Broken Link Building – The Essential Guide

Discover the Power of Broken Link Building for Exceptional Conversion Rates

In this comprehensive guide, we delve deep into the world of broken link building – an innovative strategy that consistently outperforms many traditional link building methods. Join us as we explore the essence of broken link building, unravel its mechanics, and unveil the secrets to its remarkable effectiveness. We’re also thrilled to present a fail-safe broken link building approach that promises success across any niche.

Prepare to embark on a journey through strategies that have been honed from our own experiences and proven to deliver astounding results!

What You’ll Need:

1. Ahrefs: Unleash Your Website’s Potential
2. Embark on a Digital Journey with Web Archive
3. Fueling Knowledge Through an Interactive Blog Hub

What Is Broken Link Building?

Broken link building is a valuable approach within the realm of search engine optimization (SEO). It centers around the discovery of web pages within your specific niche that contain non-functional backlinks. Once these pages have been pinpointed, the next step involves initiating contact with the website owners and suggesting that they replace the defunct link with a link to your content instead.

This strategy offers a mutually beneficial outcome. The webmaster enhances the quality and user experience of their website by replacing a broken link, while your own webpage stands to gain a potential new backlink. It’s a win-win situation.

It’s important to emphasize that broken link building is a white hat SEO technique, adhering to ethical practices. It entails the creation of top-notch content and engaging with external websites with the goal of earning an inbound link. Importantly, the website owner will only choose to link to your content if they genuinely find it valuable and relevant.

In essence, broken link building is a strategic and ethical method that leverages quality content to forge valuable connections in the online landscape.

A fractured link is like a bridge that leads to a dead-end, frustrating users with a 404 error page instead of the intended online destination. These links break for a multitude of reasons, each disrupting the seamless web experience in its own way:

1. The Vanishing Act: Sometimes, the website hosting the linked page decides to retire it, leaving users stranded.
2. Code Gone Wrong: In some cases, the link’s initial implementation suffers from coding mishaps, rendering it ineffective from the very start.
3. The Elusive URL: URLs can be like shifting sands, changing over time and making previously functional links obsolete.
4. The Shifting Landscape: Websites undergo facelifts or even cease to exist, rendering their previously active links dormant and unproductive.

Are Broken Link Building Tactics Effective?

Opinions on the effectiveness of the link-building process can vary significantly.

For some, link building is seen as a valuable strategy, while others view it as a laborious and uncertain endeavor. However, when approached with the right mindset and well-defined strategies (which we’ll delve into shortly), broken link building has the potential to yield impressive outcomes.

One of its standout advantages lies in the possibility of quick wins. When webmasters replace a broken link with your content, it can lead to immediate benefits. Additionally, this approach can serve as a catalyst for expanding your network of industry contacts.

By forging connections with experts and fellow content creators in your niche, you lay the foundation for future collaborations and interactions. These relationships can prove invaluable, as they increase the likelihood of others reaching out to you for various opportunities.

Last but certainly not least, the accumulation of links to your content from multiple high-authority web pages can significantly enhance your SEO ranking. When your content is chosen to be linked by several influential sources, it creates a powerful synergy that can propel your online visibility to new heights.

How to Find Broken Link Building Opportunities

The challenge inherent in broken link building lies in the initial task of locating those elusive broken pages. Fortunately, there are several distinctive methods available to pinpoint these pages, and the choice of strategy typically hinges on two critical factors:

1. Available Time: The success of this endeavor is often contingent upon the amount of time at one’s disposal for the search.
2. Emotional State: Whether one’s spirits are high with enthusiasm or weighed down by despair can significantly influence the chosen approach.

Now, let’s delve into exploring various tactics for identifying those elusive broken pages.

Strategy #1: Nerdy Time Traveling

⏰ Time Investment: Prepare for a few dedicated hours of work.

😎 Level of Excitement: Feeling fortunate and ready to conquer!

Let’s delve into a straightforward strategy that involves discovering opportunities amidst a web of links – a strategy that could lead you to some hidden gems in the digital landscape.

Our starting point? Resource pages, those treasure troves of valuable links.

📚 To kick things off, here’s a fantastic guide from Snappa Blog that provides insights into the art of locating resource pages for your outreach efforts.

Now, to execute this strategy effectively, you’ll require a trusty ally: the LinkMiner Chrome extension.

Once you’ve landed on a resource page of interest, a simple click on this extension will unveil whether there are any broken links lurking in the shadows.

Voilà! You’ve uncovered a broken link opportunity, much like finding a lost treasure chest!

But the adventure doesn’t end there. Take a moment to examine the number of referring domains (RDs) pointing to this forsaken link. Is it a fitting addition to your campaign’s grand quest?

Now, here’s the exciting part – rinse and repeat this process for every resource page you encounter. Like a seasoned explorer, you’ll venture forth until you uncover the elusive digital treasures you seek. 🌟🗺️

Why is this strategy useful?

1. Resource pages offer a valuable compilation of useful links, conveniently centralized in one location. Within this treasure trove of relevant links, there lies a potential opportunity to uncover broken links.
2. Resource pages tend to host top-notch and authoritative articles, making the discovery of a high-quality broken link with substantial Referring Domains (RDs) a plausible strategy to boost your Domain Authority (DA) score and improve your rankings.
3. LinkMiner, a user-friendly and complimentary browser extension, simplifies this process, enhancing your ability to capitalize on these link-building prospects.

Why is this strategy not so good?

1. LinkMiner occasionally provides inaccurate results. Take, for instance, the case of the coconut oil broken link shown in the screenshot; surprisingly, it isn’t broken as indicated.
2. The process can be quite time-intensive unless you stumble upon a fantastic 404 error page within the initial moments of your search.

Strategy #2: Tricky Star Chasing

⏰ Estimated Time Commitment: Targeting a maximum of 40 minutes.

😟 Level of Motivation: Oh dear, I should’ve tackled this already!

In the quest to identify dead links within the realm of popular websites in your specific field, Ahrefs comes to the rescue. Frankly, I’m not quite certain how one would effectively execute this task without the aid of Ahrefs.

Let’s suppose we’re embarking on a quest to uncover broken links within the health niche. The initial step involves pinpointing a well-established website that specializes in health-related content.

For illustrative purposes, let’s zero in on EverydayHealth.

Now, let’s navigate over to Ahrefs Site Explorer and set our sights on the “Broken Backlinks” feature for this chosen website.

Discovering broken backlinks can be a goldmine for improving a website’s SEO, and there’s a more efficient way to tackle this task than manually sifting through thousands of broken links. Instead of the painstaking approach of checking each link individually, there’s a smarter method you can follow.

Ahrefs, a renowned SEO tool, offers a valuable technique for this purpose:

1. Begin by accessing “The Best Pages by Backlinks” on Ahrefs.
2. In the dropdown menu of HTTP codes, select “404 not found,” which indicates broken links.
3. Apply filters to refine your search results based on the number of referring domains to the respective pages.

By following this streamlined approach, you can save time and effort while still uncovering broken links that have the potential to enhance your website’s link-building strategy. This technique simplifies the process and allows you to focus on the most promising opportunities. It’s a revelation that can significantly boost your SEO efforts and make the task of checking broken backlinks much more efficient.

Why is this strategy useful?

1. The following technique stands out as one of the swiftest ways I know to pinpoint broken links. It excels at uncovering broken links within wide-ranging themes like “healthy living,” making it a versatile strategy.
2. This approach is designed for the rapid detection of broken links in general topics, such as “healthy living,” rather than being tailored to the specific scrutiny of links related to niche subjects like “low carb diets” or “weightlifting.”

Why is this strategy not so good?

1. Searching for broken links on specific topics can be quite a challenge. Just yesterday, I was on the hunt for broken links related to strength training, and even some of the most popular websites came up empty-handed. However, certain industries, such as the health sector, offer a plethora of opportunities to uncover broken links on more general subjects.
2. Not everyone has access to premium tools like Ahrefs, and for those without such resources, pinpointing broken links on top websites can be an uphill battle.
3. I like to refer to this approach as “Star Chasing,” as it essentially involves pursuing the stars (big websites) in the hopes of discovering their vulnerabilities (broken links).

This method requires finesse because the goal is to capitalize on the 404 errors of other websites.

Strategy #3: Meticulous Hell Exploring

⏰ Time Allotted: Let’s not watch the clock for now.

😩 Enthusiasm Level: Plummeting into the abyss.

In our earlier strategies, we delved into the art of locating shattered links on resource-rich webpages and renowned sites.

But here, we’re venturing deeper into the realm of precision, where the broken links reveal themselves in all their glory!

We’ve already dissected the backlinks of top-tier websites in our previous exploits. However, it’s time to shine a spotlight on their outbound connections.

Instead of bidding adieu to Ahrefs, let’s prolong our exploration by navigating to the “Outgoing links” section, and there, with a determined click, uncover the hidden treasure trove of “Broken links.”

Making the most of top websites’ broken links.

EverydayHealth has a concerning issue with 1,214 broken links on their website. Upon closer examination, it’s evident that these broken links originate from highly authoritative websites. This situation is particularly significant because it translates to a substantial loss in referring domains (RDs).

In light of this challenge, there’s a valuable recommendation provided in the Ahrefs guide on how to effectively address an abundance of outgoing broken links. The guide suggests an organized approach: first, export all the broken outgoing links, then transfer them to the Quick Batch Analysis tool. The next step involves identifying which of these broken links hold the most referring domains (RDs).

It’s crucial to highlight that this process should be conducted in batches of no more than 200 links at a time to ensure efficient analysis and management of the broken links.

Here’s why:

When dealing with a website riddled with an extensive number of broken links, often exceeding the daunting figure of 10,000, it can lead to a myriad of challenges. Not only does this present a significant time investment in the pursuit of rectifying these issues, but it also results in the discovery of recurrent and extraneous links, particularly those linked to outdated affiliate programs and past projects.

Navigating through this labyrinth of broken links can prove to be a rather laborious task. The repetitive nature of the process becomes apparent as one continuously stumbles upon non-functional links that revolve around similar or irrelevant topics.

However, there exists an alternative approach to address this conundrum, which involves delving into the intricate web of backlinks. Should you stumble upon a valuable resource page, the key is to extend your exploration by scrutinizing its backlinks, potentially uncovering additional instances of broken links.

Likewise, when you chance upon a promising 404 error page with a substantial number of referring domains, it is prudent to delve deeper into the digital rabbit hole. By examining the backlinks of the broken link itself, you might unveil even more hidden instances of broken backlinks waiting to be addressed.

Recreate the Content for Your Blog

After identifying a page containing a broken link that aligns closely with your niche, the subsequent action involves the process of recreating the blog post.

It’s crucial to note that the broken link merely directs you to a 404 error page. To gain insight into the original content of the page, consider utilizing the Wayback Machine, a valuable web archive tool.

The Wayback Machine offers a historical perspective, displaying the page’s evolution over time, its modifications, and its initial content. This resource becomes invaluable for ensuring that the recreated page serves the same purpose and encompasses similar subject matter.

Now, there exist two distinct approaches to reimagining and revitalizing a page.

1️⃣ Simply Copy the Dead Page

Taking this approach, which some might consider “unethical,” is not something we advise. It may be perceived as plagiarism.

In this method, your writer would essentially duplicate the initial content from the webpage and simply append an acknowledgment at the conclusion.

This acknowledgment would clarify the source of the original content and mention that it has been removed from the original web page since then.

2️⃣ Create a New and Improved Page

In this innovative approach, our skilled writer draws inspiration from the original page while enhancing it with fresh, original content and captivating imagery.

Our writer employs various techniques to elevate the original page, such as:

✅ Revitalizing outdated statistics or replacing obsolete resources within the text.

✅ Streamlining complex concepts, ensuring the content becomes more accessible and comprehensible.

✅ Leveraging impactful graphics and visuals to elucidate crucial insights.

By infusing these elements into the revamped page, we aim to create a superior and more engaging user experience.

The Outreach Process

After crafting your replacement page, the next crucial step is initiating contact with webmasters and persuading them to replace the broken link with your own URL.

However, here lies a common challenge: webmasters are inundated with similar requests regularly.

A generic, poorly-phrased mass email is destined to be overlooked. Without a well-thought-out strategy, the chances of receiving any response or successfully securing a backlink are slim.

As proficient practitioners in the art of outreach for link generation, we’ve devised an exceptionally tailored outreach method that consistently delivers outstanding results for our clients.

Here’s a Breakdown of How We Personalize Outreach at LinkCrafters:

✍️ Personalized Subject Lines

This is your golden opportunity to captivate the webmaster’s interest, and that’s precisely why we craft subject lines tailored to the website we’re reaching out to.

To demonstrate that our email is anything but generic, here’s what we’ll do:

1. Personalize with a Name: We’ll start by addressing them by their first name, making the connection more personal right from the start.
2. Engage with a Thoughtful Question: Instead of hitting them with a run-of-the-mill message, we’ll kick off the conversation with a thought-provoking question, showing genuine interest in their insights.
3. Highlight Their Recent Content: We’ll also showcase our familiarity with their work by referencing a specific recent piece of content they’ve created or contributed to, underlining our dedication to staying up-to-date with their contributions.

🔍 Research

We prioritize thorough research of the target website to craft highly personalized emails.

Our approach involves uncovering the identity of the person responsible for the blog and gaining insights into their content niche. This enables us to create offers that resonate more effectively.

Expert Tip:

• Delve into the web page’s author information or explore the “About Us” page to locate contact information for the website’s webmaster, editor, or blogger.

• In some cases, you may encounter a contact form that requires completion. It’s essential to provide comprehensive details and ensure you include a convenient means for the site owner to initiate contact with you.

💰Include Your Value Proposition

This is where you let the webmaster know that a link on their website is broken and explain why they should use yours instead.

It’s crucial that you look at the content they’ve published in the past and explain why you think your article will add value to their audience.

You should also include links to other content you’ve produced so that the webmaster can see that your work is high quality and worthy of the backlink.

🔁 Follow-Up

Many website administrators find themselves inundated with numerous outreach messages on a daily basis. It’s important to note that a lack of response doesn’t necessarily indicate disinterest.

It’s a prudent practice to send a follow-up message after a span of three to four days to ensure that your initial email hasn’t gone unnoticed.

🎥 If you’d like to discover a comprehensive overview of my tried-and-true approach for establishing numerous high-authority backlinks, I invite you to view this exclusive video.

Happy Broken Link Building!

As highlighted throughout this comprehensive guide, uncovering the ideal broken link for your purposes can be achieved through various methods, provided you invest the time and effort.

Now, the pivotal phase in securing that coveted backlink involves crafting a stellar outreach strategy that convincingly demonstrates to webmasters the value your content can bring to their websites.

Should you seek assistance in streamlining this process or aspire to execute it systematically on a larger scale, our specialized link-building agency is at your service, ready to lend a helping hand.