Link reclamation is the process of recovering backlinks that have been lost or broken, or converting unlinked brand mentions into actual links. It's one of the most efficient link building tactics because it focuses on opportunities where the foundation already exists.
Types of Link Reclamation
Broken Link Recovery
What it is:
- Your backlinks that now 404
- Links broken by your site changes
- Redirects that were missed
How to fix:
- Identify broken inbound links
- Create proper redirects
- Or contact linking sites to update
Lost Link Recovery
What it is:
- Links that were removed
- Pages that no longer exist
- Site migrations that lost links
How to fix:
- Contact site owners
- Request link restoration
- Offer updated content
Unlinked Mentions
What it is:
- Brand mentions without links
- Product/content mentions
- Citations without attribution
How to fix:
- Find mentions via tools
- Contact for link addition
- Provide easy linking info
Finding Reclamation Opportunities
For Broken Links
Tools and methods:
- Google Search Console (crawl errors)
- Ahrefs (broken backlinks report)
- Screaming Frog
- Check 404 pages with backlinks
For Lost Links
Discovery:
- Monitor new/lost link reports
- Compare historical backlink data
- Track important referring domains
For Unlinked Mentions
Finding mentions:
- Google Alerts for brand name
- Ahrefs Content Explorer
- Mention.com
- Social listening tools
Link Reclamation Process
Step 1: Audit
Identify opportunities:
- Export all backlinks
- Find broken links (404s)
- Identify recent losses
- Search for unlinked mentions
Step 2: Prioritize
Focus on:
- High-authority sources
- Relevant links
- Easily recoverable
- High traffic potential
Step 3: Fix What You Can
Internal fixes:
- Create redirects for moved pages
- Fix broken internal linking
- Restore accidentally removed pages
Step 4: Outreach
External recovery:
- Contact site owners
- Explain the situation
- Provide correct URL
- Make fixing easy
Outreach for Reclamation
For Broken Links
Subject: Quick fix for broken link on your site
Hi [Name],
I noticed that your article on [topic] links to our
[page description], but the link appears to be broken.
Here's the correct URL: [new URL]
Thanks for including us in the first place!
Best,
[Your name]
For Unlinked Mentions
Subject: Thanks for the mention!
Hi [Name],
I noticed you mentioned [brand/product] in your article
about [topic]. Thanks for including us!
Would you mind adding a link so readers can easily
find us? Here's the URL: [URL]
Thanks again for the mention!
Best,
[Your name]
Why Reclamation Works Well
High Success Rate
Benefits:
- Connection already exists
- They've shown willingness
- Easy ask (just update link)
- Helpful to them too
Efficient Use of Time
Advantages:
- Warm outreach
- Lower effort than new links
- Higher conversion rates
- Recovers existing value
Common Reclamation Issues
Internal Causes
Your site changes:
- URL structure changes
- Page deletions
- Site migrations
- Redirect failures
Prevention:
- Maintain URL structure
- Proper redirect strategy
- Document high-value URLs
External Causes
Their changes:
- Content updates
- Site redesigns
- Editorial decisions
- Pages removed
Approach:
- Monitor regularly
- Act quickly on losses
- Build relationships
Best Practices
Do
- Monitor backlinks regularly
- Act quickly on broken links
- Maintain proper redirects
- Track important links
- Build relationships with key linkers
Don't
- Let broken links accumulate
- Ignore lost link reports
- Skip redirect planning
- Wait too long to act
- Be demanding in outreach
Summary
Link reclamation recovers lost and broken link opportunities:
Types:
- Broken link recovery
- Lost link recovery
- Unlinked mention conversion
Process:
- Audit for opportunities
- Prioritize by value
- Fix internal issues
- Outreach for external fixes
Benefits:
- High success rates
- Efficient time use
- Recovers existing value
- Warm outreach
Link reclamation is often the lowest-hanging fruit in link building.