Broken link building with Ahrefs means finding pages that link to dead resources and pitching a useful replacement. At Thinkit Media we use a focused, repeatable process so outreach is timely and relevant — not spammy.
Step-by-step process
- Discover targets: Search niche sites, competitor domains, or topic keywords in Ahrefs to surface pages with inbound links that point to 404s or removed resources.
- Filter for broken pages: Use Ahrefs’ broken pages or outgoing link filters to isolate pages that still have backlinks but link to dead URLs.
- Collect referring domains: Export the list of referring pages and prioritize by relevance, authority, and traffic potential.
- Create or match content: Identify an existing page on your site that is a natural replacement, or create a concise resource that answers the original need.
- Outreach with value: Contact the site owner, point out the broken URL, and offer your replacement with a short, helpful message.
Outreach tips
- Personalize: Reference the exact page and broken URL so the owner sees you did the work.
- Be concise: One clear value proposition is more effective than a long pitch.
- Follow up: Send one polite follow-up if there’s no reply; additional persistence should stay respectful.
Thinkit Media focuses on relevance and relationship-building rather than volume. If you prioritize useful replacements and clean tracking in Ahrefs, broken link building can produce steady, high-quality links.
