Imagine you are reading an article that raves about your brand but doesn’t link back to your website. These unlinked brand mentions, typically a forgotten link-building possibility, are gems waiting to be discovered and can boost your SEO.
Now, marketers have a wide range of SEO tools that allow them to monitor and enhance their online presence, outperforming traditional marketing approaches. In SEO, backlinks are a pretty useful tool that can help improve your position in search results.
Yet, unlinked mentions remain often overlooked by many brands even though they possess staggering potential. Ever thought of how you could transform such unlinked brand mentions into a powerful backlink?
From this guide, you will learn how to build backlinks using unlinked brand mentions.
What are Unlinked Brand Mentions
An unlinked brand mention is when another website mentions your brand name but doesn’t include a link to your site.
These mentions could be in an article, blog, forum, or social media post, highlighting your brand but missing the important clickable link that drives traffic and boosts SEO.
According to a report, unlinked mentions are ranked as the fourth most frequently employed strategy for building links.
Why These Mentions Are Valuable for SEO
These are valuable for various reasons:
- Brand Recognition: Even if there is no link provided, mentions increase brand awareness and recognition among potential customers. They indicate that your brand is being discussed and valued on several online platforms.
- Link Building Opportunities: These are prime opportunities to get backlinks. You can reach out to the sites that have mentioned your brand and can request them to add a link.
- Search Engine Signals: While direct backlinks are important for SEO, search engines also consider mentions as indicators of popularity and relevance.
Examples
ahrefs.com/blog/unlinked-mentions/
Here is an example of an unlinked brand mention in which Ahrefs is cited but without a link.
Benefits of Converting Unlinked Brand Mentions to Backlinks
- SEO Boost: Backlinks are important for SEO. Converting unlinked brand mentions into active backlinks can enhance your website’s authority in search engine algorithms, improving your search rankings.
- Increased Traffic: Acquiring backlinks from authoritative sites can automatically drive direct referral traffic to your website. Users who click on these links are more likely to visit your site.
- Enhanced Credibility: Backlinks originating from reliable websites serve as testimonials to your brand. They confirm your industry knowledge and authority by building user and search engine confidence.
How to Identify Unlinked Brand Mentions
Identifying unlinked brand mentions is a strategic approach that utilizes the following:
1. Tools and Techniques
Using advanced tools is an efficient way to automate the process of identifying unlinked brand mentions:
- Google Alerts
Set up Google Alerts for your brand name and relevant keywords. For example, the ‘Apple’ brand can set up alerts for keywords like iPhone, iPad, etc. This tool will notify you via email whenever new mentions of your brand appear on the web.
- Mention
neilpatel.com/blog/brand-mentions/
It is a comprehensive media monitoring tool that allows you to track mentions of your brand across various online sources, including social media, news websites, blogs, and forums.
- Ahrefs
ahrefs.com/blog/unlinked-mentions/
It is a powerful SEO tool that provides backlink analysis. You can use it to perform a backlink audit and identify unlinked mentions of your brand on other websites.
- SEMrush: It offers a Brand Monitoring tool that helps track mentions of your brand and competitors across the web. SEMrush provides insights into where your brand is mentioned without a backlink.
2. Manual Search
Manually searching allows you to actively seek out unlinked brand mentions using specific search queries and direct observation:
- Search Queries
Conduct searches on search engines using variations of your brand name in quotation marks (“Your Brand Name”). For example, to find the pages where our brand is mentioned, we entered following query:
intext: Outreach Crayon -outreachcrayon.com -facebook.com -twitter.com -instagram.com -youtube.com -pinterest.com
- Social Media Platforms: Monitor social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram using hashtags, mentions, and search functions to find conversations and posts mentioning your brand without links.
- Industry-specific Websites and Forums: It is useful to set aside time to explore websites, forums, and discussion boards associated with your brand’s industry or relevant topics. Check for the brand or the company and try to get into the conversation to make the non-linked mention into a link.
3. Monitoring Strategies
Implementing proactive monitoring strategies ensures you stay informed about new mentions and opportunities:
- Regular Audits: Conduct regular audits of your brand’s online presence. Review mentions on your website’s comment sections, guest posts, and collaborations to ensure they are linked to your website.
- Engage with Content Creators: Engage with authors, bloggers, journalists, and influencers who mention your brand without links. Reach out to them through email or social media to request they add a link to your website.
- Monitor Reviews and Comments: Monitor customer reviews, testimonials, and comments on review websites, forums, and social media. Respond promptly and request reviewers to include a link to your website when mentioning your brand positively.
Outreach Strategies for Converting Mentions to Backlinks
Let’s look at some outreach strategies to help you turn your mentions into backlinks.
1. Personalized Outreach
Tailor your outreach emails to each recipient. Address them by name and reference their content where your brand was mentioned. Show appreciation for the mention and express interest in collaborating further.
Clearly outline the benefits of adding a backlink to your website. Emphasize how it can enhance its content’s value by providing readers with direct access to additional resources or information related to your brand.
Explain why a backlink is beneficial for both parties. Highlight mutual interests, such as increasing referral traffic, enhancing SEO, or fostering a long-term relationship in the industry.
Include a clear call to action, such as a suggestion for adding a specific anchor text or link to relevant pages on your website. Make it easy for them to take action by providing ready-to-use HTML code or link suggestions.
ahrefs.com/blog/unlinked-mentions/
Here is an example of an outreach email of how ahrefs converted an unlinked mention to a linked mention.
2. Building Relationships
It’s best to be kind and polite.
Build rapport with authors, bloggers, and influencers who mention your brand. Follow them on social media, share their content, and engage with their posts to establish relationships before reaching out for backlinks.
Provide value to content creators by offering to collaborate on future projects, contribute guest posts, or provide exclusive insights or data related to your industry. However, avoid pushing too hard or being overly complimentary.
Professionals who have worked in the field for a considerable time, such as writers, journalists, and editors, can easily recognize a fake and will not like it. Networking in person or virtually can strengthen relationships and make outreach efforts more effective.
3. Follow-up
Always follow up if the link hasn’t been added and you haven’t received a response. Wait until you receive a yes or no response before stopping.
At the same time, refrain from harassing them. There is a thin line to tread. It is unlikely that they will wish to give you this favor if you bombard them with requests daily.
You should schedule your initial follow-up in three to five days, then again after a week and a half, and finally, every few weeks. See if there’s another contact email you can use, as it’s possible that the one you’re using isn’t being watched.
Conclusion
Businesses can transform passive recognition into active SEO benefits by harnessing the potential of unlinked brand mentions.
By converting these mentions into valuable backlinks through strategic outreach and relationship building, brands boost their search engine rankings, enhance credibility, and attract more organic traffic.
This approach maximizes SEO impact and fosters long-term growth and visibility in competitive digital landscapes.
Embracing the opportunities presented by unlinked brand mentions ensures that every mention contributes directly to strengthening your online presence and achieving sustainable SEO success.
