DEV Community: Digital SEO Land

How to reclaim lost or broken backlinks effectively for e-commerce sites?

Digital SEO Land — Wed, 27 Aug 2025 09:49:29 +0000

If you're running an ecommerce site, chances are you've worked hard to build strong e-commerce backlinks to boost your SEO. But what happens when those links break or disappear? You lose traffic, trust, and valuable SEO juice. The good news? You can get them back!

Let’s walk through 5 easy and effective ways to reclaim broken or lost backlinks, using tools, common sense, and a little creativity.

Use Ahrefs to Find Lost Backlinks

First things first: you need to know which backlinks are broken. This is where a tool like Ahrefs site explorer comes in handy.

Here’s what to do:

Plug your domain into Ahrefs.
Go to the “Broken Backlinks” or “Lost Backlinks” section.
Sort by high Domain Rating (DR) or traffic to find the most valuable ones.

You’ll see a list of referring domains that used to link to you but don’t anymore. These are your lost opportunities. Some of those links may have pointed to deleted product pages or old blogs.

Tip: If you’re on a budget, free ones like Google Search Console can still help you find broken pages, just with less detail.

Fix Broken Links with 301 Redirects

Now that you know where the broken links are, let’s fix the easiest ones: links pointing to pages that no longer exist.

Set up a 301 redirect from the broken URL to a new relevant page. This tells search engines and users, “Hey, we moved the content over here!”

Example:

If an old product page is gone, but you have a similar product, redirect to that new page. This helps preserve your backlink profile and internal links, too.

Bonus: This is great for SEO efforts because it keeps link equity flowing.

Reach Out and Reclaim with a Friendly Email

Not all links can be fixed with a redirect. Sometimes, other websites remove or change your links. When that happens, it’s time for manual outreach.

Send a kind, personal outreach email asking them to restore the link. Make it easy by:

Showing the old link
Suggesting where it can be fixed
Offering a helpful alternative if the page no longer exists

Don’t be spammy. Keep it human and helpful. This is classic white hat e-commerce backlinks work.

Here’s a short email you can use:

Hey [Name],
I noticed your page [insert URL] used to link to our resource at [broken link], but it looks like it’s not working anymore. We’ve updated the content and here’s the new link: [new URL].

Feel free to swap it in if it still fits! Let me know if you need anything.

Cheers,
[Your Name]

Rebuild the Content That Got You Links

If a page got good links before, it probably offered value. Why not bring it back better?

Find the broken page in your backlink analysis.
Recreate the content, updating it for today.
Use Google Analytics to check if that page used to drive traffic.
Make it even more useful this time: add new data, fresh images, or better product info.

Then, go back to the sites that linked to the old version and share the new one.

Boom — you just turned a broken page into a brand-new link building win!

Find Niche Backlinks Using Broken Link Building Here’s a fun one: broken link building doesn’t have to start with your links.

Instead, find broken links on other websites in your niche. Then, offer your content as a better replacement.

Here’s how:

Use Ahrefs to scan a competitor’s site for broken pages.
See who links to those dead pages.
Create similar (but better) content.
Reach out with a helpful email offering your link as a fix.

This works best for niche backlinks — the kind that are specific to your products or audience.

You’re not just fixing links; you’re being useful. That’s the heart of white hat e-commerce backlinks.

Conclusion

Losing backlinks doesn’t mean the end of your SEO gains. With the right tools and techniques, you can turn broken links into fresh wins.

From using Ahrefs site explorer to sending friendly outreach emails, these 5 strategies are simple, smart, and proven to work.

So go ahead—start digging into your ecommerce site’s backlink history and reclaim those lost opportunities today!

How Can You Use Competitor Backlinks to Build Digital PR?

Digital SEO Land — Tue, 26 Aug 2025 08:35:22 +0000

Have you ever wondered how your competitors get featured on big websites or news platforms? The secret might be hiding in their backlinks. By studying your competitors backlink profiles, you can find smart ways to boost your own digital PR game—and get your brand seen by the right people.

Let’s break it down in simple steps you can follow.

Understand Why Backlinks Matter for Digital PR

Backlinks are links from other websites that point to yours. When a high-authority website links to your blog, product page, or news article, Google sees your site as more trustworthy. That means higher search rankings, more people clicking on your links, and better visibility online.

Digital PR campaigns today are all about earning these kinds of links. Not just from random sites—but from high-authority backlinks like top blogs, news sites, or industry leaders. These links don’t just help your SEO—they help build your brand authority and media visibility.

Run a Competitor Backlink Analysis

Here’s where the fun starts.

Use SEO tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz. Plug in your competitors’ websites and look at:

Backlink profiles: What sites are linking to them?
Anchor text: What words are used in the link?
Top-linked pages: Which pages on their site are getting the most attention?
Referring domains: How many different websites are linking to them?

You’re not just spying—you’re learning. This process is called competitor backlink analysis, and it’s one of the smartest things you can do in 2025 for your PR strategy.

Look for Patterns in Their Backlinks

Now that you have the data, it’s time to find the why behind the links.

Are they writing research reports or blog posts that people love to share?
Are they getting picked up by certain media outlets?
Do they use stats, quotes, or data that catch attention?

This is how you find content that earns links. Maybe your competitors published a great blog post or got mentioned in a trending article. Study it. See what worked and how you can make something better.

Build Your Own Outreach Plan

Once you know what content gets backlinks, you can plan your own strategic outreach. Here’s what to do:

Pick a strong angle – What makes your story interesting? Why should people care?
Create press materials – Short, clear info that makes it easy for journalists or bloggers to feature you.
Find the right people – Reach out to target journalists who cover similar topics. Look at the sites that are linked to your competitors.
Be clear and helpful – Avoid long, boring pitches. Keep it friendly and useful.

Focus on reaching out to target media outlets that already like linking to content like yours.

Create Relevant Content

You don’t need to be a genius writer. You just need to be helpful.
Create content that fits editorial preferences—meaning stuff journalists or bloggers actually want to share. Think about:

Blog posts with useful tips
Infographics or quick stats
Data-driven reports
Expert interviews

Also, stay on top of trending topics. What are people talking about in your space right now? Make your content part of that conversation.
And don’t forget: Add your target keywords naturally, so your content helps your SEO too.

Monitor Performance

Once your PR campaign is live, keep an eye on how it performs.
Use tools like GA4 and Search Console to track things like:

New backlinks
Keyword rankings
Backlink growth over time
Page-level performance

This helps you see what’s working and what needs a tweak. You’ll also know when to follow up with new pitches or refresh your content for long-term relevance.

Timing matters, too—some outreach works best during trending news cycles or right after publishing new content.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Digital PR

A few quick don’ts to save you time:

Don’t copy competitor content word-for-word. Take inspiration but make it your own.
Don’t blast hundreds of emails. Be thoughtful and personal.
Don’t forget to measure what’s working. Your campaign performance should guide your next steps.

Conclusion

Backlinks are more than just SEO numbers. They’re digital shout-outs. When you study your competitors' backlink moves and apply them to your own digital PR campaign, you’re giving your brand the chance to shine—and get seen in the right places.

So open up those SEO tools, check out what’s working for others, and start creating content and outreach that earns attention. With a bit of research and a smart plan, you’ll be building your digital PR campaign like a pro in 2025.