Turning an unlinked mention into a backlink: How to do it, and what are the steps?
In the current digital landscape, mentions of the brand are what significantly impact your online presence. Unlinked mentions are sometimes overlooked. This article explores why they are important and how you can turn them into backlinks.
Unlinked mentions don’t link back to the original website. In order to turn unlinked mentions into links (link building), you need to follow a structured approach. Identify mentions of your brand and, reach out to the authors or the website that you saw them on, and request a link.
An unlinked brand mention is actually a good thing.
You might be thinking: There is no link; how can this be a good thing?
When a website mentions your brand on a website, it can be good for you because it facilitates increased awareness of your brand.
Tracking unlinked mentions is a great opportunity to gain backlinks.
There are tons of SEO experts who have debated whether unlinked mentions realistically benefit your SEO efforts. These mentions can boost brand visibility, but they do not provide any measurable SEO benefits the same way a backlink does. That is why converting these mentions into linked references is essential when you want to enhance your search engine rankings and boost link building and your website’s authority.
Claiming unlinked brand mentions is something you should do, especially if you find them on websites that have higher authority. It can bring more awareness to your website if they add a link to your site. It has SEO value as well. Linked mentions will increase traffic to your website.
Here’s what an unlinked mention looks like. Notice there is no hyperlink linking to the original post/website.
You’ll notice that the image has been credited to “The Map House,” but there is no clickable link that takes the viewer to the original website.
Why should you find unlinked mentions?
Unlinked mentions are important for a couple of reasons:
Unlinked brand mentions help with increased brand awareness.
When somebody reads something on the website and sees the name of your brand, even if it is not linked, it makes them aware of your existence. It helps with visibility and recognition among potential customers. If somebody is interested in what they have seen, they will conduct a Google search and find your website.
Converting unlinked brand mentions into links has SEO benefits.
Unlinked mentions do not directly benefit SEO, but backlinks do. When you convert them into a backlink, link building helps enhance your website’s ranking and authority.
Find unlinked brand mentions to boost credibility and trust.
When your website/brand gets mentioned by reputable sources, it enhances credibility and fosters trust.
Converting unlinked mentions into backlinks can be a task.
Doing this requires a carefully planned strategy. Certain tools can help you speed up the process. Some of these tools are plain ol’ simple Google, Semrush, and AHREFs. I have discussed how you can use them further in the article.
Different types of unlinked brand mentions:
Understanding the different types of unlinked mentions is vital if you want to effectively convert them into backlinks:
– The main name of the brand mentioned in a blog post on a website. It may be an article that discusses topics that are related to your industry.
– Some users may have used keywords connected to your brand in comments or posts on social media.
– The misspelled name of your brand or words related to your brand.
– There are tons of online communities that may often mention your brand without providing a link back to your website.
– The brand slogan used somewhere but uncredited.
– Company employees like the PR team, marketing team, event organizers, etc.
– Your logo, designs, and other things.
Recognizing the types and value of unlinked brand mentions will help you identify where you are in terms of brand awareness. You can focus your efforts on finding and convert unlinked mentions.
If you have an established brand, this is the EASIEST way to build high-quality backlinks for FREE 👇
Unlinked Brand Mentions
Because you’re working with an established brand, a lot of websites will mention your brand without linking to your website.
The goal is to reach out… pic.twitter.com/zGTqUpkd9Q
— Mico Martinez (@MicoMartinez) October 3, 2023
Steps to convert unlinked brand mentions and turn them into links:
There are some methods you could use to find unlinked mentions of your brand or website online. Start by identifying unlinked mentions of your brand/website. There could be thousands of mentions of your brand online, depending on how well-known your website is currently.
Convert unlinked mentions into quality backlinks with the help of Google’s advanced search:
It is a feature provided by Google. It lets you refine search results and find what you’re looking for faster. You can access advanced search with the help of many search functions and operators.
When using this feature, remember that you are responsible for refining your search results. You can do this by selecting elements like language, region, specific sites or domains, formats, finding pages with certain words, excluding pages with certain words, and more.
You can use three functions that Google offers to find unlinked mentions:
1.” ” quotations to find the exact match for the name of your brand or website.
2. -site will exclude results from specific websites. So, if you are looking for unlinked mentions but don’t want to see your website pop up, you can use this.
3. OR will search for multiple phrases.
4. site:domain.com to find specific websites/pages.
For example: site:www.apple.com, site:www.apple.com iPad (in this case, iPad is the keyword).
It will help you refine your search and show you how many pages mention the keywords you have entered.
Find and filter the quality of the websites (check domain authority, engagement metrics, relevance, social shares, etc.).
High-quality websites will provide you with a ton of great opportunities when someone mentioned your brand on their website. Craft an email to the website you found the mention on. (I have provided an example of what the email should look like below).
Set up Google alerts:
Google Alerts is a simple but powerful that will help you track unlinked mentions.
All you need to do is go to Google Alerts and enter your brand name or any keywords that could be connected to your brand in the search bar. You can then customize the alert.
– You will see an alert preview pop up. It will show you an example of a website talking about your brand.
– Choose how often you would like to receive the alert for every unlinked mention.
– Choose what type of source you would like to track. If you choose automatic, it will monitor all sources.
– If you are a smaller company, it is fine if you select the “all results” tab. However, you have the option to select “only the best results” as well.
– Adjust the rest of the settings according to your requirements.
– Monitor the alerts you receive for different types of unlinked mentions so that you can catch any new mentions across websites as they appear.
Use AHREFs:
It gives you more results and it also allows you to customize your query with many filters, such as organic traffic, website, traffic value, and domain ratings.
– Click on the content explorer tab and type in your keywords in quotes (“example”).
– From the drop-down bar, choose “in content.”
– Use the “highlight unlinked” filter. This feature highlights the pages with relevant mentions of your keywords that haven’t provided a link. Keep track of new unlinked mentions using this feature as often as you’d like.
– Analyse the quality of the websites by keeping an eye on their domain rating (DR) and other metrics like traffic.
(I have to add that it is not always 100% accurate, as you will notice if you use it a few times, but it will help you find pages that mention your brand, and you can then ask them to include a link to your website.)
AHREFs is one of the best tools for tracking brand mentions, and you can monitor new ones as they pop up.
Keep track of new mentions:
When you reach out to a website to request a backlink based on any recent mentions that you may have discovered, your chances of success are a lot higher if the mention in question is fresh.
Newly published pages usually attract a lot more attention from the people editing them compared to those that have been online for a while. That is why it is crucial that you focus on monitoring new mentions and turn unlinked brand mentions into backlinks rather than trying to get backlinks for unlinked mentions that are several months or even several years old.
Here’s how you can do that on AHREFs:
– Navigate to AHREFs alerts and select “Mentions”.
– You will find a variety of filters available. This will allow you to customize your tracking. You will be able to set up alerts to receive notifications through email. You can choose how frequently you’d like to receive these notifications as well.
– With the help of this tool, you can typically observe around 60 to 100 instances where your website or brand is mentioned every week, depending on the size of your brand. Not all of them will be relevant, and some can be linked or unlinked.
The idea is to turn unlinked mentions into valuable backlinks. Several factors come into play.
– The website that has mentioned your brand/website needs to have a decent domain rating, which will help you assess the value of unlinked brand mentions. It is important to convert unlinked mentions into quality backlinks, and that depends on the health and domain rating of the website.
– A lot of websites may talk about your brand without linking back to your website, and that is okay. Not every unlinked mention can convert into a valuable backlink.
– You need to make sure that the website that has mentioned your brand is relevant enough to your niche or industry for you to request a backlink.
Unlinked mentions help, but only if the mention is on a relevant website.
Make use of brand monitoring tools:
There are several tools available for you to use. They will help you keep track of brand mentions across many platforms, which allows you to find and get in touch with websites you found them on.
1. Brand24 is a great tool that will help you monitor your presence across the Internet. This includes blogs, forums, new websites, and even social media platforms.
You will be able to track mentions of your brand, analyze any sentiments communicated, and engage with your audiences in real-time.
It makes it easy for you to spot opportunities for unlinked mentions to be turned into backlinks to your website/brand. It also gives you a view of what people are saying about your brand.
2. SEMrush’s brand monitoring tool helps you find unlinked brand mentions using the many features it offers. It makes it intuitive for you to find and convert unlinked mentions.
– Set up and configure your account. Select the “brand monitoring” tool. Search for your brand name, any relevant keywords, and competitors you wish to monitor.
– The brand monitoring tool then scans the Internet for any mentions of the name and keywords you have provided.
– You will also be able to set up alerts based on the sentiments you see. This will help you prioritize any instance where your brand is mentioned and if it will impact the reputation of your brand.
– This tool allows you to set up automated email notifications, which will alert you whenever your brand is mentioned online. You can choose how often you want to be notified if there are unusual spikes.
– The tool gives you detailed analytics of every mention, domain authority, estimated reach, and whether a backlink is included in every mention.
– You can then compile a list of potential outreach targets where you can request backlinks to your website.
– Next, you craft the perfect email to request backlinks.
Here’s an example outline for the email you should send when you want to request a backlink:
Subject line: Thank you for mentioning (name of your brand/website).
Hi [Name of person],
I hope this message finds you well! I wanted to take a moment to thank you for mentioning [our website] in your recent article titled “[article title].” It’s great to see our work being recognized!
I’m [your name], and I work as a [your position] at [your company]. We specialize in [description of your company ]. I believe that adding a hyperlink to our website would enhance the value of your article by providing readers with more information about [specific topic related to the mention] and link them back to our website. Mentions are an excellent opportunity for both of us to gain better engagement and higher traffic.
If you’re open to it, I would appreciate it if you could add a link to [website URL]. In return, I’d be happy to share your article with our audience on social media platforms to enhance engagement.
Thank you again for considering this request. I look forward to hearing from you soon!
Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Position]
[Your Company]
[Your Contact Information]
A reddit discussion on sourcing an unlinked mention:
An Unlinked Mention (Link building)
byu/MitsuAshiLinks inSEO
In conclusion:
Converting an unlinked mention into a valuable backlink can be a strategic process that will significantly enhance the website’s authority and visibility. By identifying these mentions, reaching out to those websites with a polite email, and providing some context for the link, you can effectively build strong relationships while also boosting your SEO efforts with the help of link building. By implementing the above steps, you not only improve your profile but also foster a collaborative online community that paves the way for tons of future opportunities.
FAQs:
1. How can I track brand mentions for free?
To track brand mentions for free, you can set up Google Alerts by entering your brand name and customizing the alert settings to receive notifications whenever your brand is mentioned online.
2. Do unlinked mentions help SEO?
Unlinked mentions can indirectly help SEO by enhancing brand visibility and authority, as search engines can recognize them as signals of relevance. They don’t provide direct link equity but, they create opportunities for converting mentions into backlinks, which can significantly boost your site’s organic search performance.
3. What are the different types of mentions?
Direct Mentions: References to your brand or product name without a hyperlink.
Indirect Mentions: References to your brand without naming it directly.
Social Media Mentions: Users mention your brand in posts or comments, sometimes tagging but without links.
Content Mentions: Citations of your content, such as blog posts or infographics, that lack backlinks.
Review Mentions: Mentions in customer reviews or ratings on platforms like Yelp or Amazon.
Event Mentions: References to events you host or participate in, such as webinars or conferences.
Maximize the potential of your content, and GO GET THOSE BACKLINKS!
