How to Do Link Reclamation

To do link reclamation, recover links you should have but don’t — lost backlinks (links removed or changed), broken inbound links (links pointing to dead pages on your site), and unlinked brand mentions (sites that mention you without linking). Find each, then recover it: ask to restore lost links, 301-redirect or fix broken inbound ones, and ask mentioners to add a link. Link reclamation is the easiest, highest-ROI link work — you’ve already earned the recognition; you’re just recovering the link. Here’s how.

This guide covers the three types of link reclamation — the easiest links you’ll ever earn.

What link reclamation is (and why it’s the easy win)

Link reclamation is recovering backlinks you’ve lost, should have, or nearly have. Unlike earning brand-new links (which requires convincing someone from scratch), reclamation works with links or mentions that already exist or existed — so the “sell” is far easier. It’s the highest-ROI link work: three types (lost links, broken inbound links, unlinked mentions), each a near-earned link waiting to be recovered.

Type 1: Recover lost backlinks

Links you had but lost.

Step 1 — Find lost links

Use a backlink tool (Ahrefs, Semrush) “lost links” report to find links that were removed, or where the linking page changed/dropped the link.

Step 2 — Understand why they were lost

• The page was updated and the link removed?
• The linking page was deleted or moved?
• The link broke on their end?

Step 3 — Recover them

• If a valuable link was removed, politely reach out — ask if they’d restore it (especially if the content is still relevant/referenced).
• Not all are recoverable, but valuable ones are worth a genuine ask.

Type 2: Fix broken inbound links

Links pointing to dead pages on your site (they exist but 404 — leaking value).

Step 1 — Find them

Use Search Console or a backlink tool to find backlinks pointing to 404 pages on your site.

Step 2 — Fix them

• 301-redirect the dead URL to the best relevant live page — you instantly reclaim that link’s value (no outreach needed).
• If the page should exist, restore it.
• This is the easiest reclamation of all — often just a redirect.

Type 3: Convert unlinked mentions to links

Sites that mention your brand/name but don’t link to you.

Step 1 — Find unlinked mentions

• Monitoring tools (Google Alerts, brand-monitoring, mention tools) or search for your brand/name and note mentions without a link.

Step 2 — Qualify them

• Relevant, quality sites where a link makes sense (skip irrelevant/spammy).

Step 3 — Ask for the link

• Politely reach out — thank them for the mention and ask if they’d add a link (they already like you enough to mention you, so it’s a warm, easy ask).
• Many will add it.

Step 4 (all types) — Prioritize and pursue

• Prioritize by the value of the link/site and ease of recovery.
• Broken inbound links first (often just a redirect — instant wins).
• Then unlinked mentions (warm asks) and valuable lost links.
• Keep it genuine and white-hat — you’re recovering earned recognition, not manufacturing links.

The bottom line

Do link reclamation by recovering lost backlinks (ask to restore), broken inbound links (301-redirect to reclaim instantly), and unlinked brand mentions (ask for the link) — prioritizing the easy, high-value wins. It’s the highest-ROI link work because you’ve already earned the recognition; you’re just recovering the link. Start with broken inbound links — often a single redirect. (SEO consulting reclaims lost and unlinked links — or run a free seo check.)

Frequently asked questions

How do I do link reclamation? Recover three types of links you should have but don’t. Find lost backlinks with a backlink tool’s “lost links” report and politely ask valuable ones to be restored. Find broken inbound links (backlinks pointing to 404 pages on your site) via Search Console or a backlink tool, and 301-redirect them to reclaim their value instantly. Find unlinked brand mentions with monitoring tools or searches, and ask those sites to add a link. Prioritize the easiest, highest-value wins — often broken inbound links first.

What is link reclamation? Link reclamation is the practice of recovering backlinks you’ve lost, should have, or nearly have — rather than earning brand-new ones from scratch. It covers three types: lost backlinks (links that were removed or changed), broken inbound links (external links pointing to dead pages on your site), and unlinked mentions (sites that mention your brand without linking). Because these links or mentions already exist or existed, reclamation is among the easiest, highest-ROI link-building work available.

Why is link reclamation considered easy or high-ROI? Because it works with links and mentions that already exist or existed, so the effort of convincing someone from scratch is largely removed. Fixing a broken inbound link often just requires a 301 redirect on your own site — no outreach at all — instantly reclaiming that link’s value. Unlinked mentions are warm asks, since the site already chose to mention you. Recovering a lost link references content they already linked to. This makes reclamation far easier than cold link building.

How do I find unlinked brand mentions? Use brand-monitoring tools like Google Alerts, Mention, or similar services to track when your brand or name is mentioned online, and search for your brand name to find pages that mention you. Then check whether each mention includes a link to your site. Those that mention you without linking are your unlinked-mention opportunities. Qualify them for relevance and quality, then reach out politely to ask if they’d add a link, since a site that already mentioned you is usually receptive.

How do I reclaim broken inbound links? Find backlinks pointing to pages on your site that return 404 errors, using Google Search Console or a backlink tool. For each, 301-redirect the dead URL to the most relevant live page on your site, which instantly reclaims that link’s value with no outreach needed. If the page should still exist, restore it instead. Fixing broken inbound links is the easiest form of link reclamation because it’s usually just a redirect you control, recovering link equity that was otherwise leaking away.

Can I recover lost backlinks? Sometimes. If a valuable backlink was removed — because the linking page was updated, deleted, or the link was dropped — you can politely reach out to the site owner and ask if they’d restore it, especially if the content that referenced you is still relevant. Not all lost links are recoverable, since some pages are gone or the removal was intentional, but valuable lost links are worth a genuine ask. A backlink tool’s “lost links” report helps you find them.

Is link reclamation white hat? Yes. Link reclamation is a white-hat practice because you’re recovering links and mentions you’ve genuinely earned — restoring a removed link, fixing a broken one on your own site, or asking a site that already mentioned you to add a link. You’re not manufacturing artificial links or manipulating rankings; you’re recovering earned recognition. As long as the outreach is genuine and the links are relevant and legitimately earned, link reclamation is fully within Google’s guidelines and a sound part of link building.

Written by Bryan Collins, SEO & AEO strategist. Want lost and unlinked links reclaimed? See done-for-you SEO or run a free local SEO audit.