Link Reclamation

What is Link Reclamation?

Link reclamation is the process of finding and recovering backlinks that your website has lost, that point to broken URLs, or that should exist but do not. It covers redirecting old URLs, asking site owners to fix or restore links, and turning unlinked brand mentions into links. Because the linking site already chose to reference you, success rates are typically higher than for cold outreach.

Every website loses links over time. Pages get deleted, URLs change in redesigns, and authors update articles. For B2B SaaS companies that have rebranded, merged products or migrated their CMS, reclaimable links can be substantial.

How it works

flowchart TD
  A[Find lost or broken links] --> B{Link points to your 404?}
  B -->|Yes| C[301 redirect to best live page]
  B -->|No| D{Link removed by site?}
  D -->|Yes| E[Find reason and request restore]
  D -->|No| F[Unlinked mention found]
  F --> G[Ask author to add link]

1. Find 404s with backlinks. Use a backlink tool’s “best by links” or “broken pages” report.
2. Redirect. Map each to the closest live equivalent with a 301.
3. Check lost links. Review links lost in the last few months and why.
4. Find unlinked mentions. Monitor brand, product, research and executive names.
5. Reach out. Send short, specific emails with the exact page and suggested URL.

Examples

• After a CMS migration, a cybersecurity vendor finds 120 referring domains pointing to old blog URLs that now return 404. Redirecting them to the new URLs recovers those links without a single email.
• A trade publication mentions a SaaS company’s annual report by name but does not link to it. A brief note to the editor with the report URL results in a link.
• A partner updates its integrations page and drops your link because your old URL was broken. You send the new URL and it is restored.

Best practices

• Start with redirects; they need no outreach.
• Check backlinks before and after every migration or URL change.
• Keep outreach short, polite and helpful: point to the exact paragraph and the correct URL.
• Monitor brand mentions continuously, not once a year.
• Prioritize links from relevant, authoritative sites.

Common mistakes

• Redirecting all broken URLs to the homepage, which Google may treat as soft 404s.
• Sending demanding or templated emails to authors.
• Ignoring links to old campaign pages and press releases.
• Forgetting image links, such as charts others embedded from your site.

Link reclamation and AI search

Unlinked mentions still matter for AI visibility, because AI engines read text, not just links. A brand mention in a respected publication contributes to how AI assistants understand your company even without a link. Reclaiming links adds the SEO value of a backlink on top of that existing mention, and tracking mentions shows where you are already being discussed.

Related terms

• Unlinked Brand Mentions
• Broken Link Building
• Redirects
• Backlinks
• Link Profile
• Brand Mentions

Sources

• Link reclamation, Ahrefs
• Site moves with URL changes, Google Search Central
• Link best practices for Google, Google Search Central