If you’ve ever lost a backlink or noticed a drop in your rankings without changing much, link reclamation might be what you’re missing.

In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about link reclamation—what it is, why it matters, and how to use it to regain lost SEO value without creating new content or building links from scratch.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

• What does link reclamation mean
• Why lost or broken links hurt your SEO
• Where to find these opportunities
• How to reclaim links step-by-step
• Tools you can use
• Outreach tips and templates that work
• How to prioritize efforts for the best return
• What mistakes to avoid
• And how to track and report your success

This isn’t just theory. We utilize these real-world processes to recover high-value backlinks, boost rankings, and improve visibility without undertaking a comprehensive link building campaign.

Whether new to SEO or already doing outreach, this guide will help you spot easy wins, save time, and improve your site’s authority.

Let’s get the ball rolling.

What is Link Reclamation?

Link reclamation is the straightforward process of identifying and repairing backlinks that once pointed to your website but are now lost, broken, or no longer linking correctly.

It also includes turning brand mentions into actual links.

It’s different from regular link building. Instead of creating new content or pitching sites for backlinks, we focus on recovering the value we once had.

This is more efficient, especially if we have already earned those links in the past through solid content or PR.

Link reclamation is also a low-risk strategy. Since we’re reconnecting with people or platforms that are already interested in our brand, the chances of success are significantly higher than with cold outreach efforts.

Why is Link Reclamation Important for SEO? 

When backlinks disappear or break, we lose the authority and SEO value that they provided.

This can affect:

• Keyword rankings
• Organic traffic
• Domain authority
• Trust in the eyes of search engines

Search engines use backlinks as signals of credibility.

Losing them can lead to drops in ranking positions. Even a handful of broken links from high-authority sites can make a noticeable impact.

Reclaiming links helps us maintain the health of our backlink profile and prevents competitors from filling the gap we leave behind.

Retrieving these links is often easier than obtaining new ones. And it can lead to faster results.

If you need help with that, you can always count on experts, such as The Blueprints.

Common Reasons for Lost or Broken Links 

Understanding why links break helps us find and fix them more efficiently. 

Here are the most common link lost reasons:

Reason #1: Website Redesigns and Migrations 

When sites undergo major changes, links often break.

This happens when:

• Domain names change (from example.com to newexample.com)
• CMS platforms switch (WordPress to Shopify)
• URL structures change (/blog/post-name to /articles/post-name)

Proper redirects aren’t always set up during these transitions, causing links to lead nowhere.

Reason #2: Content Deletions or URL Changes 

Sometimes, content gets removed or renamed:

• Products discontinued
• Blog posts updated with new URLs
• Pages merged or split
• Services renamed

When this happens without redirects, any links pointing to those pages become broken.

Reason #3: Editorial Changes or Accidental Removal

Links can disappear during content updates:

• Editors cleaning up old articles
• Websites removing outbound links to improve perceived SEO
• CMS glitches during updates
• Accidental deletion during content revisions

These subtle changes can go unnoticed but still impact your link profile.

Reason #4: CMS Issues

Some content management systems, or CMS, in short, can break links during updates:

• Plugin conflicts breaking URL structures
• Database corruption affecting link tables
• Theme updates changing how links are formatted
• Security updates breaking custom permalink structures

Reason #5: Link Rot 

Over time, pages and links decay naturally.

It’s common:

• Old web pages get deleted or archived
• Small businesses close, and their websites disappear
• Content becomes outdated and gets removed
• Hosting services expire or change

Reason #6: Server Configuration Changes

Technical changes on the server side can break links:

• HTTPS implementation without proper redirects
• Server migration between hosting providers
• Changes to .htaccess files
• Implementation of new URL parameters

Reason #7: Unlinked Brand Mentions 

Sometimes, other websites mention your brand without linking to you. These aren’t technically “lost” links but missed opportunities that can be converted into actual links with a simple outreach.

Each of these types offers different levels of value. Prioritize based on what’s easiest to fix and what provides the highest SEO benefit.

How to Find Lost Backlinks 

Now, let’s get practical. Here’s how to track down those missing links:

Using Backlink Analysis Tools 

Dedicated SEO tools make finding broken links much easier:

Ahrefs

1. Go to Site Explorer
2. Enter your domain
3. Navigate to “Broken Backlinks” report
4. Export the list of sites linking to non-existent pages

Moz

1. Open Link Explorer
2. Enter your domain
3. Check the “Lost Links” report
4. Filter by date range to find recent losses

SEMrush

1. Open Backlink Audit tool
2. Enter your domain
3. Look for the “Broken” links section
4. Export the list for outreach

Google Search Console 

Google’s free tool provides valuable insights:

1. Open Google Search Console
2. Go to “Coverage” report
3. Look for “Not Found (404)” errors
4. Check which ones have incoming links

Brand Mention Monitoring 

To find unlinked mentions:

1. Set up Google Alerts for your brand name
2. Use tools like Mention or Brand24
3. Search for your brand using operators like: “your brand name” -site.com
4. Check each mention to see if it includes a link

Manual Checks 

For smaller sites, a hands-on approach works well:

1. Review your old content for URL changes
2. Check archived versions of your site on Archive.org
3. Search for known broken pages to find mentions

For best results, use a combination of tools. Some will catch things others miss.

Create a spreadsheet to keep track of:

• Source URL
• Link type (broken, lost, mention)
• Target URL
• Authority of source site
• Contact info (if available)

Best Tools for Link Reclamation 

Here’s a comparison of the main tools and resources that help with link reclamation:

Tool	Best For	Pros	Cons	Price Range
Ahrefs	Complete backlink analysis	Huge link database, excellent UI	Expensive for beginners	$129 to $1,499/mo
Moz	All-in-one SEO including links	User-friendly, good free tier	Smaller link database	$49 to $299/mo
SEMrush	Competitive analysis	Great for finding competitor links	Complex interface	$139.95 to $499.95/mo
Google Search Console	Basic link monitoring	100% free, direct from Google	Limited historical data	Free
Archive.org	Finding historical web pages	Completely free, vast archives	No direct link data, manual research	Free
Brand24	Social listening & mentions	Real-time brand monitoring	More focused on social than websites	$199/mo to Custom pricing
Mention	Brand monitoring	Real-time alerts	Focus on mentions, not links	$41/mo to Custom pricing
Airtable	Organizing outreach campaigns	Customizable, visual tracking	Learning curve for advanced features	Free to Custom pricing
Monday.com	Team link building projects	Great for collaboration	Overkill for solo SEOs	Free to Custom pricing

Using more than one tool increases your chances of catching all possible opportunities.

Our recommendation?

Start with Google Search Console (it’s free!) and combine it with Screaming Frog’s free version.

If you’re serious about SEO, Ahrefs offers the most comprehensive backlink data.

Step-by-Step Link Reclamation Process

Let’s break down the complete process:

Step 1: Identify Lost/Broken Links or Unlinked Mentions 

1. Collect broken backlinks from your chosen tools
2. Export the data to a spreadsheet
3. Gather unlinked brand mentions
4. List all URLs that have changed on your site

Step 2: Qualify and Prioritize Opportunities

Not all lost links are worth pursuing.

Score each opportunity based on:

• Domain Authority of linking site (higher = better)
• Relevance to your business
• Traffic potential from the linking page
• Ease of contact (can you find an email?)

Focus on opportunities scoring highest in these areas.

Step 3: Prepare Link Outreach

For each link type, create a tailored link outreach template:

For broken links:

• Notify them about the broken link
• Provide the correct URL
• Thank them for linking in the first place

For removed links:

• Inquire why the link was removed
• Highlight the value your page still provides
• Ask if they would consider restoring it

For unlinked mentions:

• Thank them for mentioning you
• Suggest adding a link for their readers’ benefit
• Make it easy with the exact URL to use

Step 4: Send and Follow Up

1. Send personalized emails to each contact
2. Track your outreach in a spreadsheet or CRM
3. Follow up once after 5-7 days if there is no response
4. Record results and success rate

Step 5: Track Results

Use a spreadsheet or CRM to track:

• Who you contacted
• Date of contact and follow-up
• Response received
• Link status (fixed, pending, ignored)

Monitor your success metrics:

• Number of links reclaimed
• Improvement in rankings for target pages
• Traffic changes to pages with restored links
• Conversion rate of your outreach emails

Consistency is key. Don’t do it once and forget. Set a recurring task every 1–2 months.

Outreach Strategies and Best Practices 

The success of your reclamation efforts depends mainly on your approach to outreach.

Tips for better outreach: 

• Use a real name and email (avoid generic Gmail accounts)
• Keep it short—under 150 words if possible
• Personalize each message with their name, site, or article title
• Mention how you found their content
• Reference something specific about their website
• Offer value—why should they update the link?

Example Email Templates 

Broken Link Building Template: 

Subject: Quick fix needed on your [TOPIC] article

Hi [Name],

I was reading your excellent article about [topic] and noticed the link to [your page description] is now broken.

I wanted to let you know the page has moved to: [new URL]

Would you mind updating the link when you get a chance? I’d appreciate it, and your readers would benefit from the working resource.

Thanks for your time!

[Your Name]

Unlinked Mention Template: 

Subject: Thanks for mentioning [Your Brand]!

Hi [Name],

I just wanted to say thanks for mentioning [Your Brand] in your recent article about [topic]. We really appreciate the shout-out!

If you’d like to make it easier for your readers to find us, would you consider adding a link 

to our site? The best URL would be: [your URL]

Either way, thanks again for the mention!

[Your Name]

Handling Common Objections 

Be prepared for these common responses:

Scenario 1: “We don’t add external links anymore”

How to handle: Offer to exchange with internal content if available.

Scenario 2: “We charge for links”

How to handle: Politely explain you’re only looking to restore previously given links.

Scenario 3: “We can’t find the mention”

How to handle: Send a screenshot showing the exact location.

Following Up Effectively 

• Limit follow-ups to one per contact
• Wait at least 5 days before following up
• Keep follow-ups even shorter than initial emails
• Add new information or value in your follow-up

Advanced Tactics and Automation 

Once you’ve mastered the basics, try these advanced approaches:

Automating Discovery and Outreach 

• Set up automatic alerts for new mentions using tools like Mention or Brand24
• Create email templates in Gmail or Outlook for quick responses
• Use Zapier to connect monitoring tools with your email system

Scaling for Large Sites

• Focus on highest-value links first (DA 50+ sites)
• Batch process similar types of link opportunities
• Set aside weekly time for link reclamation rather than trying to do everything at once

Integrating with CRM or Project Management Tools

• Track outreach in tools like Airtable or Monday.com
• Set follow-up reminders in your calendar or CRM
• Document successful approaches for team members

Automating the process can help you scale while staying organized.

You can also segment your outreach lists by:

• Industry
• Link type
• Response likelihood

This helps you personalize faster and stay efficient.

How to Prioritize Which Links to Reclaim 

Not every link is worth chasing. Here’s a simple scoring system:

Category	Criteria	Points
Authority	Domain Authority above 70	5
	DA 50-70	4
	DA 30-50	3
	DA 20-30	2
	DA below 20	1
	Spammy site	0
Relevance	Highly relevant to your industry	3
	Somewhat relevant	2
	General/news site	1
	Completely unrelated	0
Traffic	High-traffic page	2
	Moderate traffic	1
	Low/no traffic	0

Add these scores together. Focus first on opportunities, scoring 7-10, then work your way down.

You can also look at:

• Pages that are ranking for keywords
• Links that previously sent referral traffic
• Industry-specific directories or citations

Measuring and Reporting on Link Reclamation Success 

Here’s what we track:

• Number of links reclaimed
• Domain authority of sources
• Traffic to the linked pages
• Ranking improvements
• Referral traffic increase

Use a simple template:

Metric	Before	After
Total backlinks	520	553
Reclaim lost links	–	33
Organic traffic (monthly)	12,000	13,250
Rankings for target keywords	Pos. 9	Pos. 6

Regular reporting also helps you prove ROI to clients or team leads.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them 

Mistake 1: Ignoring internal links

Fix your redirects and 404 link recovery, too. It improves crawlability and user experience.

Mistake 2: Reclaiming low-quality links

Not every link is valuable. Don’t waste time on irrelevant or spammy domains.

Mistake 3: Spammy outreach

Keep it human. Avoid templates that feel robotic. Focus on value.

Mistake 4: No follow-up

Many replies come in the second email. Don’t give up too soon.

Mistake 5: Doing it once

Make this a recurring habit, not a one-time project.

Wrapping Up 

Link reclamation is one of the easiest but most effective ways to win back SEO value without starting from scratch.

We don’t need new content. We don’t need dozens of emails. We just need to recover what we already earned.

Start small—fix a few broken backlinks or reach out to a couple of unlinked brand mentions.

Track your wins, scale what works, and turn link reclamation into a regular part of your SEO process.

By doing this consistently, we strengthen our backlink profile, maintain rankings, and grow with less effort than traditional link building.