Broken link building is a way of earning links by helping other site owners fix dead ones. You find a page that links to something that no longer exists, create or point to a useful replacement on your own site, and let the site owner know.
For a business, it's one of the more natural ways to ask for a link, because you're solving a real problem for the other site. It takes research and patience, but the links it earns tend to come from relevant pages that were already willing to link to that topic.
What is broken link building?
Every site accumulates broken links over time. Pages get deleted, companies shut down and URLs change without redirects. When a link points to a page that returns a 404 or similar error, it no longer helps the reader or the site that published it.
Broken link building turns that decay into an opportunity. If a resource page in your industry links to a guide that has disappeared, and you have a better guide on the same subject, the site owner has a good reason to swap the dead link for yours. It's a form of link building built on usefulness rather than favors.
A closely related tactic is link reclamation: finding backlinks that point to broken URLs on your own site and fixing them, usually with a redirect.
Why broken link building matters
Dead links pass nothing useful. Google's documentation on HTTP status codes says 4xx pages are removed from the index and their content isn't used. A link pointing at one of those pages sends readers to an error page instead of a resource.
The pitch is easy to justify. Unlike a cold request for a link, a broken link email gives the recipient something: a fix for their page. Google's John Mueller has said that it's generally fine to contact people to tell them about your content, while offering an exchange for a link is something Google considers unnatural.
The links are usually relevant. The page already linked to your topic once. That means the replacement link sits in a context that makes sense, which is the kind of link that tends to hold up.
How broken link building works
1. Find dead pages that had links
The most efficient approach is to look for dead pages that many sites linked to, rather than hunting broken links one page at a time. Ahrefs' broken link building guide suggests looking at competitors' 404 pages, searching for broken pages on your topic, checking competitors' broken outbound links and scanning resource pages. SEO crawlers and backlink tools can show which dead URLs still have referring domains.
2. Understand why people linked
Before writing anything, check what the dead page contained. The Internet Archive's Wayback Machine often has a saved copy. Then look at how linking sites described it. Some linked for a general reason, others for a specific statistic or section. That tells you what your replacement must include.
3. Create or choose a replacement
Sometimes you already have a page that fits. More often, you'll need to build something that covers the same ground and does it better: clearer, more current, more accurate. Never copy the original.
4. Reach out
Contact the people who linked to the dead page. Mention the specific broken link, where it appears on their page, and offer your resource as one option. Ahrefs recommends grouping prospects and tailoring a template for each group, rather than sending one generic email to everyone.
Broken link building in practice: an example
Picture a hypothetical payroll software company. Its team notices that a popular guide to state payroll tax deadlines, published by a blog that has since shut down, now returns a 404, and dozens of accounting blogs and university resource pages still link to it.
The team checks the archived version, sees that most links cite its deadline table, and publishes an up-to-date deadline calendar with sources for each state. It then emails the authors of the linking pages, pointing out the broken link and offering the new calendar. Some reply, some don't. A few swap the link, and the calendar starts appearing in AI answers about payroll deadlines too, because it's now one of the few current sources on the topic.
Common mistakes and misconceptions
"Any broken link is an opportunity." A dead page with no links, or links from irrelevant sites, isn't worth the effort. Prioritize dead pages that relevant, real sites linked to.
"A thin page is good enough." If your replacement is weaker than what was lost, editors won't use it. The replacement has to be worth linking to on its own merits.
"Mass emails work." Generic outreach tends to get ignored, and Ahrefs warns it risks getting your domain blocked. Personal, specific messages convert better.
"You must fix every 404 on your own site." Mueller has said that you don't have to fix 404 pages and that having things go away is normal. Focus on broken URLs that still get real links or traffic.
"Redirect everything to the homepage." Sending dead URLs to an unrelated page doesn't help readers. Redirect only to a page that genuinely replaces the old one.
Broken link building vs. link reclamation
Broken link building targets dead pages on other sites, and the goal is new links to your content. Link reclamation targets broken URLs on your own site that still have inbound links. The fix there is usually a 301 redirect to the closest live page, which Google treats as a strong signal that the target should be processed. See redirects and HTTP status codes for the details.
How Butter approaches broken link building
Butter doesn't run a standalone broken link building campaign service, but both halves of the idea show up in our work. On the GEO+SEO plan, technical SEO fixes for broken links and crawl issues often mean finding 404s with valuable backlinks, soft 404s and redirect chains, then fixing or flagging them. That's link reclamation, and it's often the fastest win.
On the link side, the GEO plan includes one AI-crawlable content citation and backlink each month, and the GEO+SEO plan adds one quality backlink each month. We would rather earn one relevant link than chase dozens of throwaway ones, and we never promise a ranking from links alone. Our SEO service page explains how it fits together.
Frequently asked questions
Is broken link building still effective?
It can be, when you target dead pages that relevant sites linked to and offer a replacement that is genuinely better. It takes time, and response rates vary widely, so treat it as a steady habit rather than a quick win.
Is broken link building allowed by Google?
Yes, as long as you aren't paying or trading for the link. Google's John Mueller has said contacting people about useful content is generally fine, while offering an exchange for a link is considered unnatural.
How do I find broken links to replace?
Use a backlink tool or SEO crawler to find dead pages in your niche that still have links from other sites. Competitors' 404 pages and topic resource pages are common places to start.
What should I do with broken pages on my own site?
If a broken URL still has valuable links or traffic, redirect it with a 301 to the closest live page. If nothing links to it, letting it return a 404 is normal.
Sources and further reading
- Ahrefs: Broken Link Building, The Complete Guide
- Google Search Central: How HTTP status codes affect Google Search
- Search Engine Journal: Google on fixing 404s from broken inbound links
- Search Engine Journal: Google on outreach for link building
- Google Search Central: Spam policies for Google web search