The Moving Man Method is a link building technique that capitalizes on outdated backlinks caused by business changes—such as rebrands, shutdowns, or service discontinuations. When companies "move" or change, their old backlinks become opportunities for others to offer replacement content.
How the Moving Man Method Works#
The Concept#
The logic:
- Businesses change names, shut down, or pivot
- Their old backlinks become outdated
- Sites linking to them have broken or irrelevant links
- You offer your relevant content as replacement
The Process#
- Find companies that have changed
- Identify their old backlinks
- Check which links are now outdated
- Create or identify relevant replacement content
- Outreach to sites with outdated links
- Suggest your content as alternative
Finding "Moving Man" Opportunities#
Types of Changes to Track#
Business changes:
- Companies shutting down
- Rebrands and name changes
- Product discontinuations
- Service pivots
- Major website changes
- Companies acquired/merged
How to Find Them#
News and announcements:
- Industry news sites
- Company blogs
- Press releases
- Social media announcements
- Google News alerts
Search strategies:
- "[industry] company shutdown"
- "[industry] rebrand announcement"
- "[product] discontinued"
- "no longer available"
Monitoring tools:
- Google Alerts for industry news
- Social listening tools
- Industry newsletters
Analyzing Opportunities#
Checking for Backlinks#
For each identified change:
- Find the old URL or brand name
- Check backlink profile in Ahrefs/Semrush
- Identify quality referring domains
- Verify links are now outdated
- Assess your ability to replace
Qualifying Opportunities#
Good opportunities:
- Many quality backlinks
- Links now broken or irrelevant
- You have relevant replacement
- Sites still active and maintained
- Topic matches your expertise
Examples of Opportunities#
Company Shutdowns#
When a company closes:
- All their links become dead
- Sites still reference them
- You can offer alternatives
- High volume potential
Rebrands#
When companies rebrand:
- Old name links become outdated
- Some redirect, some don't
- Opportunity to update references
- Often affects resource pages
Product/Service Changes#
When products are discontinued:
- Links to product pages break
- Comparisons become outdated
- Recommendations need updating
- You offer current alternative
Website Migrations#
When sites move:
- Old URLs may break
- Redirects often imperfect
- Some links become dead
- Opportunity for replacement
Creating Outreach#
Email Approach#
Key elements:
- Point out the outdated link
- Explain what changed
- Offer your relevant alternative
- Make it easy to fix
Example Template#
Subject: Outdated link on your [topic] page
Hi [Name],
I was reading your article about [topic] and noticed
you link to [old company/resource].
Just a heads up—they actually [shut down/rebranded/
discontinued that] back in [timeframe].
I have a similar resource that might be a good
replacement: [Your URL]. It covers [what it covers].
Either way, wanted to let you know about the outdated
reference.
Best,
[Your name]
Best Practices#
Finding Opportunities#
Do:
- Monitor industry news regularly
- Set up Google Alerts
- Track competitor changes
- Look for high-link-count changes
Don't:
- Chase low-quality opportunities
- Ignore relevance requirements
- Wait too long after changes
- Target ancient changes
Content Preparation#
Do:
- Have genuinely relevant content
- Create content specifically if needed
- Ensure quality matches originals
- Keep content updated
Don't:
- Force irrelevant replacements
- Create low-quality alternatives
- Offer weak substitutes
- Ignore topic fit
Outreach#
Do:
- Be helpful and informative
- Personalize each email
- Explain the change clearly
- Offer genuine value
Don't:
- Be pushy
- Send generic emails
- Hide the change information
- Over-follow-up
Combining with Other Tactics#
Moving Man + Broken Link Building#
Combined approach:
- Same target: outdated links
- Moving man: strategic changes
- Broken links: any dead links
- Both use same outreach style
Moving Man + Skyscraper#
Combined approach:
- Find changed competitors
- Create better replacement content
- Outreach with both angles
- Double value proposition
Challenges and Solutions#
Common Challenges#
Challenge: Finding opportunities Solution: Systematic monitoring, alerts, news tracking
Challenge: Creating relevant content Solution: Focus on topics you already cover
Challenge: Timing Solution: Act quickly when changes happen
Challenge: Low volume Solution: Combine with other tactics
Success Metrics#
What to Track#
| Metric | Notes | |--------|-------| | Opportunities found | Monthly discovery rate | | Outreach sent | Per opportunity | | Response rate | Typically 10-20% | | Link placement | Typically 5-15% |
ROI Considerations#
Moving Man is valuable because:
- Higher conversion than cold outreach
- Clear value proposition
- Natural link building
- Often quality sources
Summary#
The Moving Man Method exploits outdated links from business changes:
Process:
- Monitor for business changes
- Find backlinks to changed entities
- Identify outdated links
- Offer relevant replacement
- Earn quality backlinks
Opportunities arise from:
- Company shutdowns
- Rebrands
- Product discontinuations
- Website migrations
Success factors:
- Active monitoring
- Relevant replacement content
- Timely outreach
- Helpful approach
The Moving Man Method provides warm leads with clear value propositions.