Broken Link Building Guide: Earn Backlinks From 404s
A step-by-step broken link building guide — finding broken pages on authority domains, recreating content and pitching the replacement.
Broken link building is the highest-conversion outreach tactic in SEO — because you're solving the editor's problem, not asking for a favour.
Step 1: Find broken pages on authority domains
Crawl resource hubs, "best of" lists and old guides in your niche. Filter to 404s and 500s.
Step 2: Check Wayback for what was there
Pull the original content. If it's relevant to your niche, you have a candidate.
Step 3: Build a clear replacement
Match or improve on the original. A 1:1 replacement converts; a generic "related" page does not.
Step 4: Pitch short and helpful
Two sentences: "Saw this 404 on your page, here's a working replacement if useful." That's it.
Step 5: Follow up once
One follow-up at day five lifts reply rate by ~40%. Two is pushing it.
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Keep reading
- 7 Link Building Outreach Email Templates (With Real Reply Rates)Seven outreach email templates we've tested across thousands of pitches — with reply rates and exact subject lines.
- 12 Proven Link Building Strategies That Still Work in 2026Twelve battle-tested link building strategies that still earn high-DR backlinks in 2026 — with examples for each.
- How to Build High-Quality Backlinks in 2026 (Step-by-Step)The exact step-by-step process modern SEO teams use to earn high-authority backlinks that actually move rankings.
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