What is broken link building?

Find pages with dead links, create a relevant replacement resource on your site, and ask the site owner to swap the broken link for yours.

Why it works

You’re helping webmasters fix a problem (win-win). It’s far less intrusive than cold pitching for a brand-new link.

Step-by-step playbook

1. Find target pages — search operators:
   • "your topic" + "resources"
   • site:.edu "links" "your keyword"
2. Detect broken links — use tools (Check My Links, Screaming Frog) or Ahrefs/BuzzSumo to find 404s on those pages.
3. Create a match — publish a page that matches the dead resource’s intent: guide, PDF, data, etc.
4. Outreach email (short & helpful)
   Subject: Found a broken link on your page — quick fix
   Email: Hi [Name], I was reading [page] and noticed a dead link to [dead URL]. I’ve put together an updated resource that covers the same topic: [your URL]. Thought you might want to replace the broken link — happy to help. Cheers, [Name]
5. Follow-up — one polite follow-up after 5–7 days.

Tips to improve success

• Offer specifics (point to the exact broken URL).
• Use screenshots or the 404 output to prove the broken link.
• Target pages that already link to similar resources — higher chance of swap.

Metrics & scale

Record outreach, replies, replacements, and resulting referral traffic. Aim for a 5–15% success rate depending on list quality.

Conclusion

Broken link building is low-friction and scalable. Focus on highly relevant replacements and crisp outreach.