The web is full of dead links. Businesses close, sites get redesigned, articles are deleted. Every link pointing at one of those missing pages is a small problem for the site that hosts it: visitors click and hit a 404 error. Broken link building turns that into an opportunity. You find the dead link, create or point to a page that does the same job, and let the site owner know.
It works because you’re offering a fix, not just asking for a favor.
How it works
- Find dead pages in your topic that used to attract links. Good sources: closed competitors, retired guides, old resource pages from organizations that reorganized their sites.
- See who linked to them. Backlink tools show which sites still point at the dead URL.
- Check what the page used to say. The Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine shows old versions of most pages.
- Make sure you have a good replacement. Either an existing page on your site, or a new one that covers the same ground better.
- Contact the sites linking to the dead page. Tell them which link is broken, where it is, and suggest your page as one option.
A local example
A well-known Austin home inspector retired and their site went offline. Their “Freeze preparation checklist for Austin homes” had been linked from a dozen neighborhood association pages and a few local blogs. Coastline Plumbing writes a better, current checklist (with photos of pipe insulation and where to find the main shut-off valve), then emails each site that linked to the old one:
Hi Maria, I noticed the “freeze preparation checklist” link on your Winter Resources page now goes to a dead site. We’ve put together a current version for Austin homes here, in case it’s useful as a replacement: [link]. Either way, thought you’d want to know the old one is down.
Short, specific and useful. Several of the associations update the link.
Your own broken links count too
The same idea works in reverse. If other sites link to pages on your site that no longer exist, you’re losing link equity. Redirect those URLs to the most relevant live page and you reclaim it without contacting anyone.
Common mistakes
- Pitching a page that isn’t a real replacement. If yours covers a different topic, the site owner won’t swap the link.
- Mass-mailing a template to hundreds of sites. Personal, specific emails work far better.
- Ignoring relevance. A broken link on an unrelated site isn’t worth pursuing.
- Forgetting to check the link is still broken before emailing.
Tools
RankThat’s Backlinks feature shows broken links and link building prospects, and its broader link building tools help you see which sites link to competitors. Search Console’s Page indexing report also lists 404 URLs on your own site that may have outside links pointing at them.