Broken link building is finding dead links on a website and contacting the web admins who linked to them to suggest your article as a replacement. This powerful technique can be used to secure quality backlinks at scale. In this read, we share the Basics of Broken Link Building now.
You’ll need tools to scan a webpage for dead links to execute this tactic efficiently. Ahrefs’ Site Explorer can do just that.
Table of Contents
Identify Your Targets for Broken Link Building
Broken link building involves identifying dead links on external websites and offering your relevant content as a replacement. This process can help you build backlinks, gain topical authority, and better your search engine ranking.
Start by looking for resource pages on your target keyword in Ahrefs or another tool. These are sites that curate information and have a lot of links in broken link building. Run these sites through Check My Links and identify any that are dead.
Once you have a list of prospect sites, it’s time to reach out to web admins. Ensure your replacement content is relevant to the topic and keywords of the site you’re targeting. Also, consider sending two or three follow-ups.
Contact the Webmaster for Broken Link Building
A broken link is a pain for any website owner. So, by contacting them and offering a replacement resource, you’re making their life easier – it’s a win/win.
Use Ahrefs to identify broken links on pages within your niche. Then, check if the webmaster has included them in their list of incoming links (you can do this by clicking on the individual links in Ahrefs).
When contacting the webmaster, personalize your email to make it less generic. This will increase your chances of converting them. Also, keep your emails short and sweet. No one wants to read a long and complicated email. It’s also important to explain the value of your offer. Emphasize that a working link from your site will improve their SEO, which will, in turn, benefit you as well. This helps to put your offer in perspective and makes it much more appealing for the webmaster to take up your request.
Offer a Solution by Replacing Broken Links
Broken links frustrate website visitors and can negatively impact search engine rankings. Web admins who regularly update their link resources and use link management tools can minimize the number of broken links on their sites.
Offer to replace the dead link with one that points to a page on your site. This helps improve user experience, which can improve search engine rankings.
Once you’ve identified a broken link opportunity, please email the webmaster a friendly email asking them to change the broken link with one that points to your site. Be sure to include the benefits that their readers will receive by doing so.
After sending the initial outreach email, follow up with a few friendly reminders spaced out a few days apart. However, be careful to send only a few follow-up emails, or your email may be flagged as spam.
Follow Up on Broken Link Opportunities
The last step is to follow up on your identified opportunities. This helps ensure the webmaster doesn’t remain a member and keeps you on their radar.
The best way to do this is by using a tool like Ahrefs. This allows you to identify pages on competitors’ sites linked to yours and then contact those webmasters about relating to your content as a replacement.
Identifying the right person to contact can be challenging. Generally, it’s best to reach out to the person in charge of marketing or someone who manages the process for managing content publishing on a site. Also, make sure you use tools like Semrush to evaluate the potential value of each opportunity – this will help you prioritize your list. Lastly, use a tool like Respona to import your list of opportunities and send your initial pitch and follow-up emails. This will save you time and improve your response rate.
Conclusion
Broken link building is a strategic approach that offers a powerful means to secure quality backlinks at scale. By meticulously identifying and replacing dead links on external websites, this method not only benefits the website owner but also enhances your backlink profile, topical authority, and search engine rankings. The process begins with thorough research and the use of essential tools like Ahrefs’ Site Explorer to scan for dead links efficiently. Personalization and relevance are key when reaching out to web administrators, ensuring a higher likelihood of success. The value of offering a working link from your site is emphasized, creating a win-win scenario for all parties involved. Finally, diligent follow-up and the use of tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, and Respona are essential for a successful broken link building campaign. By following these steps, you can harness the potential of this technique to improve your website’s authority and visibility in the digital landscape.
