-end=\"2534\">3. <strong data-start=\"2514\" data-end=\"2534\">Outreach Smartly<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"2536\" data-end=\"2595\">Now it\u2019s time to reach out. Here\u2019s a simple email template:<\/p>\n<hr data-start=\"2597\" data-end=\"2600\" \/>\n<p data-start=\"2602\" data-end=\"2647\"><strong data-start=\"2602\" data-end=\"2613\">Subject<\/strong>: Broken Link on Your [Page Title]<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2649\" data-end=\"2665\">Hi [First Name],<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2667\" data-end=\"2805\">I was browsing your [page name] and noticed that one of the links to [old resource\/topic] no longer works (here\u2019s the broken link: [URL]).<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2807\" data-end=\"2891\">I recently published a similar resource that might be a good replacement: [Your URL]<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2893\" data-end=\"2971\">Hope it helps your readers\u2014happy to answer any questions or provide more info.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2973\" data-end=\"3002\">Thanks for the great content!<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3004\" data-end=\"3045\">Best,<br data-start=\"3009\" data-end=\"3012\" \/>[Your Name]<br data-start=\"3023\" data-end=\"3026\" \/>[Your Role\/Company]<\/p>\n<hr data-start=\"3047\" data-end=\"3050\" \/>\n<p data-start=\"3052\" data-end=\"3172\"><strong data-start=\"3052\" data-end=\"3063\">Pro tip<\/strong>: Personalize the email. Mention their content, compliment the resource page, or reference a shared interest.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"3174\" data-end=\"3203\">4. <strong data-start=\"3181\" data-end=\"3203\">Track Your Results<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"3205\" data-end=\"3259\">Use a spreadsheet or CRM tool to manage your outreach:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"3261\" data-end=\"3378\">\n<li data-start=\"3261\" data-end=\"3272\">\n<p data-start=\"3263\" data-end=\"3272\">Site name<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"3273\" data-end=\"3293\">\n<p data-start=\"3275\" data-end=\"3293\">Contact name\/email<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"3294\" data-end=\"3314\">\n<p data-start=\"3296\" data-end=\"3314\">URL of broken link<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"3315\" data-end=\"3338\">\n<p data-start=\"3317\" data-end=\"3338\">Your replacement link<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"3339\" data-end=\"3378\">\n<p data-start=\"3341\" data-end=\"3378\">Status (emailed, replied, link added)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr data-start=\"3380\" data-end=\"3383\" \/>\n<h2 data-start=\"3385\" data-end=\"3424\">\ud83d\udcc8 How to Scale Broken Link Building<\/h2>\n<ul data-start=\"3426\" data-end=\"3758\">\n<li data-start=\"3426\" data-end=\"3536\">\n<p data-start=\"3428\" data-end=\"3536\"><strong data-start=\"3428\" data-end=\"3450\">Automate discovery<\/strong>: Use tools like Ahrefs Alerts to get notified of new 404 pages on competitor domains.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"3537\" data-end=\"3654\">\n<p data-start=\"3539\" data-end=\"3654\"><strong data-start=\"3539\" data-end=\"3567\">Build outreach templates<\/strong>: Create scripts for different types of sites (blogs, universities, directories, etc.).<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"3655\" data-end=\"3758\">\n<p data-start=\"3657\" data-end=\"3758\"><strong data-start=\"3657\" data-end=\"3675\">Use VA support<\/strong>: A virtual assistant can help you compile link targets, send emails, or follow up.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr data-start=\"3760\" data-end=\"3763\" \/>\n<h2 data-start=\"3765\" data-end=\"3795\">\u26a0\ufe0f Common Mistakes to Avoid<\/h2>\n<ul data-start=\"3797\" data-end=\"4059\">\n<li data-start=\"3797\" data-end=\"3903\">\n<p data-start=\"3799\" data-end=\"3903\"><strong data-start=\"3799\" data-end=\"3832\">Suggesting irrelevant content<\/strong>: Your replacement must truly match or improve the broken link\u2019s value.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"3904\" data-end=\"3969\">\n<p data-start=\"3906\" data-end=\"3969\"><strong data-start=\"3906\" data-end=\"3942\">Spamming without personalization<\/strong>: Generic emails = ignored.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"3970\" data-end=\"4059\">\n<p data-start=\"3972\" data-end=\"4059\"><strong data-start=\"3972\" data-end=\"3991\">Over-automating<\/strong>: Efficiency is great, but people can spot a mass email a mile away.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr data-start=\"4061\" data-end=\"4064\" \/>\n<h2 data-start=\"4066\" data-end=\"4086\">\ud83c\udfc1 Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"4088\" data-end=\"4363\">Broken link building is one of the few link strategies that delivers real value to everyone involved. It requires research, content effort, and thoughtful outreach\u2014but when done right, it can be a <strong data-start=\"4285\" data-end=\"4319\">highly scalable, white-hat way<\/strong> to build links and authority in your niche.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Broken Link Building: A Smart, Scalable Outreach Strategy In the ever-competitive world of SEO, link building remains a crucial tactic for boosting your site\u2019s authority and rankings. But let\u2019s face&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":8343,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","_mo_disable_npp":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8337","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-seo"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aderonkebamidele.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8337","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aderonkebamidele.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aderonkebamidele.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aderonkebamidele.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aderonkebamidele.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8337"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.aderonkebamidele.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8337\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8344,"href":"https:\/\/www.aderonkebamidele.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8337\/revisions\/8344"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aderonkebamidele.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8343"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aderonkebamidele.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8337"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aderonkebamidele.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8337"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aderonkebamidele.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8337"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}