What if I told you that we found a goldmine in our competitor’s trash?
No, really!
This is the true story of how a forgotten page on one of our competitor’s site helped us win 1,287 leads, yes, you read that right! And that too without writing any new blog post, or spending a cent on ads!
So, listen closely. If you have ever felt stuck trying to grow your site’s traffic or if you are struggling to outrank your tough competitors, you need to pay attention to this.
This simple SEO tactic, what we have termed as “competitor backlink hijacking”, might just become your new favourite strategy.
Interested?
Let’s break it down.
The Discovery: A Broken Page with 3,000+ Links
It all started at a routine backlink audit in our agency.
We were doing competitive research on a brand in our space. A healthy dose of competitor stalking. Let’s call them Brand X.
We used Ahrefs to dig into their backlinks, looking for opportunities. That’s when something caught our eye.
An old pricing page on their website was returning a 404 error. That page had been deleted or moved without a redirect.
A 404 error means the page you’re trying to visit can’t be found on the website.
But what really shocked us?
It still had over 3,000 referring domains.
Let that sink in…more than 3,000 websites were linking to a dead page. That’s thousands of high-quality, niche-relevant sites, pointing to a blank screen. Dead ends. Digital ghost towns.
A referring domain is a unique website that directs traffic to your site through a backlink.
And wait for the kicker.
Many of those linking domains were active blogs, resource pages, and partner directories in our industry.
They weren’t spammy…they were legit.
So, if all those websites wanted to link to a resource about Brand X’s pricing (or a related topic), and that resource was gone… could we offer them a better, a more updated alternative?
Could our content fill that void? The answer felt like a resounding “YES!”
The Plan: Turn Broken Links Into Our Links
We now had two options on our hands.
- Sit back, feel smug, and watch our competitor slowly lose link equity
- Seize this opportunity, and then redirect all those links back to us.
We chose the second. Here’s exactly how we did it.
Steps We Used
Export the
Broken Link List
Build a “Better
Resource” Page
Craft the
Outreach Email
Send, Track,
Follow Up
Add UTM
Tags & Monitor
Traffic
Step 1: Export the Broken Link List
Using Ahrefs (you can also use Semrush or Majestic), we:
- Plugged in the competitor’s broken URL.
- Filtered for “404 Not Found” backlinks.
- Exported all referring domains into a spreadsheet.
That gave us a clean list of every website still linking to the dead page.
We also cleaned it up further by:
- Removing duplicate domains.
- Filtering for Domain Rating (DR) 20 and above.
- Highlighting blogs, news sites, and directories with contact forms or email addresses.
Final count? 1,109 qualified domains!
Step 2: Build a “Better Resource” Page
Before reaching out, we needed something solid to offer.
So we created a landing page that closely mirrored the content and intent of the original pricing page. But it was updated and more helpful, and branded for us.
We included the following:
- A modern pricing table
- A comparison section showing how we stacked up against Brand X
- Customer testimonials and FAQs
The goal wasn’t to “trick” anyone. We genuinely built a page that was more relevant, more up-to-date, and more helpful than a dead link. In short, better in all aspects.
Step 3: Craft the Outreach Email
We kept it simple.
Subject: Broken Link on Your Site
Hi [Name],
I was browsing your site and noticed you’re linking to [broken URL] on this page: [their URL].
However, that link now leads to a 404 page.
If you’re looking to replace it with something similar, we’ve got a helpful alternative here: [our URL].
Hope that helps!
[Your Name]
This email did three things well:
- It was short and polite
- It showed we’d done our homework
- It offered value (we weren’t just selling, we were fixing their site)
We personalized the first sentence and the page URL for every domain. No copy-pasting stuff. That’s what made it work.
Step 4: Send, Track, Follow Up
We used a simple mail merge tool (we chose GMass) to send personalized emails in batches of 100 per day. This was done to avoid spam filters.
Our open rate? 59%.
But here’s the stat that shocked us:
28% of those we contacted replaced the link with ours.
That’s 311 new backlinks from domains with real traffic and authority.
Even better, some of those links came from review pages, directories, and educational institutions. These weren’t just any links…they were high-quality and topically relevant.
Bingo!
Step 5: Add UTM Tags & Monitor Traffic
We added UTM parameters to the URL we shared in our emails. That helped us track exactly how many people were clicking from those new links.
A UTM tag is a code added to a URL to track traffic sources and campaign performance.
Within 30 days of launch, the landing page saw:
- 6,300+ visitors
- 1,287 form submissions
- Bounce rate below 35%
That’s 1,287 leads from backlinks that weren’t even ours to begin with.
The Ripple Effect: What 1,287 Reclaimed Links Actually Meant
Well, getting links is nice. But what exactly did these 1,287 reclaimed links do?
Let’s have a look.
1. Surge in Qualified Organic Traffic
These weren’t random links. They were from relevant sites, pointing to highly relevant, valuable content on our site (we made sure our pricing/resources page was top-notch!).
This sent good quality, qualified traffic our way…like people actively researching solutions in our space. Organic traffic to that resource page increased by over 220% within 3 months.
2. SEO Authority Boost
Backlinks of high quality are still a key factor in how Google ranks sites. This flood of relevant links greatly increased the domain authority of the page they linked to and the authority of our whole site.
Link building is the #3 SEO ranking factor, right behind content and keywords.
Source: AdamConnell
We saw rankings climb for related keywords, not just for that page, but for also other pages benefiting from the overall domain lift.
3. Lead Generation Engine
That traffic wasn’t just browsing. Because the content was highly relevant (addressing pricing, comparisons, features, bottom-of-funnel stuff!), conversion rates were excellent.
Marketing-qualified leads (MQLs) and sales-qualified leads (SQLs) were consistently generated by this one campaign. This traffic source was directly responsible for hundreds of new leads and multiple closed deals.
4. Competitor Weakness Exploited (Ethically!)
We effectively capitalized on a competitor’s oversight. We didn’t hack them…we didn’t sabotage them. We simply noticed their abandoned property and offered the neighbours a better alternative. It felt good.
Why This Works: The Psychology Behind It
Why was this tactic so simple, yet effective? Let’s find out.
1. Web admins don’t want broken links.
Broken links hurt user experience and SEO. If you alert them to one, you’re doing them a favour.
2. You’re offering a solution, not a pitch.
Most link-building emails are annoying. This one offers genuine help—and webmasters appreciate that.
3. Minimal effort for the site owner.
All they have to do is copy-paste your URL. You’re making their life easier, not harder.
4. You’re piggybacking on existing relevance.
These sites already thought Brand X’s page was useful. You’re just stepping in with a better version.
Is This Ethical?
Now, the big question. And also a fair question. Let’s break it down.
- We didn’t steal anything: The links weren’t “owned” by the competitor. They were links on other people’s websites. Those website owners have every right to link to whoever they want.
- We pointed out a genuine problem: The link was broken, harming the linking site’s user experience.
- We offered a genuine solution: We provided a relevant, high-quality resource. We weren’t deceiving anyone.
- We were transparent: We didn’t pretend to be the competitor. We clearly represented ourselves.
This is competitive intelligence and smart, helpful outreach.
It’s about finding inefficiencies in the digital ecosystem and providing better value.
In short, it’s ethical marketing.
Your Turn: Replicate This For Your Business
The digital world is filled with broken links pointing to abandoned competitor pages.
That’s not just a 404 error…that’s a potential customer hitting a dead end.
That’s a lead waiting to be redirected right there.
Below is the blueprint. You are welcome.
Competitor Broken Link Blueprint
Identify
Competitors
Find Their
Dead Pages
Unearth
Linking Domains
Filter
Aggressively
Craft a
Fixer Pitch
Execute &
Track
Nurture
the Traffic
- Identify Competitors: Who are your main rivals?
- Find Their Dead Pages: Use SEO tools to analyze their backlink profile. Look for URLs with lots of links but returning 404 errors (often old pricing, product, or popular blog pages). Tools like Ahrefs/Semrush have “Broken Backlinks” reports.
- Unearth the Linking Domains: Export ALL domains linking to that dead page.
- Filter Aggressively: Remove spam, irrelevance, and low-authority sites. Focus on quality and relevance. Then, verify if the link is still broken on their site.
- Craft Your Helpful Fixer Pitch: Use the template, but PERSONALIZE heavily. Focus on solving their problem.
- Execute & Track: Outreach systematically. Use tools. Track responses and link placements.
- Nurture the Traffic: Ensure the page you’re sending this goldmine of traffic to is optimized to convert! Have clear CTAs, valuable content, and a path forward.
The potential here is enormous.
We converted digital trash into a plethora of fresh leads and 1,287 high-quality backlinks.
This is not a one-time trick. It’s a scalable approach.
Your competitor’s oversight could be your winning strategy.
The Long-term SEO Benefits
This strategy isn’t just about quick wins.
Every one of those backlinks:
- Increases your domain authority
- Improves your search engine rankings
- Sends you referral traffic for months (even years) to come
In addition to this, many of the domains we reached out to later featured us in future posts. They even offered partnership opportunities.
80% of SEO pros consider link building a key part of their strategy.
Source: Authority Hacker
It opened doors beyond the link.
The ripple effect continued.
And why most brands are missing this opportunity?
Because, most companies ignore broken backlinks unless it’s their own.
But if you keep an eye on your competitor, you can take advantage of their mistakes.
Furthermore, broken link building is still relevant today. And it has simply changed.
In addition to this, it turns into a powerful strategy for you when you pair it with competitor intelligence.
Ready to Find Your 1,287 Leads (or More)?
Imagine using what your competitors have left behind to uncover a hidden source of qualified leads and traffic. This strategy is effective…but it requires the proper equipment, a sharp eye, and a methodical approach to be used.
This isn’t just a theory. Because we have done it ourselves, and we can help you replicate it.
Connect with me today. Let’s discuss how we can:
- Identify your competitors’ biggest backlink graveyards.
- Build your targeted list of high-potential linking domains.
- Craft irresistible, personalized outreach campaigns.
- Track your results and reclaim those valuable links.
- Turn those links into a sustainable source of leads and growth for your brand.
Don’t let your competitors’ broken links be wasted opportunity. Let’s turn them into your competitive advantage.
Contact us now and let us find your hidden leads.
