Failure mode: ignoring the existing anchor text

Failure mode: ignoring the existing anchor text
Mistake: you propose a replacement without checking what anchor the dead link used. Editor has to rewrite surrounding copy. Friction = decline.
Fix anchor-alignment step:
— 1. From the referring-page HTML, extract the exact anchor text on the dead link.
— 2. Confirm your replacement URL can carry that same anchor naturally.
— 3. If anchor is brand-specific ("AcmeTool"), your generic page won't fit — deprioritize.
— 4. In the pitch, supply the drop-in replacement using their existing anchor verbatim.
— 5. QA gate: anchor logged for every prospect before drafting.
Automation: anchor extraction during referring-page crawl.
Definition of done: each pitch offers a zero-edit swap matching the original anchor.