Unlinked mention reclamation involves finding places where your brand, product, or content is mentioned without a link, then reaching out to request link addition. (Not sure what an unlinked mention is? See our glossary entry for the full definition.) It's one of the easiest link building tactics because the site already references you.
Why This Tactic Works#
Already Halfway There#
When a site mentions you without linking:
- They already know about you
- They found you relevant enough to mention
- Editorial decision to reference you is made
- Adding a link is a small request
High Success Rate#
Compared to other tactics:
- Cold outreach: They don't know you
- Guest posting: You're asking for platform access
- Unlinked mentions: They already mentioned you
The barrier to "yes" is significantly lower.
Advantages#
High conversion: Sites that mention you are more likely to link Quick wins: Often resolved in days Low effort: No content creation required Brand awareness: Discover who's talking about you Relationship building: Opens ongoing conversations
Finding Unlinked Mentions#
What to Monitor#
Brand mentions:
- Company name
- Product names
- Tool names
- Service names
Personal mentions (if applicable):
- Founder/CEO name
- Key team members
- Thought leaders
Content mentions:
- Report or study names
- Specific content titles
- Coined terms or frameworks
Variations:
- Common misspellings
- Abbreviations
- Without spaces or with hyphens
Monitoring Methods#
Google Alerts (Free)
Set up alerts for:
- "Your Brand Name"
- "Your Product Name"
- "YourFounder Name"
Limitations: Not comprehensive; misses many mentions
Social Listening Tools
Tools:
- Mention
- Awario
- Brand24
- Brandwatch
Benefits: More comprehensive, real-time alerts
SEO Tool Searches
Ahrefs Content Explorer:
- Search for your brand name
- Filter by "One article per domain"
- Exclude your own domain
- Filter by "Highlight: unlinked"
Semrush Brand Monitoring: Similar functionality for finding mentions
Manual Search
Google search operators:
"your brand name" -site:yourdomain.com
"your product name" -site:yourdomain.com
Check top results for links; note those without.
Qualifying Opportunities#
Worth Pursuing#
Prioritise when:
- High-authority domain
- Relevant industry site
- Active, maintained content
- Clear context for link
- Business/professional mention
Not Worth Pursuing#
Skip when:
- Very low-quality site
- Negative mention or criticism
- User-generated content (forums, comments)
- Archived or unmaintained content
- Mention is incidental/brief
Assessment Criteria#
For each mention, evaluate:
- [ ] Domain authority/quality
- [ ] Page relevance
- [ ] Mention context (positive/neutral)
- [ ] Likelihood of response
- [ ] Value of potential link
The Outreach Process#
Finding the Right Contact#
Priority order:
- Article author (if bylined)
- Editor or content manager
- General contact
Finding contacts:
- Author bylines with links
- About/team pages
- LinkedIn profiles
- Email finder tools (Hunter, Snov.io)
Crafting Your Email#
Key elements:
- Thank them: Acknowledge the mention
- Identify location: Specific article and context
- Request link: Simple, polite ask
- Make it easy: Provide URL and suggested anchor
Template:
Subject: Thanks for mentioning [your brand]!
Hi [Name],
Just came across your article on [topic] and wanted to say
thanks for mentioning [your brand/product].
Would you be open to adding a link so readers can find us
more easily? Here's the URL: [your URL]
The mention is in the section about [specific context].
Thanks again for including us—really appreciate it.
Best,
[Your name]
[Your company]
Variations for Different Contexts#
For product mentions:
Thanks for including [Product] in your roundup! If you'd
like to add a link, here's the homepage: [URL]
For quote/reference mentions:
Noticed you referenced our [study/research] in your piece.
Would you be able to link to the original so readers can
see the full data? Here's the link: [URL]
For comparison mentions:
Thanks for including [Your Brand] in your comparison of
[category]. If you'd like to link to us for readers who
want to learn more, here's our main page: [URL]
Follow-Up#
Timing: 5-7 days after initial email
Keep it brief:
Hi [Name],
Just following up on my note about adding a link to our
mention in your [article name]. Here's the URL again if
helpful: [URL]
Let me know if you have any questions.
[Your name]
Handling Responses#
Positive Response#
When they agree:
- Thank them promptly
- Verify link when live
- Consider reciprocal relationship building
Questions or Conditions#
They might ask:
- Which page to link: Provide best option
- What anchor text: Suggest natural option
- Why they should: Explain reader benefit
Be helpful and flexible.
Negative Response#
If declined:
- Thank them anyway
- Ask if there's content they'd prefer to link to
- Don't push further
- Note for future reference
No Response#
After 2 follow-ups:
- Move on
- May circle back in 6+ months
- Focus energy on responsive prospects
Scaling the Process#
Systematic Monitoring#
Set up ongoing alerts for:
- All brand variations
- Product names
- Key people
- Major content pieces
Regular review schedule:
- Weekly: Check new alerts
- Monthly: Deeper search for missed mentions
- Quarterly: Review and update monitoring
Tracking System#
Track for each mention:
- Source URL
- Domain authority
- Mention context
- Contact information
- Outreach status
- Outcome
Prioritisation Matrix#
| Authority | Relevance | Priority | |-----------|-----------|----------| | High | High | Immediate | | High | Medium | Soon | | Medium | High | Soon | | Medium | Medium | Queue | | Low | Any | Consider skipping |
Common Challenges#
Finding Mentions#
Challenge: Not enough mentions to reclaim
Solutions:
- Expand monitoring to include variations
- Monitor for content/product mentions, not just brand
- Build brand awareness through other activities
- Create more citation-worthy content
Low Response Rates#
Challenge: People don't respond
Solutions:
- Improve email personalization
- Find better contacts (authors vs generic)
- Follow up appropriately
- Accept that not everyone responds
Negative Mentions#
Challenge: Mentions are negative
Solutions:
- Don't request links from criticism
- Consider whether to respond at all
- Focus on positive/neutral mentions
- Address legitimate concerns separately
Summary#
Unlinked mention reclamation is efficient link building:
Why it works:
- Site already references you
- Low barrier to adding link
- High conversion potential
- Quick wins possible
Finding mentions:
- Brand monitoring tools
- SEO tool mention features
- Google Alerts
- Manual searches
Effective outreach:
- Thank for the mention
- Request link politely
- Make it easy
- Follow up once or twice
Scale through:
- Systematic monitoring
- Prioritization by value
- Consistent process
- Good tracking
This tactic provides some of the highest-ROI link building opportunities available.