Does broken link building still work?

Yes, broken link building still works, but it's a low-volume, patient tactic rather than a growth engine. It works best when you have a close content match for a dead link on a relevant page. Expect modest reply rates and no guaranteed outcomes, so treat it as one tactic among several.

Why it still works

Site owners generally don't like dead links on their pages, and you're offering a fix, not just a request. That's a better starting position than a cold "please link to us" email. The catch is that the fix only matters if your page is a genuine replacement.

A workflow that holds up

1. Find candidates. Look for relevant resource pages, link roundups and articles in your niche, then check them for dead outbound links. Browser extensions and crawlers can do this. See How to Find Link Building Opportunities for methods and tools.
2. Check the match. Look at what the dead URL used to cover (an archive snapshot often helps). If you don't have an equivalent page, either write one or skip it.
3. Qualify the page. Is it relevant, maintained, and a place a real reader would find your link useful? Drop pages that look abandoned or spammy. This prioritization guide covers qualifying.
4. Send a short, specific email. Name the broken URL, say where it sits on the page, and suggest your page as a replacement. Keep it brief and follow up once or twice. The full process is in the outreach workflow.

Recommended for youHow to Build a Repeatable Link Building Process: A Step-by-Step Workflow

The trade-offs

• Time-heavy: Many dead links point to topics you've no page for, so the usable list is smaller than it first looks.
• Uncertain replies: Many emails get no response. Plan for that rather than hoping for a specific rate.
• Slow impact: Even when links land, ranking effects take time and depend on much more than one link. See how long link building takes.
• Tools help but aren't essential: You can start with free options. Check whether you need a paid tool, and confirm any tool's current features and pricing on its official site.

When to use it

It suits sites with a solid content library, since more pages mean more possible replacements. For a brand-new site with little content, other approaches may pay off sooner; see the best strategy for a new website.

Related

To weigh this against other tactics, read Link Building Tactics Compared. You may also want how to find resource pages, whether guest posting is still worth it, and the wider link building strategy overview. If you're doing this at volume, see building a repeatable process or scaling across clients.

Keep reading

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