Blog Post

Most link building outreach sounds like, “Hey stranger, here’s a link to my blog—mind giving me a free SEO boost?”
No one likes that.

But Broken Link Building? That flips the script. Instead of asking for a favor, you offer a fix.

It’s one of the few scalable strategies that actually starts with giving—and that’s exactly why I use it to land authority links again and again.

• How I find high-value broken link opportunities
  
• The tools I trust (and the ones I don’t bother with)
  
• How to rebuild or replace outdated content (without being shady)
  
• My outreach method that doesn’t get ignored
  
• Real mistakes I’ve made—so you don’t repeat them

It’s simple.

You’re helping someone fix their website before asking for anything. You’re not cold pitching random content—you’re offering to replace something broken with something better.

That kind of win-win dynamic puts your email at the top of the “not spam” pile.

Plus, it scales better than guest posts or HARO. If you know where to look (and I’ll show you), you can uncover dozens of opportunities in a single afternoon.

Need a refresher on how links work? This link building guide breaks it down.

Here’s what works for me—no fluff, just tested tactics.

Search for pages like:
“marketing” + inurl:resources
“SEO tools” + intitle:links

These pages are usually packed with outbound links, and guess what? Old links break all the time.

Search Google like this:
site:wikipedia.org “your keyword” intext:”dead link”

You’ll find entries that mention expired references. Don’t bother trying to add your link to Wikipedia (editors are ruthless), but do drop the dead URL into Ahrefs or Semrush to find others linking to it.

Plug in a competitor’s site in Semrush, go to “Backlink Analytics → Indexed Pages,” and check the “Broken Pages” box.

Now you have a list of dead pages people still link to. That’s free real estate.

Want more ways to uncover opportunities? See how I find link building prospects in any niche.

You don’t need a 20-tab setup.

Here’s what’s in my daily toolkit:

• Check My Links (Chrome extension) – free, fast, reliable
  
• Ahrefs or Semrush – for backlink and broken page discovery
  
• Screaming Frog – good for deep crawls or if you like spreadsheets a little too much
  

I’ve tested dozens, but these cover 90% of what I need.

Once I’ve got a broken link, I plug it into Archive.org to see what it used to be.

Then I rebuild a better version:

• Same topic, better formatting
  
• Updated stats and sources
  
• Clear headings and internal links (like this one on high-quality backlinks)
  

Don’t copy old content. That’s lazy and risky. Instead, treat it like a starting point and improve from there.

Here’s how I write outreach that gets replies:

Subject: Quick heads up – broken link on your page

Hey [First Name],

I was checking out your [Page Name] and noticed one of the links is no longer working: [Broken URL]

I recently published something similar and thought it could be a solid replacement.

Let me know if you’d like the link—I’m happy to share.

Best,
Khairul

See how there’s no begging? No “please link to me” vibes. Just helpful, conversational, and polite.

If you’re serious about improving outreach, you should definitely read my link outreach guide.

After sending 10,000+ outreach emails (and getting ghosted more than I care to admit), I’ve learned a few things:

• Find the right person. Look for web editors, content managers, or actual humans—not info@blackhole.com.
  
• Follow up once (nicely). That’s it. Don’t become that guy.
  
• Be brief. Long emails = delete key.
  

Want to speed this up? My outreach templates save you serious time.

Don’t make it weird. Here’s what not to do:

• Pitching your SEO agency blog to a government research site
  
• Reaching out to sites that haven’t posted since 2014
  
• Copying your email to 50 people without tweaking a word
  

Also… don’t offer a replacement unless your content actually fits. Relevance wins.

If you’re not sure what qualifies, this breakdown on link building mistakes is worth reading.

If a site looks dead—no updates, no replies, and possibly designed in Dreamweaver—move on.

Time is better spent on links that are alive, relevant, and SEO-friendly.

Don’t waste hours trying to resurrect someone else’s zombie blog.

Broken link building isn’t trendy, flashy, or loud. But it works—quietly and effectively.

It rewards consistency and smart research, not gimmicks.

Start with this:
Find one broken link in your industry today.
Rebuild the content.
Send a single, helpful email.

That’s how I began. And now, it’s one of the most consistent sources of authority links in my SEO strategy.