Broken Link Building Strategies Revealed 2025

Broken Link Building Strategies Revealed 2025

Most link building tactics feel like an arm wrestle. Broken link building, done properly, feels more like lending a hand. You find a dead resource, create something better, then help the site owner fix a problem while earning a clean, relevant link. No tricks. No smoke and mirrors. Just good web hygiene that benefits everyone.

The catch is that most teams run it with guesswork. They scrape a few 404s, fling a template at 200 inboxes, then wonder why reply rates flatline. The difference between noise and results is process. A repeatable system beats a heroic one-off every time.

Why this tactic still works

Web pages die every day. Content gets removed, domains lapse, redirects break, and CMS upgrades leave trails of soft 404s. That link rot infects blogs, university resource lists, local government pages, and news articles.

Editors want fixes. Broken links reduce user trust and waste crawl budget. When your pitch saves them time and improves their page, your ask lands as a favour, not a nuisance.

There’s another upside. The links you earn tend to be surrounded by relevant context, often on evergreen pages with decent traffic and trust. That’s the type of link that moves rankings and sends real visitors.

What makes a dead link worth chasing

Not all 404s are equal. A tight scoring approach saves hours and raises your hit rate.

Prioritise when a dead link:

• Targets a page with strong historical authority, indicated by the number and quality of unique referring domains
• Sits on a host with real search traffic and trust, not a scraped directory
• Fits your topical wheelhouse, so the replacement link makes editorial sense
• Is placed in a section of the page users actually read, not a 2,000-word footnote no one reaches
• Has anchor text that matches an intent you can serve better than the original
• Lives on a page that gets refreshed or maintained, like a resources page for teachers, a how-to hub, a buyer’s guide, or a university library list

A simple score from 1 to 5 across authority, relevance, and likelihood of edit gives you a shortlist fast. Anything under 8 drops to the backlog.

Prospecting methods that surface winners

There are several effective ways to find dead links. The most successful campaigns combine multiple sources and apply rigorous filtering. Here’s how you can streamline your approach:

1. Broken Backlinks to Competitors: Use a backlink analysis tool to check your competitors’ top content. Filter for outgoing links that return 404 errors—these are valuable opportunities, as the linking pages already care about your topic.

2. Dead Resource Pages in Your Niche: Leverage advanced search operators to uncover resource pages:

• intitle: resources “your topic”
• “useful links” “your topic”
• site:.ac.nz “resources” “your topic”
• site:.govt.nz “links” “your topic”

Run a link checker on these pages and export any broken links you find.

3. Wikipedia Dead Citations Look for Wikipedia citations marked as dead or archived. These often reference once-authoritative sources. Identify who linked to those sources and offer a superior replacement.

4. Large-Scale Site Crawls If you have permission or are working on your own domains, use a site crawler to scan for outbound links that return 4xx errors. This method is ideal for agencies or teams managing multiple sites.

5. Expired Domains with Strong Link Profiles Use archival tools to find expired domains that previously ranked well and attracted quality links. Recreate improved versions of their best content on your site, then reach out to those who linked to the original.

Additional Search Queries:

• intitle:”recommended reading” “your topic”
• “link list” “your topic”
• site:.edu “helpful links” “your topic”
• filetype:pdf “references” “your topic”

By focusing on these streamlined strategies, you can efficiently uncover high-value broken link opportunities in your niche.

How to Use Ahrefs for Broken Link Building

Ahrefs is one of the most powerful tools for uncovering broken link opportunities at scale. Here’s a step-by-step guide to using Ahrefs for broken link building:

1. Identify Broken Pages with Backlinks

• Site Explorer: Enter a competitor’s domain or a relevant authority site in your niche.
• Best by Links: In the left sidebar, navigate to “Pages” > “Best by links.”
• Filter for 404s: Click the “HTTP code” filter and select “404 not found.” This will show you all pages on the site that are returning a 404 error but still have backlinks pointing to them.

2. Export the List of Broken Pages

• Click “Export” to download the list of broken pages, including the number of referring domains and the URLs of those domains.

3. Analyse Link Quality

• Prioritise pages with a high number of referring domains and strong domain ratings.
• Avoid spammy or irrelevant pages.

4. Find All Websites Linking to the Broken Pages

• For each broken page, click the number under “Referring Domains” to see a list of all sites linking to it.
• Export this list for outreach.

5. Create Replacement Content

• Review the original content (using the Wayback Machine if needed) and create a superior, up-to-date resource on your site.

6. Outreach

• Reach out to the webmasters of the referring domains.
• Personalise your outreach email, mention the broken link, and suggest your replacement as a helpful alternative.

Pro Tips

• Use filters to exclude nofollow links or low-authority domains.
• Set up alerts in Ahrefs for new broken pages in your niche.
• Regularly revisit competitors’ sites to catch newly broken links.

Leveraging Semrush for Finding Dead Links

Semrush offers a robust suite of features for discovering broken link building opportunities. Here’s how to use it effectively:

1. Site Audit

• Run a Site Audit on your own site or a competitor’s site.
• In the report, navigate to the “Issues” tab and look for “Broken external links” and “Broken internal links.”

2. Backlink Audit

• Go to Backlink Audit and enter a competitor’s domain.
• Filter the backlinks to show only those pointing to 404 pages.

3. Analyse and Export

• Export the list of broken backlinks, noting the source pages and anchor text.
• Prioritise links from high-authority domains.

4. Competitor Gap Analysis

• Use the Backlink Gap tool to compare your site with competitors.
• Identify broken links your competitors have lost that you could reclaim with your own content.

5. Outreach

• Prepare a tailored outreach campaign for each opportunity.
• Reference the specific broken link and clearly explain how your content is a valuable replacement.

Pro Tips

• Use Semrush’s “Link Building Tool” to manage and track your outreach efforts.
• Combine findings from both the Site Audit and Backlink Audit for a comprehensive list.
• Regularly monitor your own site for broken outbound links to maintain link quality and user experience.

By mastering these workflows in Ahrefs and Semrush, you’ll consistently uncover high-value broken link building opportunities and stay ahead of your competitors.

A quick scorecard to cut through the noise

To prioritise your outreach efforts and maximise your chances of success, assign each prospect a score from 1 to 5 across three key criteria: the authority of the linking page and its host, the relevance of the page to your target content, and the likelihood that the editor will maintain the page, which you can gauge from its update history and type. Add up the scores for each prospect. If the total falls between 12 and 15, you have a high-potential opportunity—these should receive your full attention and a personalised outreach approach. Prospects scoring between 9 and 11 are still worth pursuing but may require less effort; place these in a nurture queue and consider lighter-touch follow-ups. Any prospect scoring below 9 should be archived, allowing you to focus your time and energy on publishers most likely to respond positively. This scoring system streamlines your workflow and ensures your outreach is targeted, efficient, and focused on the opportunities with the greatest likelihood of success.

Tools that keep you fast and accurate

Use the right kit and you’ll spend time writing better content and outreach, not wrestling spreadsheets.

Pick one stack and master it. Over-switching tools burns time.

Crafting a replacement asset editors want to link to

You don’t need to write a book to replace a dead page, but you do need to surpass it in clarity and usefulness. Start by rebuilding the core topic: use archival snapshots to understand the original structure, then enhance it with up-to-date standards, relevant charts, local references, and internal anchors for easy navigation. Make sure your new page matches the original search intent—if the dead link addressed a beginner’s question, your replacement should offer similar depth and format, but with improved accuracy and detail.
Structure your content with clean, straightforward titles and scannable sections. Begin with a concise introduction, include a contents box for longer guides, and use clear labels for tables or downloadable resources. Always cite trusted sources such as government data, university research, or recognised industry bodies, ensuring your references are as recent as possible.
To make your page even more valuable, add practical elements like checklists, calculators, how-to diagrams, or short explainer videos. Editors appreciate resources that help their readers achieve real results. Also, keep your URL stable—avoid date-stamped slugs so your reference remains evergreen.
If you’re updating a specific statistic that was lost, provide an up-to-date figure with context and link directly to the raw data. Editors are far more likely to link to citations they can verify quickly and confidently.

Outreach that earns replies

Short, polite, and helpful outreach is far more effective than long-winded or pushy messages. Your primary goal is to solve a problem for the site owner by pointing out a dead link and offering a valuable replacement; earning a link is a secondary benefit.
Keep your email structure simple. Start with a clear subject line, such as “Broken link on [Page Title]” or “Quick fix for [Site Name] resource page.” Open with a single sentence that shows you’ve genuinely visited their page, not just scraped a list. Clearly identify the dead link and its location, then introduce your replacement with a brief explanation of how it benefits their readers. Make your request friendly and pressure-free, and always sign off with your real name, role, and a direct contact line.
Here’s a template you can adapt:

Send one follow-up after four to six days if you don’t get a reply. If there’s still no response, let it go. Your second message should be even shorter and more considerate.

Personalisation that doesn’t take hours

Every message benefits from a personal touch, but you don’t need to spend hours on research. Use the 3×3 rule for efficient, effective outreach:

Personalise quickly by focusing on:

• A recent update to their site or page
• The specific section where the broken link appears
• A sentence that connects your suggested improvement to their audience, with a nod to local relevance

In your outreach tool, just fill in:

• The page title
• A compelling first sentence
• The dead link label exactly as they wrote it

This approach keeps your response rate high and your workload light.

Technical wrinkles that can trip you up

Broken link building seems simple, but edge cases can trip you up. Avoid confusion with a few quick checks:

• Check if the link is a true 404 (missing), a 410 (gone for good), or a soft 404 (returns 200 but has thin or irrelevant content). If it’s a soft 404, explain why it’s not a valid resource.
• Watch for redirect chains—if a link jumps through multiple redirects, point it out and suggest a direct, clean source.
• Suggest HTTPS versions for old HTTP links, even if the old ones still work.
• Remove tracking parameters like UTM codes from your suggested links unless specifically requested.
• If the broken link points to a print view or an old subdomain, offer a live, canonical version instead.

Keep your tone helpful and factual—you’re making their site better, not giving a lecture.

Scaling without burning bridges

Volume is important, but quality control is essential.
Before sending your pitch, always mention the broken link and its context, or include a screenshot—this shows you’ve done your homework. Keep a record of your outreach to avoid sending conflicting messages to the same site.
Maintain a simple, credible brand site with an About page, editorial policy, and contact details, as editors will check your legitimacy. Use automation for gathering and deduping data, but write your final emails by hand for a personal touch.
Finally, update your replacement pages every quarter with fresh stats and screenshots so your content remains relevant when editors review it later.

Aotearoa-specific plays

New Zealand sites offer excellent opportunities for high-quality, trusted links—if you approach them thoughtfully.

Focus on public sector and community sites. Councils and government pages often list local resources, safety info, and business support, but broken links are common after site updates. When reaching out, keep your pitch helpful and non-commercial.

Universities and schools regularly update library guides and faculty resources. Suggest updated references with a clear academic or educational benefit.

Nonprofits, local associations, and industry groups maintain resource lists. Offer genuinely useful guides or tools, avoiding any hard sell.

Outdoor and conservation content is always in demand. If your resource covers safety, trails, or conservation, make sure it’s accurate and relevant before suggesting it.

Always reference local data sources like Stats NZ, NZTA, MBIE, or council reports to boost credibility. Editors value sources that are close to home.

For best results:

• Research the site’s mission and recent updates before pitching.
• Personalise your message with a specific section or broken link you found.
• Highlight how your resource benefits their audience or community.
• Keep your tone friendly and your intent focused on utility, not promotion.
• Follow up politely if you don’t hear back after a week.

Approach with care and local relevance, and you’ll build strong, lasting links in the New Zealand web ecosystem.

Measuring impact and feeding the flywheel

Tracking the right numbers makes your broken link building campaigns more effective and efficient.

Start by measuring how many broken links you find per hour and how many prospects meet your quality standards. For outreach, monitor your open rates, reply rates, link acceptance rates, and how quickly you get your first response. Track outcomes by counting new referring domains each month, checking the average authority of those domains, monitoring referral traffic from updated links, and watching for ranking improvements on your target pages.

Pay attention to quality signals too—aim for more in-content links rather than footer links, and prioritise pages that are regularly updated.

To take action:

• Set up a simple dashboard to track these metrics.
• Review your numbers every week.
• Test different subject lines and outreach messages to improve open and reply rates.
• Identify which sources or tactics bring the best results and focus your efforts there.
• Regularly clean your prospect list to remove low-quality or outdated opportunities.
• Share your wins and lessons learned with your team to keep improving.

By tracking, testing, and refining, you’ll see steady gains in both link quality and campaign efficiency.

Mistakes that quietly kill results

• Pitching without a clearly better replacement
• Sending attachments on the first email, which can trigger spam filters
• Asking for exact-match anchor text on the first ask
• Over-automating personalisation, leaving placeholders visible
• Ignoring nofollow vs dofollow but forgetting user value, which can still bring qualified traffic
• Sending follow-ups every two days, which irritates editors
• Failing to check if a page is actually broken for them, not just blocked by your network

Fix these and your outreach feels human and helpful.

Templates you can adapt today

Subject ideas

• Broken link on [Page Title]
• Dead reference on [Site Name]
• Quick resource fix for [topic]

First line hooks

• I was reading your [article title] while researching [topic] for our customers in NZ and noticed a dead reference in the [section name].
• Thanks for the helpful [guide page]. One link looks like it’s gone offline, and I thought a replacement might save you time.
• Small heads-up on a 404 I ran into on your [resource page]. I’ve got a live source that covers the same ground with current data.

Two follow-up lines

• Just checking this didn’t get buried. Happy to send a screenshot of the 404 if helpful.
• If you prefer a different angle or anchor text, let me know and I can adjust the page.

Polite decline response

• No worries, thanks for the reply. I’ll keep the page updated and send through any other fixes I spot on your site in the future.

A simple two-week sprint plan

Day 1 to 2

• Define your topic clusters and anchor targets
• Build a scoring sheet in your CRM or spreadsheet

Day 3 to 5

• Prospect across three sources: competitor broken backlinks, resource pages with operators, and Wikipedia dead citations
• Shortlist to 50 high-probability prospects

Day 6 to 8

• Create or upgrade three replacement assets and publish
• Build a short internal linking network to support each page

Day 9 to 10

• Draft outreach with your 3×3 personalisation rule
• Send 30 messages with careful tracking

Day 11 to 12

• Follow up once to non-responders
• Fix any deliverability issues, prune bounces

Day 13 to 14

• Review outcomes, document what worked
• Queue another 50 prospects using the best-performing source

Frequently asked questions

How many emails per prospect are acceptable?

• One initial email and one follow-up. If you get no reply, move on.

Should I offer to fix the link without asking for my link?

• You can, and sometimes it leads to a later add. A soft ask usually works better, though. Keep the tone helpful.

What if a publisher wants payment?

• Decline or move to a guest post channel if that fits your policy. Paid link swaps on resource pages tend to be low quality and risky.

Is it fine to recreate the exact content that died?

• No. Use archival snapshots to guide structure and topic coverage, but add unique analysis, better data, and original visuals.

Does nofollow make a campaign a waste?

• Not at all. Nofollow links on high-traffic pages can drive visitors who read and convert. Keep a balanced profile and focus on relevance.

Quick checklist for every pitch

• I’ve confirmed the link is dead and noted where on the page it appears
• My replacement page matches intent and improves clarity or data
• The site and page score at least 12 on my scorecard
• My email is short, polite, and free of jargon
• I have a single follow-up scheduled 4 to 6 days later
• I’ve logged the contact and page in my tracking sheet

Broken link building rewards tidy operators. Keep your search queries sharp, your replacement pages genuinely useful, and your tone friendly. Results compound, and so does goodwill with editors who remember the person who made their page better.