Broken Link Building: Understanding
and Mastering the Process

Broken link building is an SEO strategy where you identify broken links on other websites and offer a replacement link to your content. This method benefits both parties: the website owner gets rid of a broken link, and you gain a backlink to your site. The broken link technique remains effective, offering a valuable method for improving search engine rankings and user experience.

Websites typically contain numerous external links, many of which can become outdated. Statistics indicate that this is a widespread issue:

• Ahrefs analysis shows that 66.5% of external links have been broken since 2013, meaning that most links users encounter may no longer be accessible.
• A study of 88,000 home pages found that 16.63% of external links were broken, translating to over 1 million broken links out of more than 6 million analyzed.
• Pew Research reports that 5% of external links on news sites are no longer accessible, and 23% of pages have at least one broken link.

These statistics highlight the importance of regularly checking external links on websites. Web admins should perform these checks to maintain site integrity and capitalize on opportunities to gain backlinks by replacing broken links.

Link building is essential for improving a website's visibility and credibility in search engines, driving more traffic, and increasing its chances of ranking higher in search results. It also helps create high-quality content that attracts users and boosts sales. Building high-quality links can enhance a website's authority and reputation, leading to better SEO metrics and overall online performance.

Broken link building involves identifying broken links on other websites and suggesting that web admins replace these with working links to your content. This strategy enhances your site's SEO through high-quality backlinks and assists site owners in fixing issues with their resources, making it an appealing approach for them. Consequently, broken link building is a mutually beneficial strategy that improves user experience and boosts site authority.

Broken link building offers several benefits:

1.       Improves SEO: Fixing broken links and replacing them with relevant ones can positively impact your site's SEO. Search engines dislike broken links because they degrade user experience and can negatively affect site rankings.

2.       Enhances User Experience: Removing broken links enhances site navigation and overall user experience, leading to more extended site visits and lower bounce rates.

3.       Builds Mutually Beneficial Relationships: Reaching out to web admins to replace broken links with links to your resources can earn you quality backlinks. This not only strengthens your link-building efforts but also has the potential to increase traffic to your site.

4.       Cost-Effective: Unlike other link-building strategies, broken link building can be done with minimal cost, especially if you have the right tools.

Additionally, broken link building can help you:

•         Gain backlinks from pages that already have significant traffic and authority
•         Acquire links that were previously directed to competitors
•         Develop ideas for creating link-worthy content: If you discover a link to an external site (not yours) on a donor site is broken, you can propose to the web admin to replace it with a link to your site. However, if you don't have relevant content, you can create it first and then suggest the replacement link.

In summary, broken link building effectively boosts a site's visibility and authority while enhancing the web resource's overall quality.

• Identify Your Broken Backlinks: Start by identifying broken backlinks to your site using tools like Google Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools, Ahrefs, or Semrush’s Backlink Audit.

Fixing these can help reclaim lost link equity. In these situations, you are more likely to have a suitable replacement link, and the website administrator is more likely to update the link to favor your content.

Here you can only view broken links on your own site; it does not offer a comprehensive solution for identifying broken links on other websites.

• Look for Competitors’ Broken Pages with Backlinks: Many of your competitors will have some dead pages since the content is frequently moved, deleted, or reorganized. If they neglect to set up redirects for old URLs during these changes, their backlinks will lead to broken pages.

Use tools like Ahrefs and Semrush Backlink Analytics to find broken pages with backlinks on competitor websites. Contact the linking sites and suggest content as a replacement.

• Look for Broken Pages About a Topic: Broken link building has traditionally focused on the abovementioned method. The downside of this approach is that it restricts you to discovering opportunities on only a few websites. Therefore, search for broken pages on a specific topic relevant to your site. Tools like Ahrefs' Content Explorer can be helpful for this.

To locate broken links for link building, you can use Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools by following these steps. Remember that this method allows you to find external links only for the site you can access in Google Search Console. In Bing Webmaster Tools, you can analyze any two sites for free. Additionally, with Atomseo Broken Link Checker, you can scan one website and up to 1,500 links per day at no cost.

Google Search Console

1. Coverage Report
Navigate to the "Coverage" section in the left panel. This will display a list of errors, including broken links.

2. Identifying Broken Links
In the report, select the "Errors" tab to view URLs with errors (such as 404). Clicking on a specific URL will show where the links pointing to that page are located.

3. Fixing Links
Update or redirect broken links to relevant pages to enhance user experience and SEO.

Bing Webmaster Tools

1. Account Setup
Register and add your site to Bing Webmaster Tools.

2. Scan Report
Navigate to the "Scan" section and look for the tab that lists errors (such as 400-499). Here, you will find pages with broken links.

3. URL Inspection Tool
Utilize the URL Inspection Tool to analyze individual pages. This tool will highlight errors associated with the URL, helping you pinpoint broken links.

4. Fix Broken Links
Update or redirect broken links to improve your site structure and search engine visibility, similar to the process in Google.

Using these tools, you can effectively identify and fix broken links, which is crucial for your link-building strategy.

You can view backlinks to your site and any competitor’s site in Bing, although it doesn't indicate whether the links are broken or not. You can upload a list of these links to Atomseo (up to 1500 at a time) and check which ones are broken.

Resource pages are collections of valuable links on specific topics and are excellent places to find broken pages with backlinks for two main reasons:

1. Infrequent Updates: Resource pages are often not regularly updated, resulting in numerous dead links.
2. Link-Rich Content: These pages typically contain links to highly regarded resources, often with many backlinks from other sites.

To discover resource pages in your industry, you can use Google search operators like these:

• KEYWORD intitle:resources inurl:links.html
• KEYWORD intitle:links inurl:resources.html
• KEYWORD inurl:resources intitle:resources

Additionally, you can refine your search using variations such as:

• "useful links" AND [topic]
• [topic] intitle:"useful resources"
• [topic] inurl:resources

Browser extensions like Check My Links can help quickly identify broken links on these resource pages.

Once you've found resource pages with broken links, check if these dead links have valuable backlinks you could acquire.

Check Link Quality: Not all backlinks are created equal. Evaluate the linking site's quality to ensure it provides valuable link equity. Look for high domain authority and relevant content.

Check Link Reasons: Understand why the original link was valuable and ensure your content serves the same purpose. This increases the likelihood of your replacement link being accepted.

To see what the linked page initially looked like, input the dead link into the Wayback Machine. You will be able to see what content was previously on this page.

Create a Rough Outline: Start with an outline of the content you plan to offer as a replacement. Ensure it covers the same or similar topics as the broken link.

Bake in Linkable Points: Incorporate elements that make your content highly linkable, such as statistics, infographics, and comprehensive guides.

Find Other Ways to Improve It: Enhance your content by adding unique insights, expert opinions, or updated information to make it stand out.

Find the contact details of the website owners or the specific person responsible for content. Tools like Hunter.io can help you find email addresses associated with a domain.

Craft a compelling outreach email that explains the broken link issue and offers your content as a replacement. Highlight the benefits of linking to your resource and keep your message concise and to the point.

Following these steps and utilizing the right tools can effectively implement a broken link building strategy and enhance your site's SEO performance.

The broken link building strategy helps reclaim lost link equity and opens doors to establishing new relationships within your industry. Whether you want to improve user experience or boost your SEO rankings, this method remains a robust approach to achieving your digital marketing goals.

Here are a few examples of effective emails you can send to web admins asking them to change broken backlinks to your website:

Example 1: Simple and Straightforward

Subject: Request to Update Broken Link

Dear [Webmaster's Name],

I hope this email finds you well. I am contacting you regarding a broken link on your website pointing to [broken link URL]. Unfortunately, this link no longer works, and your visitors have a poor user experience.

Please update this link to point to [your website URL] instead. This will improve the user experience and your website's credibility.

Please let me know if there is anything I can do to assist you with this update.

Best regards,
[Your Name]

Example 2: Highlighting Benefits

Subject: Update Broken Link for Improved User Experience

Dear [Webmaster's Name],

I am writing to request an update on a broken link on your website. The link in question is [broken link URL], which no longer works. I understand that maintaining a website can be challenging, but I believe that updating this link will have a significant positive impact on your visitors.

Updating this link to [your website URL] will improve the user experience and enhance your website's credibility. This will help you attract more visitors and improve your search engine rankings.

I would happily provide any necessary information or assistance to make this update as smooth as possible. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help.

Best regards,
[Your Name]

Example 3: Offering Help

Subject: Help Update Broken Link for Better User Experience

Dear [Webmaster's Name],

I am contacting you today to assist in updating a broken link on your website. The link in question is [broken link URL], which no longer works.

I understand that maintaining a website can be time-consuming, and I am happy to help you with this update. By updating this link to point to [your website URL], you will improve the user experience and enhance your website's credibility.

If you are interested in this update, please let me know, and I will provide you with any necessary information or assistance. I look forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,
[Your Name]

These polite and concise examples highlight the benefits of updating the broken link. Remember to personalize the email by using the webmaster's name and providing specific details about the broken link.

Evaluate the alternative link you propose to the web admin and the probability they will accept your recommendation.

The web admin is more inclined to link to your site if:

• The link you suggest is relevant and valuable within the current context.
• The page you recommend is the top resource available on the subject.
• Their page attracts considerable traffic.
• Linking to your site does not cause any conflicts of interest.
• The original link was meant to direct to content similar to yours.

Conversely, the web admin is less inclined to link to your site if:

• They can easily find a superior alternative.
• The content is outdated (e.g., an old news article).
• Linking to your site poses a conflict of interest (e.g., you are a direct competitor).
• The original link was sponsored or pointed to a partner site.
• The original link is part of user-generated content (e.g., a forum post).

In such cases, the admin might link to a different site, leave the broken link, or remove it entirely.

Pursuing these broken link-building opportunities could be more trouble than it's worth. It may waste your time and potentially harm relationships with valuable contacts.

Determine if the opportunity is worthwhile and make notes in your spreadsheet accordingly.

1. Long and Overcrowded Emails: Keep your message short and to the point. Avoid unnecessary details to prevent boring the recipient.

2. Contact Information Errors: Double-check that your contact information is accurate. Mistakes can prevent the web admin from reaching you.

3.   Lack of Personalization: Address the webmaster by name and mention specific details about their site. This shows you have taken the time to understand their resource.

4.   Poor Subject Lines: Ensure the subject line is clear and informative to grab attention and indicate the purpose of your email.

5. Neglecting Proofreading: Always review your email for grammatical and spelling errors. Mistakes can undermine the credibility of your message.

6.   Unclear Call to Action: Clearly state what action you want the recipient to take, such as updating a link or contacting you to discuss further.

Avoiding these mistakes increases the likelihood of receiving a positive response from web admins.

When a web admin asks you to replace a broken link with theirs, it's crucial to analyze the request before responding. Follow these steps to ensure a thoughtful and informed response:

1. Review the Request

• Assess the Email Content: Ensure the request is clear and includes all necessary details, such as the URL of the broken link and the suggested new URL.
• Verify the Sender's Authority: Check who sent the request. It warrants more attention if it comes from a reputable or well-known site.

2. Verify the Broken Link

• Confirm the Broken Link: Use tools like Google Search Console or other SEO tools to verify the link is broken.
• Understand the Context: Review the context in which the broken link is used to gauge the importance of its replacement for your content.

3. Evaluate the Suggested URL

• Assess Quality and Relevance: Ensure the proposed URL is high-quality and relevant to your site's theme and standards.
• Check for Broken Links: Make sure the content you link to is free of broken links and meets user expectations.

4. Respond to the Request

• Positive Response: If you agree to the replacement, reply promptly with confirmation and indicate when you plan to make the change.
• Polite Decline: If you decide not to replace the link, explain your reasons politely and offer an alternative solution.

5. Monitor Results

• Track Changes: After updating the link, monitor traffic and user behavior on your site to evaluate the replacement's effectiveness.
• Seek Feedback: A positive response from the web admin can lead to further cooperation or link exchanges.

By following these steps, you can effectively analyze broken link replacement requests and make informed decisions.

If you've been notified about broken links, regularly check your site with Atomseo Broken Link Checker to prevent such issues in the future.

To find link-building opportunities through broken links with Atomseo Broken Link Checker, follow these steps:

1. Install Atomseo Broken Link Checker

• Visit the website: https://error404.atomseo.com/

4. Search for Opportunities

• Identify Sites with Broken Links: Copy the URLs of broken links and use them to locate the pages containing them. These could be blogs, articles, or other resources.
• Contact Webmasters: Contact web admins with information about the broken links and propose replacing them with links to your relevant content.

5. Monitor and Subscribe to Notifications

• Subscribe to Notifications: Atomseo allows you to subscribe to notifications about broken links, which allows you to monitor your site's links regularly and discover new link-building opportunities.

Following these steps, you can effectively use Atomseo Broken Link Checker to find and capitalize on link-building opportunities through broken links. Start checking now!