If you’ve dabbled in link building before, you may have come across the broken link building strategy. This technique isn’t new; it’s been around for years. However, it’s often swept under the rug and replaced with other, more advanced link building strategies.
Yes, there are better ways to build high-DA backlinks in 2023. However, those areas must only be traversed once you’ve covered the foundational basics. The broken link building technique isn’t outdated or useless. Instead, it’s a seminal strategy that must be utilised before branching out into other techniques.
This article will offer a closer look at broken link building. What is it? How can it benefit your business? And what’s the right way to get started? Keep reading.
1. Broken Link Building: The Basics
Link building is the process of generating high-quality backlinks (hyperlinks that take readers to your website). When high-DA (domain authority) platforms link to your page, their traffic will come your way. This means higher SERP rankings and impressive conversions.
The broken link building technique is a common link building strategy that involves finding and replacing broken backlinks. Let’s say you come across a broken link while reading a blog on Forbes Australia. You reach out to the webmaster with a link to replacement content you’ve created for the broken link.
If they accept it, you’ll repair their link and add a touch of completeness to their blog. As you do this, you’ll walk away with a high-DA backlink. It’s a win-win!
The broken link building technique can be leveraged by any industry for any content; there are no limitations. Of course, the topic of the broken link must be similar to the ground you cover.
For instance, you can’t write a replacement blog for a broken healthcare link if you provide legal support. When you strategically find industry-specific broken links and replace them with power-packed content, you’ll reap all the classic benefits of link building.
2. How Can I Find Pages with Broken Backlinks?
Each industry has a unique set of high-DA websites that accept guest posts and/or provide backlinks. Start by shortlisting these domains for your industry.
For instance, if you provide interior design services across Australia, Belle, Architecture Australia, and Better Homes and Gardens should top your list.
Start reading web content posted on these platforms. At this stage, it’s all about luck. If you want to increase your chances of finding broken links, read industry-specific blogs that add a lot of external links to their content.
If a blog includes 15 external links, there’s a good chance that at least one of them may be broken. This will improve your odds. If you want to speed things up, consult digital marketing experts who use automated link building tools. They’ll take the reins for you.
3. Create Replacement Content
This is the most critical step of the broken link building process. Creating replacement content isn’t exactly a walk in the park. Since you’re writing content for a high-DA website, you can’t afford to make any mistakes.
Research like a seasoned pro. Your content should demonstrate E-E-A-T: experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. This is an essential guideline put forth by Google.
Instead of simply handing the content writing task over to your in-house team, recruit professional content marketing experts who specialise in your industry. If you run a healthcare clinic, find SEO professionals with a background in healthcare. This will help you replace the broken link with high-quality, engaging, value-added, optimised, and insightful content that doesn’t miss the mark.
Make sure you check all the right optimisation boxes off the list. Use high-ranking keywords, optimise the images with filename and alt text, use optimised title tags and meta description, and add high-quality external links.
4. Email the Webmaster
Once you’ve created high-quality replacement content, it’s time to email the webmaster. The overall quality, professionalism, and tone of your email will go a long way in determining whether your replacement blog is accepted or not.
Start by informing the webmaster that one of their most successful blogs has a broken link. Appreciate the value their blog provides to readers and highlight the importance of replacing the broken link with a similar blog.
Follow this up with a link to your content. Briefly highlight key moments of the blog, mention the specific SEO strategies you used, and explain how and why you believe the blog will provide value to your audience.
End the email by appreciating the work they do! The right email will significantly increase your chances of getting accepted. At the end of the day, however, the quality of the content you provide takes precedence over everything else. Good luck!
About the Author
The author, Ben Fullarton, is an SEO expert and the founder ofTocToc, one of the leading digital marketing companies in Canberra and Sydney. Committed to helping his clients succeed, Ben builds power-packed SEO campaigns. He focuses on keyword research, link building, content creation, optimisation, and other critical techniques to achieve impressive results.
TocToc specialises in SEO, content marketing, social media marketing, app development, email marketing, and web design and development. The company leverages advanced, effective, innovative strategies to help clients dominate the web and secure their bottom line.
