What is broken link building and how does it earn high-quality backlinks?

What if I told you there’s a link building strategy that actually helps other website owners and gets a 2–5% success rate? Most SEO professionals struggle with traditional link building outreach because, they’re often just asking for backlinks without giving much in return. But broken link building flips this approach entirely.

Broken link building is a white-hat SEO strategy that finds dead links on other websites and offers your content as a helpful replacement. Instead of cold-pitching for backlinks and hoping for the best, broken link building lets you offer real value by helping webmasters find broken pages and fix dead links that are quietly hurting their user experience. This mutual benefit approach is exactly why broken link building has become one of the most effective link building techniques trusted by digital marketing professionals.

In this guide, you’ll learn how broken link building really works, what tools to use, how to spot the right opportunities, and the outreach strategies that gets responses. Whether you’re part of an SEO agency trying to scale up your link building efforts, or a website owner looking to earn high quality links, this approach can completely change how you think about building backlinks.

What is broken link building?

Broken link building is all about spotting dead links on external websites and reaching out with a better option, to suggest your content as a replacement. When you find broken pages that lead to 404 errors means you’ve just found a broken link building opportunity that can genuinely help both you and the site owner.

Here’s how the process works: You locate websites in your niche that link to resources no longer available online. These broken links create a poor user experience and can hurt the site’s SEO performance. Once you’ve found, you can either create new content or see if you already have content that fills the same gap and then reach out to the web admin to recommend it as a better fit.

Broken link building campaigns often see better results than more traditional methods, it’s a value-first approach. You’re helping the target website by pointing out broken backlinks and offering a good alternative, while also earning a backlink from a relevant, authoritative domain.

Unlike guest posting or directory submissions, this strategy doesn’t feel pushy or transactional. You’re genuinely offering help by improving other websites and that tends to open doors. It builds trust, which often leads to more links or even long-term partnerships with the right people behind those sites.

When done right, broken link building not only helps you build backlinks, but also strengthens relationships across your industry. And that’s a link building opportunity that’s always worth pursuing.

Why broken link building works so effectively?

Traditional outreach usually begins with a request, whether it’s for a guest post, a link mention, or some kind of partnership. This immediately puts the recipient in a position where they need to evaluate what they’re giving up versus what they’re getting in return.

Broken link building flips this dynamic completely. Instead of just asking for something, your first message actually helps, by pointing out an issue the site owner probably wasn’t even aware of. Broken links drag down the user experience, make a website feel outdated, and can even hurt its performance in search results. When you point out these issues, you’re offering a service before asking for anything.

Webmasters and site owners tend to appreciate this kind of outreach because it supports their goal of keeping their pages clean and their links relevant. Unlike promotional emails that benefit only the sender, broken link building emails solve a real problem for the recipient. This creates a positive first impression that makes them more receptive to your suggestion.

There’s a psychology behind why broken link building works so well. When you help someone fix an issue, like pointing out broken links on their site, you’re not just offering a favor, you’re solving a problem. And when people feel helped, they naturally want to return the gesture. That’s the power of reciprocity because it turns a cold pitch into a genuine connection.

That’s exactly why broken link building campaigns often see better results than other link building strategies. Instead of reaching out with a request, you’re starting by offering something genuinely helpful. And that shift matters. While cold outreach for guest posts might only get a 1–2% reply rate, a well-crafted broken link building email can easily land you 3–5%, simply because you’re giving before asking. The difference? You’re leading with something helpful, not just asking for a link, but offering real value from the first interaction.

Essential tools and resources for broken link building

To run a successful broken link building campaign, you need the right combination of free and paid tools to quickly find broken pages and stay on top of your outreach.

Free chrome extensions

Check My Links is a simple browser extension that quickly scans any webpage for broken links. Just install it, open a target website, and click the icon. It’ll scan the page and highlight any broken external links in red. It’s especially useful for reviewing resource pages and picking up easy link building opportunities on the spot.

Broken Link Checker (by Atomseo) goes beyond the basics. Unlike basic tools, it scans full websites and gives you detailed reports, complete with HTTP status codes (like 404s and 301s), anchor text, and the exact pages where those broken links live. It even shows redirect paths when links are pointing somewhere else. You can export everything into a CSV file, which makes it super handy for planning your outreach or sharing with your team. It’s simple to use, doesn’t slow things down, and makes manual prospecting much easier.

Professional SEO tools

Ahrefs Site Explorer does a great job at spotting broken backlinks. It’s one of the easiest ways to find high-quality link opportunities that are actually worth your time. The “Broken Backlinks” report shows all the dead links pointing to a domain, making it easy to find lost links you could recover or replace. You can also use the “Broken Outbound Links” report to helps you identify broken pages on target websites that you can reach out about and offer a solution for.

SEMrush can help here too. Its Site Audit tool flags broken external links as part of a full website check, so you can spot issues quickly. Plus, the Link Building Tool makes it easier to manage and streamline parts of your broken link building efforts without doing everything manually.

SEO PowerSuite packs solid broken link detection features into its toolkit, which makes it especially useful for agencies handling large campaigns across multiple clients.

Research and outreach tools

Archive.org’s (Wayback Machine) is a lifesaver when you’re dealing with dead pages. It lets you see what was originally there, so you can rebuild content that matches the intent of the old page. That way, when you suggest your version as a replacement, it’s far more likely to get accepted.

Email finders and simple CRM tools make it a lot easier to find the right contacts and keep track of follow-ups. The truth is, many broken link building campaigns don’t fail because of weak prospects; they fail because no one followed up properly.

How to find broken link building opportunities

Finding the right broken link building opportunities takes time, research, and a smart approach. Different methods work for different types of websites and link situations, so using a combination of techniques gives you the best chance of getting results.

The resource page method

Resource pages are a goldmine for broken link building. They usually include a long list of external links, and over time, many of those links break as sites go offline or change their structure. That natural link decay makes them ideal for finding broken backlinks.

To find them, use Google search operators like:

• “keyword” + inurl:resources
• “keyword” + “useful links”
• “keyword” + “helpful resources”

These will pull up curated lists related to your niche, pages that were specifically built to link out to helpful content.

Focus on older resource pages from around 2008 to 2018. You can use Google’s date range filters to narrow this down. Older pages are more likely to have broken links, simply because a lot of the original sites they linked to may have disappeared or been restructured.

Once you’ve got a good list of resource pages, use the Check My Links extension to scan them. It’ll highlight any dead links in red, making it easy to spot what’s no longer working. Prioritise pages with a lot of outbound links, each broken one could be a chance to earn a backlink by offering your content as a replacement.

Competitor broken backlink analysis

Your competitors’ broken backlinks are a solid opportunity to grab lost link equity. When high-authority sites are still linking to content that no longer exists on a competitor’s site, that’s your chance to step in and offer something better as a replacement page.

Start with SEMrush’s Site Audit. The “broken external links” report shows you where dead links exist on competitor sites, which leads you to the other websites still linking to those broken pages. From there, you’ve got a clear shot at reaching out with your own content.

You can also use Ahrefs’ Broken Backlinks feature. It pulls up thousands of broken backlinks pointing to any domain. Filter the results by HTTP 404 codes and referring domains so you can focus on the prospects that actually matter. Look for broken backlinks from high-authority sites in your industry because those tend to be the most valuable link building opportunities.

When you analyse your competitors, you’ll often start to notice patterns. Maybe some types of pages go offline more often, or certain sites keep changing their URL structure. Once you spot these trends, it gets easier to predict and act on new broken link opportunities before anyone else does.

The Wikipedia dead link technique

Wikipedia is great for spotting dead links because it clearly marks them in its articles. Since they clearly label broken links, you can use that info to dig deeper and uncover even more chances across the web.

Try running a Google search like:-
site:wikipedia.org “keyword” intext:”dead link”

This helps you find articles in your niche that point to sources which no longer exist. You’re not trying to get a link from Wikipedia, as their linking rules are pretty strict. Instead, the goal is to find other websites that also linked to the same dead source.

This method works well because well-known resources often get cited by many sites. When one of those pages goes offline, chances are high that multiple websites still link to it. That gives you the opportunity to suggest your content as a relevant replacement.

In this case, Wikipedia is not your target but your starting point. Once you’ve identified a dead link, use a backlink analysis tool to find all the websites linking to that page. Then create high-quality content that fills the gap with helpful content, reach out to the site owners and share your updated resource as a better alternative.

Expired domain strategy

Keeping an eye on expired domains in your niche can open the door to tons of broken link building opportunities. When a well-linked website goes offline, every backlink pointing to it turns into a broken link and that’s where you can step in.

Use backlink tools to find expired domains that used to get links from trusted sites in your space. Focus on ones that went offline recently but still have live backlinks pointing to them. That means the linking sites probably haven’t noticed yet, giving you a great chance to suggest a replacement.

Build strong, useful content that covers what those expired pages used to offer. Since you’re filling the gap left by an entire domain, not just one page, you can often create multiple pieces of content and claim several link opportunities from that one find.

This approach needs some patience and regular checking, but finding just one expired domain with a bunch of solid backlinks can give you link building opportunities that last for months.

Evaluating and prioritizing link opportunities

Not every broken link is worth chasing. Prioritizing the right opportunities saves time and helps you focus on prospects that are more likely to earn you valuable backlinks and positive replies.

Look at metrics like Domain Rating or Authority Score to judge the SEO strength of a site. The higher the authority, the more impact that backlink can have, and chances are, these sites are better maintained, which means your outreach is more likely to get noticed.

It’s also smart to check how many other websites are linking to the same dead page. If several are, then creating one strong piece of replacement content could land you multiple backlinks in return.

Relevance matters too. A broken link on a page closely tied to your niche is more valuable than one on a general-interest site, even if that site has a higher authority score. Topical fit often leads to better engagement and better results.

Before putting in the effort to create content, think about how likely it is that the site owner will respond. Look at how recently the site was updated, how easy it is to find contact info, and where the broken link appears. If it’s buried in a footer, it might not be worth the effort, but if it’s front and center in the content, that’s a better bet.

Creating replacement content that gets links

The chances of a webmaster accepting your suggestion often come down to how helpful and relevant your replacement content is to their readers. The goal isn’t just to create good content but to create content that obviously serves the same purpose as the original dead page while providing superior value.

Use the Wayback Machine to see what the original broken page was all about. By understanding why people linked to it in the first place, you can create something even better, content that fills the same need and improves on any outdated or missing info.

Pay attention to the context of the link too. What’s the anchor text? What’s being said around it? That gives you clues about what the site owner intended their readers to find when they clicked, and your content should meet that expectation. This is especially important for effective contextual link building, where relevance and natural placement make all the difference.

You don’t want to copy the old page, but it’s fine to use it as inspiration. Focus on creating something better, more detailed, more helpful, and up to date. That might mean including updated stats, clearer explanations, or a fresh angle.

And don’t overlook design. A lot of older broken pages were just walls of text. If your version includes clean visuals, charts, infographics or even a quick video, it’s more likely to stand out, and get the link.

Mastering broken link building outreach

Effective outreach transforms good opportunities into actual backlinks. The quality of your communication often matters more than the quality of your content when it comes to broken link building success.

Finding the right contacts

Finding the right person to reach out to can make all the difference in how often you get replies.
Generic forms and catch-all emails like info@ usually get ignored or left unread. But reaching out to the right person directly gives you a much better chance of getting a reply.

Start by looking at the page with the broken link to see if there’s an author listed. Writers or contributors often have the authority or the right connections to help get content updated. From there, look through the site’s About page or team directory to spot editors, content managers, or webmasters who handle updates.

LinkedIn and other social platforms can also help you track down the people behind the scenes. Many professionals list their roles and sometimes even their email or DMs in their bios, which makes it much easier to reach out in a more personal and direct way.

And if you still can’t find a direct line? Use email lookup tools like Hunter or Clearbit to dig up the right contact. Just remember, it’s not about blasting inboxes. A targeted message sent to the right person will always get you further than a generic email to the wrong one.

Crafting effective outreach emails

When you’re reaching out about a broken link, your email should feel like you’re being helpful, not pitching something. Start by pointing out the exact link that’s broken and where it appears on their site. It shows you’ve actually taken the time to look through their content.

Use subject lines that feel personal and relevant. Instead of something vague like partnership opportunity or content suggestion, try something like broken link on your page name. It gets to the point and feels more genuine.

In your message, don’t just highlight one broken link if you’ve found more than one broken link, mention them all. It adds more value right away and can often lead to multiple link placements from one email.

When you suggest your content as a replacement, position it as a helpful fix for their page, not a favour you’re asking for. That small change in tone can make a big difference in how people respond.

Follow-up strategy and best practices

Most broken link building success doesn’t come from the first email. It’s usually the follow-up that gets results. Webmasters are often busy, and a friendly reminder can be all it takes to move things forward.

If you haven’t heard back, follow up after three to five business days. Keep it short and simple, just refer back to your last message and, if you can, include something extra that makes it worth their time.

Limit yourself to two or three follow-ups, enough to stay on their radar without being annoying. Use email tracking tools to see what’s working, so you can tweak your timing or message if needed.

Avoid mass emails. They’re easy to ignore and can even hurt your sender reputation. A thoughtful, one-on-one message nearly always performs better than an automated campaign.

Advanced broken link building techniques

Once you’ve got the basics of broken link building down, there are a few advanced tactics that can really level up your results and uncover opportunities others often miss.

Take the Moving Man Method, for example. It focuses on companies that have changed their name, moved domains, or restructured their site. These changes often leave behind broken links across the web, giving you a clear opening to offer better and updated content in their place.

It also helps to keep an eye on .edu and .gov sites. These are usually slower to update and still carry older pages with lots of broken links. If you can get listed on these domains, the backlink value is often much higher.

Manually checking broken links one by one? That can eat up your whole day. Tools that scan links in bulk help you move faster, so you can focus on the ones that actually matter.

And don’t stop with just one link. When someone agrees to use your link, don’t let the conversation end there. Once you’ve built some trust, it can lead to bigger things like a guest post, a feature mention, or even an ongoing collaboration.

Common mistakes to avoid

There are a few simple ways broken link building can go wrong and hurt your chances of getting a response.

First, avoid wasting time on sites that clearly aren’t being maintained. If a website hasn’t posted new content in years or has broken contact forms and inactive social profiles, it’s probably not worth your effort. Look for signs that someone’s still managing the site before you reach out.

Second, make sure the content you’re offering actually fits the broken link. If it doesn’t serve the same purpose or speak to the same audience, your suggestion will likely be ignored. The better your content matches what the original page aimed to offer, the more naturally it fits and the more likely the site owner is to say yes.

One of the biggest mistakes is sending the same generic email to everyone. Website owners can tell when they’re just one of hundreds getting the same pitch. Take a minute to personalize your message, mention the page, highlight the broken link, and show them you’ve actually gone through their content.

If you only go after high competition commercial keywords, you might miss some great opportunities. Some of the most valuable links come from niche or educational pages that aren’t crowded but still pack a strong SEO punch.

And finally, always confirm the link is actually broken before sending anything. If it turns out the link works, it’s an easy way to lose trust.

Measuring success and scaling your campaigns

Keep an eye on key metrics like response rates, how many links you’re actually landing, and the referral traffic those links bring in. These numbers help you figure out what’s working and what needs tweaking. In most cases, cold outreach leads to about 2–5% success rate, though you can often do better with warmer leads or super-relevant content.

Use tools to stay organized and save time. Things like automated follow-ups, progress tracking, and ROI calculations can make a big difference. A lot of SEOs find broken link building gives them a better return on effort compared to other white-hat tactics, especially when compared to more time-consuming manual link building efforts.

As you grow, set up systems that let your whole team pitch in. When your process for finding broken links, creating content, and sending outreach emails is streamlined, it’s much easier to scale.

And remember, results vary depending on your niche. Some industries are full of broken link opportunities, while others move a little slower, especially when you’re dealing with institutional or .edu sites.

How SaaSMonks can help?

Running a full broken link building campaign takes time, the right tools, and a solid process that many businesses find it tough to manage on their own. That’s where SaaSMonks comes in. As a trusted link building agency, we manage everything from finding broken link opportunities to getting your content placed on high-quality, relevant websites, so that you can focus on what matters most.

Our team uses smart tools and tried-and-tested strategies to find strong broken link opportunities in your niche. We craft content that fits naturally as a replacement and run personalised outreach that actually gets responses. We focus on getting links from trusted, relevant websites that actually help to boost your SEO, rather than random low-quality opportunity that doesn’t add real value.

Whether you want broken link building as part of a bigger SEO plan or need it as a targeted campaign, we’ve got you covered. While you focus on growing your business, we work behind the scenes to turn missed opportunities into real SEO wins, helping you build stronger backlinks and lasting relationships with site owners who matter in your industry.

Key takeaways

Broken link building is one of the most effective white hat link building strategie out there because it’s genuinely helpful for both sides. Instead of just asking for a link, you’re pointing out an issue and offering a solution, helping site owners clean up their content while earning a strong backlink in return.

Success with broken link building doesn’t come from luck; it’s about using the right tools to spot opportunities quickly, replacing broken pages with content that actually helps, and reaching out in a way that feels thoughtful, not self-serving.

This strategy works best when it’s backed by a simple, repeatable process. You need to know which websites are actually worth reaching out to, creating content that’s genuinely useful, and following up in a way that feels personal, not automated. Yes, broken link building can take more time and effort, but it often leads to better placement rates and builds stronger, more genuine relationships than most other link-building tactics.

At the end of the day, focus on being helpful. When people see that you’re solving a problem for them, they’re far more likely to link back. That’s why broken link building isn’t just good SEO, but it’s a smart relationship-building, too.

FAQs

How long does it take to see results from broken link building?

Seeing results from broken link building takes time and consistency. It really depends on few things like how strong your outreach is, how relevant your content is, and how responsive the site owners are. Sometimes you’ll land a link quickly, other times it might take a few weeks or more. The important thing is to stay consistent and keep building real relationships. If you stick with it, the results will follow.

What’s the average response rate for broken link building outreach?

A well-run broken link building campaigns often see success rates of 2–5% sometimes even more when it comes to replies. This significantly exceeds the 1-2% success rates common with traditional link building outreach because you’re providing immediate value by alerting site owners to problems they need to fix.

Do I need expensive tools to succeed with broken link building?

Not at all. While tools like Ahrefs and Semrush can definitely speed things up, but you don’t need them to get started. Free browser extensions like Check My Links and some smart Google searches can take you a long way. In fact, plenty of successful campaigns begin with just the basics and only move to paid tools once things start picking up.

How do I avoid my broken link building emails being marked as spam?

To keep your emails out of the spam folder, make them personal and helpful. Don’t send bulk emails, reach out one-on-one and show that you’ve actually looked at their site. Start by pointing out the broken link you found and explain why it’s worth fixing. Then, naturally suggest your content as a helpful replacement. Keep it simple and helpful, like you’re doing them a favor, not asking for one. The less it feels like a pitch, the more likely they are to actually consider it.

What types of content work best as broken link replacements?

The best replacement content is the kind that genuinely fills the gap left by the broken link. It should serve the same purpose as the original page, but do it better. That might mean updating the info, adding more useful details, or just presenting it in a clearer, more engaging way. Resource lists, how-to guides, or educational articles tend to get the best results. And before you create anything, check out the original page on the Wayback Machine to see why people linked to it in the first place.