Link Reclamation: How to Find and Reclaim Lost Backlinks

Building links is difficult. Which is wherefore it’s truthful frustrating erstwhile hard-earned links vanish without warning.

Sadly, this happens each the time.

Here’s a screenshot of a nexus to Ahrefs’ Content Explorer successful an nonfiction by Copy.ai:

This is simply a bully nexus from a leafage connected a tract with a Domain Rating (DR) of 93.

But instrumentality a look astatine that nonfiction now. The nexus is nary more. It’s gone.

That would definite beryllium a bully nexus to reclaim, right?

Yes. It would. The aforesaid goes for the hundreds of different links we’ve mislaid successful the past mates of months. Which is wherever nexus reclamation comes in.

Link reclamation is the process of reclaiming mislaid links. You had a link. You mislaid it. You privation it back. So you instrumentality steps to effort to reclaim it.

What steps, I perceive you ask?

It depends wherefore you mislaid the nexus successful the first place.

Here are 4 communal reasons for nexus losses:

1. Link removed. The writer removes your nexus from the linking page
2. Linking leafage deleted. The linking leafage nary longer exists (404 error)
3. Linking leafage redirected. The linking leafage gets (301) redirected
4. Linking leafage noindexed. The linking leafage is nary longer indexed successful Google*

I’ve starred (*) that past crushed due to the fact that it’s not not technically a mislaid link. It inactive exists. But due to the fact that the leafage isn’t indexed, it probably isn’t going to beryllium arsenic valuable.

Understanding the nuances associated with each “reason” is the cardinal to taking enactment to reclaim the links. Keep speechmaking to learn how.

Link reclamation vs. claiming unlinked marque mentions

Here is an unlinked mention:

Ahrefs is cited, but there’s no link.

You could reason that this should beryllium a link. In which case, attempting to person this to a linked notation would beryllium a signifier of nexus reclamation, right?

Before I started penning the archetypal mentation of this usher backmost successful 2018, I made this nonstop constituent to Tim (my boss), to which helium responded:

Tim’s effect via Slack

Mind. Blown.

You can’t reclaim a nexus you ne'er had successful the first place.

So this usher is each astir reclaiming mislaid backlinks.

But…

If this post by Antonio Gabric is to beryllium believed, the reply is yes—and precise well. He says helium reclaimied 31 backlinks from conscionable 166 outreach emails. That’s an 18.67% conversion rate, which is beauteous overmuch unheard of successful nexus outreach these days.

But the world is that results tin disagree by industry, brand, and however you built oregon earned the links successful the first place.

In fact, I deliberation Antonio got specified bully results due to the fact that helium was intelligibly attempting to reclaim links built done “win triumph collaborations.” In different words, they were either paid backlinks oregon ones acquired done shady tactics similar link exchanges:

It makes consciousness to expect the different enactment to clasp up their extremity of the bargain erstwhile a woody is made, truthful this apt explains Antonio’s stellar results.

Still, nexus reclamation is simply a elemental maneuver that’s seldom a large clip concern erstwhile you person things acceptable up. This tin marque it good worthy doing adjacent if speech rates are comparatively low.

Bottom line? As with each link gathering tactics, you won’t cognize however good nexus reclamation works for you until you try it.

Follow these 2 elemental steps.

1. Find mislaid links with Site Explorer

Site Explorer > participate your domain > Backlinks > Lost

Here you volition spot each the backlinks you’ve mislaid during the past 30 days.

For ahrefs.com, I spot 6,285 lost links.

But the world is that astir of those links won’t beryllium worthy trying to reclaim. Many volition conscionable beryllium junk that weren’t helping you to fertile anyway.

To find links worthy reclaiming, acceptable the “Best links” filter to “Show champion links only.”

If we bash this for Ahrefs.com, 6,285 instantly drops to 594.

If you’ll lone beryllium doing link outreach successful a peculiar language, it’s worthy filtering for links from pages successful that connection too.

2. Pick the champion opportunities

How you attack reclaiming a mislaid nexus volition beryllium connected the crushed for its loss. Some whitethorn not adjacent beryllium worthy trying to reclaim astatine each (more connected that successful a moment).

In Ahrefs, we statement each nexus with a nexus nonaccomplishment reason:

You tin besides filter by nexus nonaccomplishment reason:

Let’s tackle if and however to grip each crushed for link loss.

Link removed — Often worthy pursuing

This means the nexus disappeared from the linking page.

Here are 3 communal reasons this tin happen:

1. They refreshed their content, removing immoderate outer links successful the process.
2. They replaced your nexus with thing better.
3. They implemented a argumentation banning outer links.

You tin usage the Page Inspect diagnostic successful Ahrefs to fig retired which crushed it is. Hit “Show changes” adjacent to the nexus nonaccomplishment crushed to bring it up.

You should spot the HTML of the leafage earlier and aft the nexus was removed. Removed sections are highlighted red, and caller sections are highlighted green.

To rapidly scroll to links you whitethorn person lost, usage the up/down arrows successful the hunt container connected the left:

For example, here’s a nexus to our website that was replaced:

Here’s however to fig retired the crushed for the link loss:

• If the contented is wholly different, it’s astir apt a contented update. Seeing tons of reddish and greenish successful Page Inspect is simply a telltale motion of this. Check if your nexus would adhd worth to the refreshed contented and if so, pitch them.
• If your nexus has been replaced, they astir apt due to the fact that they recovered a amended resource. Reach and inquire wherefore they replaced it. Get feedback, improve. This volition forestall much nexus losses. They whitethorn adjacent reinstate your nexus if you amended your content.
• If your nexus has been removed on with galore others, they astir apt person a caller outer links policy. Don’t pitch. There’s not overmuch you tin bash about this.

Not recovered — Sometimes worthy pursuing

This means the linking leafage couldn’t beryllium recovered during our last crawl.

There are 3 reasons this tin happen:

• The tract proprietor deleted the leafage intentionally
• The tract proprietor deleted the leafage accidentally
• For immoderate crushed we couldn’t entree the leafage erstwhile crawling. This mightiness beryllium due to the fact that the tract was temporarily down.

I would lone urge pursuing these opportunities if you deliberation the leafage got deleted accidentally.

To cheque if the leafage was deleted, click to sojourn the referring page.

Here’s 1 that nary longer exists from WPShout:

There’s nary mode of knowing for definite if it was deleted accidentally, but the leafage having tons of backlinks is usually a motion of this. After all, nary sane SEO-savvy website proprietor would delete specified a leafage without redirecting it.

To spot however galore links the referring leafage has, deed the caret adjacent to the URL:

In this case, the leafage has backlinks from 109 websites.

That’s rather a lot, truthful it whitethorn beryllium worthy sending a speedy “Hey, Just noticed that your leafage astir ____ is broken. Did you mean to delete it?” email.

Broken redirect — Sometimes worthy pursuing

This means the linked redirecting URL couldn’t beryllium followed to its “destination” leafage during the astir caller crawl.

There are a fewer reasons this tin happen:

• Not redirected anymore: Linked URL (or 1 of the links successful the redirect chain) is nary longer redirecting.
• Not canonicalized anymore: Linked URL’s declared canonical changed.
• Destination changed: Linked URL present redirects to a antithetic location.

Unless immoderate of these things happened by mistake, there’s nary nexus reclamation accidental to prosecute here. These links are reported arsenic mislaid due to the fact that of changes made connected your website.

For example, we precocious moved our API documentation. In doing so, we redirected the aged URL to the caller one. This past gets reported arsenic a lost link.

Here’s different example:

This time, the declared canonical changed. Our list of SEO agencies successful Bulgaria antecedently canonicalized to the homepage of our SEO agencies directory. I’m not adjacent to this project, but I’m guessing this was due to the fact that determination were nary agencies listed successful this conception truthful we didn’t privation it indexed.

Now determination are 3 agencies, truthful it makes consciousness to region the canonical that pointed to the main leafage and person Google scale the existent page:

In some of these cases, there’s nary nexus reclamation accidental due to the fact that they’re the effect of changes we intended to make.

The lone clip determination mightiness beryllium a nexus reclamation accidental is erstwhile redirects are removed by mistake, starring to 404s with backlinks. But, to beryllium honest, it’s overmuch easier to spot these opportunities by filtering the Best by Links study for the astir linked dormant pages. You tin past conscionable redirect them to wherever makes sense.

Noindex — Probably not worthy pursuing

This means the linking leafage was noindexed since the last crawl.

You tin verify the beingness of this tag with the Ahrefs SEO Toolbar:

This is simply a unusual lawsuit due to the fact that your nexus is astir apt inactive connected the leafage itself. It’s conscionable that Google whitethorn not number it owed to the leafage being noindexed.

If the tract proprietor meant to noindex the page, there’s not overmuch you tin bash about this.

But a batch of radical noindex pages by accident. In which case, you might privation to scope retired and springiness them a heads up. This tin beryllium thing arsenic elemental as:

Hey, Just spotted a “noindex” tag connected your leafage astir _______. Not definite if you did this connected intent but if not, you mightiness privation to hole it. Adding this tag removes the leafage from Google. 🙁

Here are 2 ways to spot accidental noindexing:

1. Check if their homepage besides has a “noindex” tag: Nobody successful their close caput wants to de-index their homepage. The beingness of a noindex” tag present astir ever indicates that they’ve added a sitewide noindex tag by accident.
2. Look retired for signs of SEO: Nobody would optimize a leafage they planned to “noindex.” If the leafage shows immoderate signs of optimization (e.g., targeting a high-volume keyword), the likeliness of an accidental “noindex” is high.

The crushed I accidental you lone might privation to scope retired is due to the fact that they’ll astir apt recognize their mistake and hole it yet without your input. Reaching retired whitethorn conscionable discarded your time.

Not canonical anymore — Probably not worthy pursuing

This means the linking leafage is present specifying different assets arsenic its canonical.

You tin spot the declared canonical utilizing Ahrefs SEO Toolbar:

9 times retired of 10, these are thing to interest about. Common reasons for canonicals include:

• Canonicalization to HTTPs (from HTTP)
• Canonicalization to a standardized mentation of the URL (e.g., with/without trailing slash)
• Canonicalization to the aforesaid contented astatine a antithetic URL

In each of these instances, your nexus volition inactive beryllium (and “count”) astatine the canonicalized mentation of the URL.

But sometimes, canonicals are indicative of a mistake…

For example, the URL this referring leafage declares arsenic its canonical gives a information warning:

That doesn’t look close at all.

But here’s the thing: successful cases similar these, Google is astute capable to recognize that it astir apt shouldn’t respect the canonical. In which case, it volition inactive scale the linking leafage and the nexus won’t technically beryllium lost. Therefore, there’s seldom immoderate accidental here.

301/302 redirect — Probably not worthy pursuing

This means the linking leafage redirected to a antithetic URL during the astir caller crawl.

Much similar canonicals, redirects are seldom worthy pursuing. Common reasons for them include:

• Redirect from HTTP to HTTPs
• Redirect to standardized mentation of the URL (e.g., with/without trailing slash)
• Redirect to caller determination of leafage (e.g., blog.ahrefs.com to ahrefs.com/blog/)

In each of these cases, the redirected URL volition usually inactive nexus backmost to your site.

But sometimes, pages are deleted and redirected elsewhere. This often leads to a existent mislaid backlink. You tin easy cheque whether this is the lawsuit by searching the root codification of the last destination URL for yourdomain.com.

No results? The redirected leafage doesn’t nexus backmost to you.

I would lone urge pursuing these opportunities if:

• The redirected leafage contains an unlinked mention: This is uncommon but if it happens, you tin dainty it arsenic an unlinked notation opportunity.
• There’s a wide nexus accidental connected the redirected page: If a nexus to a assets of yours would adhd worth to the page, scope retired and suggest it.

In each different cases wherever the redirect is irrelevant (e.g., an aged blog station redirected to the tract homepage), permission it and chopped your losses.

PRO TIP

Want an casual mode to cheque whether the 301/302 redirected pages nexus backmost to you?

Make a transcript of this Google Sheet, past filter the Backlinks study successful Ahrefs’ Site Explorer for links mislaid with the 301/302 redirect status. Next, participate your domain successful compartment A1 of the expanse labelled “Settings,” past paste the referring pages (from the study export) into file A successful the expanse labelled “Redirects.” It volition amusement whether each last redirected URL contains a nexus backmost to your site.

Further analyse immoderate with the statement “Link lost :(”

NOTE. This expanse is an edited mentation of the 1 created by The Tech SEO here.

Crawl mistake — Not worthy pursuing

This means we couldn’t crawl the referring leafage during our past attempt.

Crawl errors tin hap for each kinds of reasons. Usually they’re not worthy worrying astir and the links volition reappear during the adjacent palmy scheduled crawl.

Dropped — Not worthy pursuing

This means we dropped the referring leafage from our database.

It’s precise apt that the nexus is inactive connected the page. We lone number them arsenic mislaid due to the fact that we’re nary longer capable to spot whether it’s determination or not.

Here are a fewer reasons wherefore we mightiness driblet a leafage from our index:

• We crawled a “better” leafage with the aforesaid content.
• The leafage was disallowed by robots.txt for astatine slightest 2 months.
• The domain does not beryllium anymore.
• The leafage has a debased URL Rating (UR).

Final thoughts

Link reclamation isn’t a one-time process. You volition suffer links each the clip for galore antithetic reasons. It pays to regularly cheque for mislaid links and reclaim immoderate that you can.

It whitethorn adjacent beryllium omniscient to re-allocate immoderate of your resources distant from link building and towards nexus reclamation. This is due to the fact that reclaiming mislaid links tin often beryllium easier, little time-consuming, and yet little costly than gathering new links.

My last portion of advice? Pick your battles wisely. Don’t effort to reclaim links that were mislaid for bully reason. Pursue those you basal a bully accidental of reclaiming.

For much nexus gathering tactics that don’t necessitate caller content, cheque retired our database of nexus gathering strategies.