# Link Reclamation: Recovering Lost & Broken Links

Learn what link reclamation is, how to identify opportunities, and strategies for recovering links you've earned but lost due to site changes.

Canonical: https://backlinkgrid.com/glossary/link-reclamation


**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**:
1. Audit for opportunities
2. Prioritize by value
3. Fix internal issues
4. 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.

---

## Related Terms

- [Lost Backlinks](/glossary/lost-backlinks)
- [Broken Link Building](/glossary/broken-link-building)
- [Backlink Monitoring](/glossary/backlink-monitoring)
- [Link Profile](/glossary/link-profile)