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.
Why Link Reclamation matters
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.
How Link Reclamation works in practice
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.