Case: Niche directory dead entries → 9 links

Case: Niche directory dead entries → 9 links

Industry directories list companies that later die. The listing stays, the link 404s.

1. List 25 niche directories.
2. Crawl each, status-check every listed company link (1,650 links, 203 broken — defunct companies).
3. QA gate: which dead listings sit in categories you belong in? (40 relevant.)
4. Email the directory editor: 'These 8 listings are dead, here's an active company for the category' (yours).
5. Throughput 8 directories/day.

Result: 9 directory links, several with the dead entries also removed (cleaner category page).

Definition of done: 25 directories checked, 40 dead links reported, yours pitched.

Automation fits at step 2. Editor pitch is manual and category-specific.