Broken Link Building with Ahrefs

As someone who enjoys exploring different strategies for link-building, I recently discovered a broken link-building trick that uses Ahrefs to identify link-building opportunities. By using Ahrefs and broken link building, you can easily find ways to power up your website. Finding broken pages or a dead page on a website allows you to take advantage and try to get your pages put there.

For instance, I came across a linked page under the domain name of Matthew Woodward, a well-known figure in this field. Ahrefs helped me identify broken links and provided me with valuable information on domains that can be acquired to enhance my website’s performance.

After further analysis, I discovered that some of these broken links had a “cannot resolve host” status, which indicated that their domain names were available for purchase. In my experience, acquiring these domain names could benefit our link-building strategy. This method can be easily incorporated into your link-building strategy and help you find cost-effective opportunities to acquire powerful links for your website.

Broken Link Building Outreach

Now it isn’t just about buying up expired domains to find those broken link building opportunities, finding a dead link on someone’s page might also result in you doing an outreach email to the webmaster and asking them if they would be interested in adding a new resource ( which is your page). Simply advise them that there is a broken link on their page and you have a great article or resource there that they might want to link too. No-one really wants to have broken external links on their website, so they might reward you for highlighting the broken link with a link to your website.

Key Takeaways

  • Utilise Ahrefs for broken link-building to identify link-building opportunities
  • Look for broken links with “cannot resolve host” status to find domain names available for purchase.
  • Incorporate this broken link-building method into your link-building strategy to optimise results.

Overview of Broken Link Building

In this section, I will briefly explain a useful technique called broken link building, which can be done with a tool like Ahrefs. This method can identify broken link building refers re-building opportunities to boost your website’s power without breaking the bank.

First, you will need to enter a target domain name, such as a well-known website or competitor, into Ahrefs. Then, navigate to the resource page under the “Outgoing Links” tab and click the “Broken Links” section. This will display a list of broken links originating from the target site.

The key here is to look for broken links where the host cannot be resolved. These often indicate that the domain name is available for purchase. For example, I found a broken link to liftdiscipline.com with a “Cannot Resolve Host” error. Upon further investigation, I discovered the domain name was for sale at a reasonable price.

Buying domain names linked to powerful websites can be a valuable link-building strategy. For instance, if I acquired liftdiscipline.com and it was linked to a high-DR site like matthewwoodward.co.uk, it would be a beneficial addition to my website’s link profile.

In summary, a broken link building strategy is a strategy that involves identifying broken links from powerful sites, purchasing the domain names they’re pointing to, and incorporating them into your link building process. This technique can be carried out by yourself or a virtual assistant, and it presents an efficient and cost-effective approach to enhancing your website’s authority.

Utilising Ahrefs for Discovering Opportunities

Ahrefs is a valuable tool for identifying link-building opportunities using the broken link technique. By utilising Ahrefs’ broken backlinks link-building section, you can uncover promising domains with valuable links connected to well-respected websites.

For instance, I found a domain with a broken link from Matthew Woodward’s website, a highly-regarded figure in SEO. To find similar opportunities to find broken pages within Ahrefs, follow these steps:

  1. Enter a domain name in Ahrefs.
  2. Look for the Outgoing Links section.
  3. Click on the Broken Links section.

Here, you will see a list of URLs with broken links. Some indexed pages may display “404 Not Found” or “Cannot Resolve Host” errors. The objective is to find the “Cannot Resolve Host” results. These domains may be available for purchase, allowing you to obtain links from powerful websites.

In my case, I discovered a domain with a “Cannot Resolve Host” error linked to Matthew Woodward’s website. The domain had decent value (DR27), and was available for purchase for just 99 pence. While this may be a relatively simple example, you can use this method to find even more valuable opportunities.

It’s worth noting that you can enlist the help of a virtual assistant (VA) to expedite the process of identifying broken or dead links, and discovering valuable domains. Incorporating this approach into your link-building strategy allows you to secure powerful links without breaking your budget.

Always search for “Cannot Resolve Host” domains with strong links from reputable sources. The more powerful links you find resource pages you can obtain through broken links, the better your website’s results will be.

Discovering Broken Links through Ahrefs

Implementing a broken link building campaign is a great strategy to boost your website’s authority. Using Ahrefs, you can easily identify such link-building opportunities. Let me walk you through this little trick.

First, enter a domain name (I’ll use Matthew Woodward’s website as an example this blog post) into Ahrefs. Navigate to the “Outgoing Links” section and click “Broken Links.” This will display a list of URLs with broken links that include “404 Not Found” and “Cannot Resolve Host” errors.

Focusing on the “Cannot Resolve Host” errors would be best, as it can lead to valuable link-building opportunities. For instance, I found a link named “Strange Training Training through Iron Discipline” from a website (liftdiscipline.com) that’s no longer accessible.

Checking the domain’s details revealed that it’s for sale, and I could purchase it from GoDaddy for 99 pence. Although the domain only has a Domain Rating (DR) of 27, having a link from a well-known website such as Matthew Woodward’s would be beneficial, as his website has a DR of 76.

To make the most of this broken link-building technique, search for links with multiple high-authority domains pointing to them. Remember, you can easily delegate this task to a virtual assistant or do it yourself.

In summary, enter the chosen domain into Ahrefs, go to “Outgoing Links,” then “Broken Links,” and reverse engineer the results to find valuable linking opportunities without breaking the bank. Incorporate this method into your link-building process and watch your website’s authority grow.

Analysing Opportunities

Discovering Valuable Domains

I want to share a technique for using Ahrefs for broken link building to identify potential domains to boost your website. For this example, let’s use Matthew Woodward’s well-known website. Begin by inputting their domain name into Ahrefs, navigating to “Outgoing Links,” and selecting the site audit the “Broken Links” section.

Here, you’ll see a list of URLs containing broken links, with some displaying “404 Not Found” while others show “Cannot resolve host”. We are particularly interested in the latter. For instance, let’s say there’s a domain named (just as an example) liftdiscipline.com that says “Cannot resolve host” and has some value.

By checking the website’s availability and “Who Is” information, you might find it’s for sale at a minimal price, like 99 pence. Keep in mind, this is just an example, and you should ideally be searching for domains with a high Domain Rating (DR).

Assessing Domain Relevance and Authority

After finding broken link domains, evaluating the relevance and authority of the domain names and referring domains that link to them is essential. For example, using the previous domain (liftdiscipline.com), we can see that MatthewWoodward.co.uk (with a DR of 76) links to it, which is undoubtedly beneficial.

However, it’s essential to strive for even better results by finding broken links connected to multiple high-authority websites. To do so, insert the domain name into Ahrefs, go to “Outgoing Links”, and select “Broken Links”. This process allows you to reverse engineer and find valuable links without breaking the bank.

Using this broken link-building approach with Ahrefs as part of your link-building strategy can boost your website’s authority and visibility.

Purchasing Expired Domains

While building your website, it’s essential to identify link-building opportunities that can enhance your website’s performance. One such trick I would like to share is purchasing expired domains. This method allows you to leverage broken links and discover valuable domains to boost your website’s potential.

You can use Ahrefs’ Broken Link Building tool to find these expired domains. Here’s the process I follow:

  1. Input the domain name: Enter a popular website, like MatthewWoodward.co.uk, into Ahrefs.
  2. Navigate to Outgoing Links: Explore the ‘Outgoing Links’ section and click ‘Broken Links’. This will display a list of URLs with broken links.
  3. Identify valuable broken links: Look for links that specify ‘Cannot Resolve Host’, as these domains have expired and are no longer functional. While searching, you might find links with a 404 error, but remember, we’re interested in the ‘Cannot Resolve Host’ links.
  4. Check for domain availability and purchase: Verify if the domain is available for sale on domain registrars like GoDaddy. You can often purchase these expired domains at low prices, such as 99 pence.

When purchasing expired domains, consider their domain rating (DR). A domain with a DR27, like the one I found, is acceptable, but looking for more powerful domains is advisable. Acquiring a broken link with multiple high-DR websites pointing to it can significantly improve your website’s performance.

After purchasing the expired domain, you can integrate it into your website, thus gaining backlinks from influential websites like MatthewWoodward.co.uk, which boasts a DR76. This strategy can save you money while adding value to your website’s link-building efforts.

In conclusion, the Ahrefs Broken Link Building tool can help you find and purchase expired domains, which can be a valuable asset in your website’s link-building process. It’s a cost-effective, powerful way to enhance your site’s authority and performance.

Reversing Engineering for Link Acquisition

Broken link building can be a powerful approach to acquiring valuable links for your website, and using a tool like Ahrefs can make the process much easier. Let me explain how you can identify link-building opportunities using the broken link-building feature within Ahrefs.

First, input the domain name into Ahrefs and navigate to the Outgoing Links tab. You can access the Broken Links section. This list will display websites with broken links, including 404 errors and URL hosts that cannot be resolved. The unresolved hosts are particularly interesting for this method.

For instance, browsing through the broken links, you might discover pages that can no longer be reached and whose domain names are up for sale. You can then acquire these domain names for a low price and benefit from any high-quality links pointing to them.

Let me share a quick example I found. A domain (liftdiscipline.com) was linked to a high Domain Rating (DR) website that couldn’t be resolved anymore. A quick search revealed that the domain was for sale, and I could purchase it, in this case, for only 99 pence! Although this domain had a DR of 27, it shows that by using this method, you can discover higher DR domains, too.

The idea here is to find broken links on powerful websites and obtain the domain names they link to. By doing this, you can inherit some of their link value to power up your website. You can perform this process or delegate it to a virtual assistant.

So, to sum up, using Ahrefs and the broken link-building method, you can reverse engineer and find valuable links for your website without spending a fortune. Implement this technique as part of your link-building strategy and witness the results firsthand.

Adapting Broken Link Building to Enhance Your Approach

In my experience, broken link-building is a clever tactic that can help uncover powerful link-building opportunities. A great starting point is to use ahrefs to pinpoint such chances. To demonstrate how this technique can boost your website, I’ll walk you through the process with a well-known website, Matthew Woodward, as an example.

First, go to ahrefs and input the website’s domain name you want to explore. Then, navigate to outgoing links and click on the broken links report and link-building section. Here, you’ll see a list of URLs with broken links, including 404 Not Found and Cannot Resolve Host issues. Focus on the ones marked as “Cannot Resolve Host” to identify valuable opportunities.

For instance, I came across one URL labelled “Cannot Resolve Host” and linked to liftdiscipline.com. The domain had potential but was unreachable, leading to a “Who Is” page indicating it could be purchased. While not optimal, this domain could be acquired reasonably cheaply, making it an excellent opportunity to explore.

The key is to search for broken links connected to reputable websites, such as Matthew Woodward in this example, which boasts a Domain Rating (DR) of 76. If you can find a broken link with multiple high-quality domains pointing to it, you’ll see an even more significant impact on your website’s performance.

Input the desired domain name, navigate to outgoing and broken links, and reverse engineer the process to uncover worthwhile link-building opportunities. You don’t need to spend a fortune to benefit from this technique – just be resourceful and consider enlisting the help of a virtual assistant for efficiency. You can significantly enhance your website’s visibility and ranking by integrating broken link-building into your overall link-building strategy.

author avatar
Craig Campbell
I am a Glasgow based SEO expert who has been doing SEO for 22 years. In this time I have gained extensive knowledge in the subject of SEO and have build up a wealth of experience in SEO and other digital marketing services.

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Craig Campbell

I am a Glasgow based SEO expert who has been doing SEO for 22 years.

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