Link Building

    Link Reclamation

    Quick definition

    Link reclamation is the process of recovering lost backlinks or converting unlinked brand mentions into proper hyperlinks.

    Three patterns: (1) a referring page removes your link, (2) the linking page returns 404, or (3) a publisher mentions your brand but never links. Reclamation addresses all three.

    It's one of the highest-ROI link building activities because the relationships and contextual fit already exist. A short, polite email often recovers links no outreach campaign could earn from scratch.

    Set up brand mention alerts (Ahrefs Alerts, Google Alerts, Mention.com), run monthly lost-backlink reports, and route each finding to a templated reclaim workflow.

    Best practices

    • Run lost-backlink reports monthly.
    • Reclaim unlinked mentions within 30 days of publication.
    • Use a templated but personalized outreach script.
    • Track recovery rate as a campaign KPI.

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    Related terms

    Unlinked Mention
    An unlinked mention is a reference to your brand on a third-party page that does not include a hyperlink back to your site.
    Brand Mention
    A brand mention is any reference to your brand name on the web, with or without a hyperlink.
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