Broken link building

In one line

Broken link building finds broken (dead) links on relevant pages, then suggests your working, equivalent resource as the replacement, earning a link while helping the site owner.

How it works

Find resource pages or articles in your niche with dead outbound links. Create or identify your page that fits the same purpose. Email the owner, flag the broken link, and offer yours as a fix. It's helpful, relevant, and often welcomed.

The steps

  1. 1Find relevant pages with broken links (use link-checker tools)
  2. 2Confirm you have (or can make) a fitting replacement
  3. 3Contact the owner, note the dead link, suggest yours
  4. 4Keep it brief and genuinely helpful
  5. 5Track and follow up politely

Frequently asked

Why does broken link building work?

You're solving a real problem for the site owner (a dead link) while offering a relevant replacement, a low-friction, mutually useful pitch.

How do I find broken links?

Use a broken-link checker on relevant resource pages, or crawl competitor backlink profiles for dead targets you can replace.

Put this into practice

Grade your site against our 250-point AEO/GEO checklist and see exactly what to fix, free, no signup.

Run a free audit Free tools

Related

Get other sites linking to you
The core ways to earn backlinks that actually move rankings.
What is a redirect?
Sending users and engines from one URL to another, 301 vs 302, done right.