Sales Strategy

Broken Link Building: The Ultimate Guide to Enhancing SEO Performance

lemlist team

July 25, 2024

7 min. read

lemlist team

LAST UPDATED

December 12, 2023

READING TIME

7 min.

Broken link building, an often overlooked, but powerful SEO strategy, can significantly enhance your website's performance.

This guide will take you on a comprehensive journey, demystifying the art and science of broken link building, and revealing how you can leverage it to bolster your SEO efforts.

Let's start by defining what broken link building is:

Broken link building is a technique that involves finding broken (or dead) links on other websites, creating similar content on your site, and then reaching out to the site owner to replace their broken link with a link to your new, relevant content.
Broken links can negatively impact a website's SEO performance, as search engines view these as a poor user experience. Therefore, site owners are often open to replacing these links with ones that work, providing an opportunity for other sites to step in with their relevant content.

Whether you are a seasoned SEO expert or a beginner, this guide will equip you with the knowledge and tools needed to master broken link building.

Uncover Broken Links on Websites

One of the first steps in broken link building is to uncover the broken links that exist on websites within your niche. This process is crucial as it identifies the potential opportunities for your SEO strategy.

Essential Tools for Detecting Broken or Dead Links on a Website

To detect broken or dead links effectively, you'll need to employ tools that can scan websites and report backlinks that lead nowhere.

Here are some essential tools for this purpose:

Google Search Console: A free tool that provides a list of broken links that Google's crawlers have found on your site.
Ahrefs: Offers a comprehensive site audit feature that can identify broken outbound links on other websites.
Screaming Frog SEO Spider: A desktop program that crawls website URLs to find broken links, among other issues.
Broken Link Checker: A WordPress plugin that monitors and tests all internal and external links on your site for broken links.

These tools can help you detect dead links across your own site and others, setting the stage for the next phase of your broken link building campaign.

Advanced Techniques for Automating the Discovery of Dead or Broken Backlinks

If you're looking to scale your broken link building efforts, automation is key. Here are some advanced techniques:

Using APIs: Some SEO tools offer APIs that allow you to automate the process of checking links and integrating the data with other software.
Crawling with Custom Scripts: For those with coding knowledge, writing custom scripts to crawl websites and identify broken links can be a time-saving automation method.
Batch Analysis: Tools like Ahrefs allow you to perform batch analysis, where you can check the link status of multiple URLs in one go.

Automating the discovery of broken backlinks can significantly enhance your efficiency, allowing you to focus on other critical aspects of your SEO strategy.

Evaluate and Build Opportunities from Broken Link Quality

After identifying broken links, the next step is to evaluate their potential value and to build opportunities for your website.

Not all broken links are created equal; some can be goldmines for your SEO efforts, while others may not be worth the time.

Assess the Value of Broken Links on a Site

To assess the value of a broken link, consider the following factors:

Domain Authority: A link from a website with high domain authority can be more beneficial for your SEO than a link from a lesser-known site.
Relevance: The broken link should be relevant to your website's content. A relevant link is more likely to be clicked on, providing value to users and search engines.
Traffic: A broken link on a page that still receives significant traffic presents a valuable opportunity to capture some of that audience.
Content Fit: The content you plan to replace the broken link with should be a natural fit for the linking page, ensuring a seamless user experience.

By evaluating these factors, you can prioritize the broken links that offer the most significant SEO benefits to your site.

Use Search Operators to Find Superior Broken Link Building Prospects

Search operators can be powerful tools in finding superior broken link building opportunities. Here are some tips:

Use the "site:" operator to search for broken links within a specific domain.
Combine "intext:" with keywords related to your niche to find pages that mention these terms and may contain broken links.
Employ the "inurl:" operator to locate URLs that are likely to contain broken links, such as old posts or discontinued product pages.

Using these search operators can refine your search and uncover high-quality broken link building prospects more efficiently.

Effective Outreach for Broken Link Replacement

Once you have identified and evaluated high-value broken links, the next critical step is to reach out to the site owners or webmasters for link replacement.

Effective outreach is pivotal to the success of broken link building, as it determines whether your link will be accepted and replaced.

Craft Impactful Outreach Emails for Link Replacement

To craft an impactful outreach email, you should adhere to these guidelines:

Personalization: Address the recipient by name and personalize the email to show that you have genuinely engaged with their website.
Brevity: Keep the email concise and to the point. Busy webmasters appreciate brevity.
Value Proposition: Clearly explain the benefit of replacing the broken link with your suggested link. Emphasize how it will enhance their content and provide value to their audience.
Professional Tone: Maintain a professional tone throughout the email to establish credibility and trustworthiness.

An impactful outreach email should not only notify the recipient of the broken link but also position your content as the optimal replacement.

Manage Follow-ups for Successful Link Building

Follow-up emails are often necessary to secure a broken link replacement.

Here's how to manage follow-ups effectively:

Timing: Send a follow-up if you haven't received a response after a couple of days. Timing is crucial; you don't want to seem pushy, but you also don't want to be forgotten.
Politeness: Always be polite and understanding. Recognize that the recipient is likely busy and may have missed your initial email.
Reminder of Benefits: Gently remind them of the benefits your link replacement offers to their site and their readers.
Call to Action: Include a clear call to action, encouraging them to replace the broken link or to contact you for further discussion.

Effective management of follow-ups can significantly increase the chances of your broken link building efforts succeeding.

Remember, persistence pays off, but it's important to balance persistence with respect for the recipient's time and inbox.

Create Compelling Content for Broken Link Building

High-quality and relevant content attracts and engages readers, but also convinces webmasters to replace their broken links with your links.

Principles of Producing High-Quality and Relevant Content

When it comes to creating content for broken link building, there are a few key principles to keep in mind:

Value-Driven: Your content should provide value to the reader. It should be informative, engaging, and useful.
Relevance: The content should be relevant to your website, the website you're reaching out to, and the context of the broken link you're aiming to replace.
Originality: Your content should be original and unique. Plagiarism is a big no-no in SEO.
Well-Researched: Make sure your content is accurate and well-researched. Cite your sources if necessary.

By adhering to these principles, you can create content that stands out and improves your chances of getting your links accepted.

Strategies for Improving Existing Site Content

Improving your existing site content is another crucial aspect of broken link building. Here are some strategies to consider:

Update Outdated Information: Keep your content fresh and up-to-date. Update any outdated information to maintain its relevance and usefulness.
Optimize for SEO: Use keywords strategically, optimize meta tags, and ensure your content is easily readable and navigable.
Add Visuals: Incorporate relevant images, infographics, and videos to enhance the appeal and readability of your content.
Improve User Experience: Make sure your website is user-friendly. A good user experience can increase the chances of your links being accepted and your content being shared.

By improving your existing content, you will enhance your site's overall SEO and increase the likelihood of successful broken link building.

Efficiency with SEO Tools in Broken Link Building

With the right SEO tools, you can streamline your broken link building process, saving time and resources.

Comparative Analysis of Top SEO Tools for Checking Broken Links

There are numerous SEO tools available that can help you detect broken links on your website or on others. Here are some of the top tools:

SEMRush: This comprehensive SEO tool offers a backlink audit tool that helps you find and fix broken backlinks.
Ahrefs: Known for its extensive backlink database, Ahrefs also has a broken link checker tool that can detect broken outbound and inbound links.
Moz Pro: This tool not only finds broken links but also provides insights on how to prioritize fixing them based on their SEO impact.
Broken Link Checker by Atomseo: This tool is specifically designed for checking broken links and provides a detailed report of all the broken links on your website.

Each tool has its strengths and weaknesses, so choose the one that best fits your needs and budget.

Integrate Tools into Your SEO Workflow for Link Building

Once you've chosen your preferred SEO tool, the next step is to integrate it into your SEO workflow.

Here are some steps to consider:

Regular Audits: Schedule regular audits to check for broken links. This will help you stay on top of any issues and fix them promptly.
Monitor Backlinks: Use your SEO tool to monitor your backlinks and their status. If a link becomes broken, you'll be notified and can take immediate action.
Outreach: Use the data from your SEO tool to identify link building opportunities and reach out to website owners about replacing their broken links with your links.
Track Progress: Keep track of your link building efforts and their results. This will help you refine your strategy and improve your efficiency.

By integrating SEO tools into your workflow, you can make your broken link building process more efficient and effective.

Success Metrics in Broken Link Building

Understanding how to measure the success of your broken link building strategy is crucial for optimizing your SEO performance.

Measure the Effectiveness of Your Broken Link Building Strategy

Measuring the effectiveness of your broken link building strategy involves tracking various metrics. Here are some key indicators:

Link Reclamation Rate: This is the percentage of broken links that you've successfully replaced with your links. A higher rate indicates a more effective strategy.
Referral Traffic: Monitor the traffic that comes from the replaced links. An increase in referral traffic suggests that your link replacements are attracting more visitors.
Domain Authority: A successful broken link building strategy can improve your site's domain authority, which can boost your SEO performance.
Rankings: Monitor your keyword rankings. If they improve after you've replaced broken links, it's a sign that your strategy is working.

These metrics can provide a comprehensive view of your strategy's effectiveness and help you make necessary adjustments.

Monitor the Health of Your Backlink Profile with Keyword and Referring Domains

Monitoring the health of your backlink profile is just as important as measuring the effectiveness of your strategy.

Here's how to do it:

Backlink Quality: Not all backlinks are created equal. Monitor the quality of your backlinks by checking the domain authority of the referring domains.
Keyword Relevance: Check if the anchor text of the backlinks is relevant to your keywords. This can affect your SEO performance.
Link Diversity: A healthy backlink profile has a mix of dofollow and nofollow links from various domains. Monitor your link diversity to ensure a balanced profile.
Lost and Gained Backlinks: Keep track of the backlinks you've lost and gained. This can provide insights into your link building efforts and the stability of your backlink profile.

By monitoring these metrics, you can maintain a healthy backlink profile that supports your broken link building strategy.

Advanced Techniques and Troubleshooting Broken Link Building

Scaling your broken link building campaigns and overcoming outreach and technical challenges are two crucial aspects of mastering broken link building.

Scale Your Broken Link Building Campaigns

Scaling your broken link building campaigns involves increasing your outreach and link replacement efforts without sacrificing quality or efficiency.

Here's how you can do it:

Automate Email Outreach: Use tools to automate your email outreach for link replacements. This can save time and increase your outreach volume.
Use a Team: If possible, delegate tasks to a team. This can increase your campaign's scope and effectiveness.
Focus on High-Value Targets: Prioritize high-value targets, such as sites with high domain authority. This can maximize the impact of your link replacements.
Use Advanced Search Operators: Advanced search operators can help you find more broken link opportunities quickly and efficiently.

These techniques can help you scale your broken link building campaigns effectively and efficiently.

Overcome Outreach and Technical Challenges in Broken Link Building

Outreach and technical challenges can hinder your broken link building efforts. Here's how to overcome them:

Personalize Your Outreach: Personalize your outreach emails to increase your response rate. Use the recipient's name, mention their work, and explain why your link would be a valuable replacement.
Follow Up: If you don't get a response, follow up. Sometimes, your email may get lost in the recipient's inbox, and a follow-up can bring it back to their attention.
Check Your Links: Make sure your replacement links work and lead to high-quality, relevant content. Broken or irrelevant links can harm your SEO performance.
Monitor Your Progress: Use SEO tools to monitor your link building progress and identify any technical issues. This can help you troubleshoot problems and optimize your strategy.

By mastering these advanced techniques and troubleshooting methods, you can overcome challenges and enhance your broken link building efforts.

Key Takeaways

Let's summarize the key takeaways and motivate ourselves to implement this strategy into our SEO techniques.

Uncover Broken Links: Use advanced tools and techniques to uncover broken or dead links on a website.
Evaluate Opportunities: Assess the value of broken links and use search operators to find superior link building prospects.
Effective Outreach: Craft impactful outreach emails and manage follow-ups for successful link replacement.
Create Compelling Content: Produce high-quality and relevant content for broken link building.
Efficiency with SEO Tools: Use top SEO tools for checking broken links and integrate these tools into your SEO workflow.
Measuring Success: Measure the effectiveness of your broken link building strategy and monitor the health of your backlink profile.
Implement broken link building: It's an effective way to gain backlinks, increase traffic, and enhance the user experience by ensuring all links lead to relevant, high-quality content.
SEO Blogs: Blogs like Moz, Search Engine Journal, and Ahrefs regularly publish insightful articles on SEO techniques, including broken link building.
SEO Tools: Tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Google Search Console can help you uncover and fix broken links.
Online Courses: Platforms like Udemy, Coursera, and LinkedIn Learning offer courses on SEO, including modules on broken link building.

With these resources and the knowledge gained from this guide, you're well-equipped to take on the challenge of broken link building and enhance your SEO performance.

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	G2 Rating	Price	Best for	Standout feature	Con
SmartWinnr	4.9 star star star star star	$30/mo $75/mo $2,999/mo	Large, distributed sales teams	AI evaluation precision, gamified KPIs	Lack of tracking system
Performio	4.6 star star star star star-half	Not publicly available	Sales operations and finance teams	Powerful configurability	Limited training resources and complex to navigate
Varicent	4.4 star star star star star-half	Not publicly available	Mid-market and enterprise businesses	Comprehensive incentive management	Potentially high cost and steep learning curve
QuotaPath	4.7 star star star star star-half	$15/user/mo $40/user/mo Enterprise: custom price	Complex sales structures and businesses of all sizes	Complex sales structures and businesses of all sizes	Steep learning curve
Anaplan	4.6 star star star star star-half	Not publicly available	Collaborative teams	Connected planning	Complexity and steep learning curve
Xactly	4.6 star star star star star-half	Not publicly available	Companies with complex sales structures	Complex incentive compensation management (ICM) with high efficiency and accuracy	Complexity for smaller teams and potentially high costs
Qobra	4.7 star star star star star-half	Not publicly available	Companies who want to automate commission calculations and payouts	Simplicity and ease of use	Lack of features like redirection
ElevateHQ	4.7 star star star star star-half	$30/user/mo $35/user/mo Custom: upon request	Businesses that need a comprehensive and user-friendly sales compensation management software	Ease of use and adoption	Lack of ability to configure the product based on user needs
Everstage	4.8 star star star star star-half	Not publicly available	Companies with modern sales culture and businesses who want real-time insights	A built-in dispute management and real-time visibility	Users say it works slowly, customer support is slow
Sales Cookie	4.9 star star star star star	$30/user/mo $50/user/mo	Smaller sales teams	Powerful automation	Lesser user base and average user interface
Spiff	4.7 star star star star star-half	Not publicly available	Companies with scalable needs	Automated Commission Calculations	Lack of filtering by date, no mobile app

ERP vs. CRM

ERP

CRM

Summary

Backbone of a business's internal operations.

Backbone of customer-centric interactions and operations.

Goal

To centralize and streamline core business processes in a company.

To increase customer experience, satisfaction and loyalty, and boost sales.

Focus

Internal operations and processes across departments (finance, accounting, inventory, supply chain, HR, and sales).

All interactions with leads and customers.

Manages

Internal business data like financial data, inventory levels, production details, supply chain, HR info.

All customer data like contact info, purchase history, communication history, customer preferences and more.

Users

Finance, accounting, operations, supply chain, and HR departments.

Customer-facing teams like sales, marketing, and customer service.

Benefits

Streamlines operations, improves data accuracy, enhances decision-making, boosts collaboration, increases productivity.

Improves customer relationships, increases sales, strengthens customer service, personalizes marketing campaigns, provides insights.

Price

$150 per user per year on average.

$10 to $30 per user per month on average.

PRM Tool	Rating	Feature	Pro	Con	Mobile App	Integrations	Free Plan	Pricing
Airtable	4.65 star star star star star-half	Org-wide alignment	User-friendly layout and database	Suboptimal as a personal CRM	square-check	Lack of tracking system	square-check	Team: $20/month Business: $45/month
Dex	4.7 star star star star star-half	Social Media Integration	Easy contact data collection	No marketing/sales features	square-check	Lack of tracking system	square-xmark 7-day trial	$12/month
Notion	4.75 star star star star star-half	Block Functions	High customization capability	Not a dedicated CRM	square-check	Limited	square-check	Plus: €7.50/month Business: €14/month
Monica	N/A	Open-source	Open-source flexibility	Requires extensive manual input	square-xmark	Limited	square-check Self-hosted	$9/month or $90/year
Hippo App	3.1 star star star	Simple iOS app	Ideal for non-tech-savvy users	iPhone only	square-check iOS only	Limited	square-xmark 1-month trial	$1.49/month or $14.99/month
Contacts+	3.6 star star star star-half	Smart Contact Management	Feature-rich and flexible	Reported bugs	square-check	Rich	square-xmark 7-day trial	Premium: $13.99/month Teams: $17.99/month
Folk	4.4 star star star star star-half	Customizable Interface	Customizable for teamwork	Pricey for personal use	square-check	Rich	square-xmark	Standard: $24/member Premium: $39/member
Close	4.7 star star star star star-half	Integrated Calling	Integrated Calling	Too sales-oriented & pricey	square-check	Rich	square-xmark 14-day trial	Startup: $59/user/month Professional: $329/user/month
Covve App	4.8 star star star star star	Business Card Scanning	Business Card Scanning	Mobile only	square-check	Limited	square-check	$9.99/month
Nimble	4.45 star star star star star-half	160+ app integrations	Comprehensive integrations	No free app version	square-check	Rich	square-xmark 14-day trial	$29.90/month or $24.90/month (billed annually)

	Capterra Rating	Free Trial	Free Plan	Starting Price (excluding the free plan)	Maximum Price (for the most expensive plan)	Best for
HubSpot CRM	4.5 star star star star star-half	square-check 14-day	square-check	€15/month/seat billed annually	€792/month/3 seats billed annually + €45/month for each extra seat	Versatility and free plan
Salesforce CRM	4.2 star star star star	square-check 30-day	square-xmark But it offers reduced price to authorised nonprofit organisations	€25/user/month	€500/user/month billed annually (includes Einstein AI)	Best overall operational CRM
Zoho CRM	4.3 star star star star star-half	square-xmark	square-check Limited to 3 users	Comprehensive incentive management	€52/user/month billed annually	Small-medium businesses and automation
Pipedrive	4.5 star star star star star-half	square-check 14-day	square-xmark	€14/seat/month billed annually	€99/seat/month billed annually	Sales teams and ease of use
Agile CRM	4.1 star star star star	square-xmark	square-check Limited 10 users	$9.99/user/month billed annually	$64.99/user/month billed annually	Free plan for very small teams up to 10

CRM goal	Increase the sales conversion rate for qualified leads from marketing automation campaigns by 10% in the next 6 months.
SMART Breakdown	1. Specific: It targets a specific area (conversion rate) for a defined segment (qualified leads from marketing automation).	2. Measurable: The desired increase (10%) is a clear metric, and the timeframe (6 months) allows for progress tracking.	3. Achievable: A 10% increase is possible based on historical data and potential improvements.	4. Relevant: Boosting sales from marketing efforts aligns with overall business objectives.	5. Time-bound: The 6-month timeframe creates urgency and a clear target date.
Actions	Step 1: Refine lead qualification criteria to ensure high-quality leads are nurtured through marketing automation.	Step 2: Personalize marketing automation campaigns based on lead demographics, interests, and behavior.	Step 3: Develop targeted landing pages with clear calls to action for qualified leads.	Step 4: Implement lead scoring to prioritize high-potential leads for sales follow-up.	Step 5: Track and analyze campaign performance to identify areas for optimization.
Outcomes	Increased sales and revenue	Improved marketing automation ROI	Marketing and sales alignment	Data-driven marketing optimization

Table

CDP Software

CRM Software

Approach

Data-centric

Customer-centric

Focus

Interactions across various channels and touchpoints, both online and offline.

Sales, marketing, and customer service interactions.

Functionality

Automatically collects, organizes, tags, and makes data available in real-time.

Helps businesses track customer interactions, sales pipelines, prospects, and service requests.

Goals

Personalized customer experiences across all channels.

Better customer relationships, streamlined processes, and improved profitability.

Benefits

Data integration, management, and accessibility, allowing for detailed analysis and segmentation.

Better communication within teams and with customers by organizing information about customer interactions and history.

Data Handling

Handles both identified and anonymous data, stitches together various data points.

Deals primarily with identified customer data.

Use Cases

Personalized marketing campaigns, targeted advertising, content customization across multiple channels.

Managing campaigns and leads, enhancing customer service, providing better customer support, increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Examples

Insider, Bloomreach, Salesforce Marketing Cloud CDP

HubSpot, Salesforce Sales Cloud Lightning Professional, and Zoho CRM

Broken Link Building: The Ultimate Guide to Enhancing SEO Performance

Uncover Broken Links on Websites

Essential Tools for Detecting Broken or Dead Links on a Website

Advanced Techniques for Automating the Discovery of Dead or Broken Backlinks

Evaluate and Build Opportunities from Broken Link Quality

Assess the Value of Broken Links on a Site

Use Search Operators to Find Superior Broken Link Building Prospects

Effective Outreach for Broken Link Replacement

Craft Impactful Outreach Emails for Link Replacement

Manage Follow-ups for Successful Link Building

Create Compelling Content for Broken Link Building

Principles of Producing High-Quality and Relevant Content

Strategies for Improving Existing Site Content

Efficiency with SEO Tools in Broken Link Building

Comparative Analysis of Top SEO Tools for Checking Broken Links

Integrate Tools into Your SEO Workflow for Link Building

Success Metrics in Broken Link Building

Measure the Effectiveness of Your Broken Link Building Strategy

Monitor the Health of Your Backlink Profile with Keyword and Referring Domains

Advanced Techniques and Troubleshooting Broken Link Building

Scale Your Broken Link Building Campaigns

Overcome Outreach and Technical Challenges in Broken Link Building

Key Takeaways

What you should look at next

[Droyd <> lemlist] Get cold email reports in Slack

How to choose the best sales engagement platform for you

In-Depth Comparison of 5 Mailshake Alternatives

11 sales enablement tools to get more customers

How to define your B2B audience (+ buyer persona template)

Manage cookies

Analytics

Advertisement

Social

Broken Link Building: The Ultimate Guide to Enhancing SEO Performance

Uncover Broken Links on Websites

Essential Tools for Detecting Broken or Dead Links on a Website

Advanced Techniques for Automating the Discovery of Dead or Broken Backlinks

Evaluate and Build Opportunities from Broken Link Quality

Assess the Value of Broken Links on a Site

Use Search Operators to Find Superior Broken Link Building Prospects

Effective Outreach for Broken Link Replacement

Craft Impactful Outreach Emails for Link Replacement

Manage Follow-ups for Successful Link Building

Create Compelling Content for Broken Link Building

Principles of Producing High-Quality and Relevant Content

Strategies for Improving Existing Site Content

Efficiency with SEO Tools in Broken Link Building

Comparative Analysis of Top SEO Tools for Checking Broken Links

Integrate Tools into Your SEO Workflow for Link Building

Success Metrics in Broken Link Building

Measure the Effectiveness of Your Broken Link Building Strategy

Monitor the Health of Your Backlink Profile with Keyword and Referring Domains

Advanced Techniques and Troubleshooting Broken Link Building

Scale Your Broken Link Building Campaigns

Overcome Outreach and Technical Challenges in Broken Link Building

Key Takeaways

What you should look at next

[Droyd <> lemlist] Get cold email reports in Slack

How to choose the best sales engagement platform for you

In-Depth Comparison of 5 Mailshake Alternatives

11 sales enablement tools to get more customers

How to define your B2B audience (+ buyer persona template)

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