In the world of SEO, broken link building is a powerful yet underused strategy. It’s all about turning dead links on other websites into golden link opportunities for your own. Why? Because webmasters hate broken links—and you’re helping them and yourself by replacing them with your content.
This guide walks you through how to do broken link building step by step and earn high-quality backlinks the smart way.
What is Broken Link Building?
Broken link building is the process of:
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Finding broken (dead) outbound links on other websites.
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Creating or identifying content that replaces the dead link.
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Reaching out to the website owner and suggesting your link as a replacement.
It’s a win-win: they fix a broken link, and you gain a backlink.
Why Broken Link Building Works
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Website owners want to fix dead links to keep a good user experience and avoid SEO penalties.
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You’re offering value, not just asking for a backlink.
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It’s easier to pitch when you’re solving a problem, not just promoting yourself.
Step 1: Find Broken Links in Your Niche
There are multiple ways to find broken links:
🔍 Using Ahrefs or Semrush
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Enter a competitor’s domain.
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Go to their “Broken Backlinks” report.
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Filter by relevant topics.
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Export the list and check which links match your content.
🔍 Use the Check My Links Chrome Extension
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Install the extension.
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Visit popular blog posts or resource pages in your niche.
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The extension will highlight all broken links (404 errors).