The Best Broken Link Building Strategy to Find Long-Tail Keywords

SEO can feel like a never-ending game of cat and mouse. Just when you think you’ve nailed it, Google shifts the rules.

But one thing that never changes? The value of long-tail keywords and high-quality backlinks.

Most people see broken link building as just a way to score backlinks. But what if I told you it could also help uncover long-tail keyword opportunities—the exact phrases people are searching for but aren’t finding enough good content on?

This strategy isn’t just about fixing links. It’s about finding gaps, filling them with great content, and using SEO to drive traffic that actually converts.

Let’s break it down.

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What Is Broken Link Building?

Broken link building is when you find dead links (links pointing to a page that no longer exists) on other websites and suggest your own content as a replacement.

For example:

• A marketing blog links to an article about “LinkedIn lead generation,” but the page is gone.
• You find the broken link, recreate better content, and pitch your link as a replacement.
• The website owner swaps out the broken link for yours. You get a high-quality backlink. They get a fixed link. Everyone wins.

Typically, SEOs use this for link building—but we’re going to flip the script.

What if you could also extract long-tail keywords from these broken links?

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How Broken Links Reveal Long-Tail Keywords

Every broken link tells a story.

At some point, that page was valuable. Someone found it important enough to link to. So if it’s gone now, there’s a content gap—and a chance to fill it with fresh, optimized content.

Here’s how it works:

1. Find broken links on high-authority sites in your niche.
2. Check what the old page was about using tools like the Wayback Machine.
3. Extract keyword themes from the title, headings, and content.
4. Use SEO tools (Ahrefs, SEMrush, Google Search Console) to find long-tail keyword variations.
5. Rebuild better content around those keywords.
6. Reach out to site owners to replace their broken link with yours.

Example

Imagine you run an SEO blog. You find a broken link to an old article about “how to optimize a website for featured snippets.”

• You check the Wayback Machine and see the article focused on voice search, paragraph snippets, and table snippets.
• You run keyword research and find new long-tail keywords like:
  • “how to optimize content for Google snippets in 2024”
  • “best structure for FAQ schema”
  • “SEO tactics for featured snippets”
• You write a new, updated guide around these keywords.
• You pitch your new article to site owners linking to the dead page.
• If they replace the broken link with yours, you get backlinks AND rank for new keywords.

This is the hidden power of broken link building. It’s not just about links—it’s about finding keyword gaps that others have missed.

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Step-by-Step Process to Find Long-Tail Keywords Through Broken Links

Step 1: Find Broken Links in Your Niche

You need to hunt down dead pages that were once ranking well. Here’s how:

• Use Ahrefs → Run a Broken Backlinks report for competitor sites.
• Try SEMrush or Screaming Frog → Scan authority sites in your niche for broken links.
• Check Google Search Console → If you own a site, look for lost backlinks to your old content (someone might be linking to a broken page of yours).

Once you have a list of broken links, note the ones that had solid backlinks—those are the most valuable.

Step 2: Analyze the Old Page & Extract Keywords

• Copy the broken URL and check it on Wayback Machine (web.archive.org) to see what the page looked like.
• Note the title, headers (H1, H2, H3), and key topics.
• Paste the URL into Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer to check what it ranked for before it disappeared.
• Use Google’s “related searches” or People Also Ask to find variations of the topic.

By now, you’ll start spotting keyword patterns—especially long-tail opportunities that the original page may not have fully covered.

Step 3: Create High-Value Content Around Those Keywords

• Write an updated version of the missing content.
• Use long-tail keywords naturally throughout the post.
• Make sure it’s better than the original. Add new stats, examples, and fresh insights.
• Optimize it for on-page SEO (meta descriptions, structured data, internal links).

This isn’t just about replacing broken content—it’s about creating the best possible version of it.

Step 4: Reach Out & Replace the Broken Link

Once your new content is live, reach out to site owners who linked to the broken page.

• Keep it short and to the point.
• Offer your link as a fix to a problem they already have (nobody likes broken links on their site).
• Example outreach email:
  
  Subject: Quick fix for a broken link on your site
  
  Hey [Name],
  
  I was reading [Article Name] on your site and noticed a broken link to [Old URL]. That page seems to be down.
  
  I recently wrote a new, updated guide on the same topic [New Link]. It covers [mention key points] and would be a great replacement.
  
  Let me know what you think—happy to help!
  
  Best,
  [Your Name]

Most website owners appreciate the heads-up and are happy to swap in a fresh, useful link.

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Common Mistakes to Avoid

Not all broken links are worth fixing. Here’s what to watch out for:

❌ Chasing low-quality links → If the original link came from a spammy site, it’s not worth replacing.

❌ Targeting outdated topics → If the page was about an old SEO tactic (like “guest posting on article directories”), don’t waste time reviving it.

❌ Skipping keyword research → Make sure the topic still has search demand before rebuilding content.

❌ Bad outreach emails → Nobody wants a pushy, generic email. Focus on helping the site owner fix their content first.

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Final Thoughts: Why This Strategy Works

Broken link building is underrated for keyword research. Everyone focuses on backlinks, but the real goldmine is in long-tail keyword opportunities.

By finding what was once valuable but is now missing, you’re: 

✅ Identifying keyword gaps that competitors overlooked
✅ Building high-quality backlinks naturally
✅ Creating content that ranks AND earns authority links

It’s a two-for-one SEO play—better rankings, better authority, and more organic traffic.

So next time you’re looking for keyword ideas, don’t just rely on standard keyword tools. Dig through broken links—because where others see dead ends, you’ll find new opportunities.

Check out our related post on SEO strategy, or learn more about our SEO services.