What is an unlinked brand mention? How to turn mentions into links

What is an unlinked brand mention?

An unlinked brand mention is a page that names your company, product or founder without linking to your site. Because the writer already chose to mention you, asking them to turn that mention into a link is one of the easiest requests in link building. It's usually a short, friendly email with the exact URL.

Why they're easy wins

The hard part of a pitch is convincing someone you belong on their page. With an unlinked mention, they've already decided that. Your email only asks for a small edit that also helps their readers, who can now click through instead of searching for you.

How to find unlinked brand mentions

Search Google for your brand name in quotes, excluding your own site with -site:yourdomain.com.
Set up Google Alerts for your brand, product and founder names.
Use the mentions or content explorer report in a backlink tool, filtered to pages that don't link to you.
Ask AI assistants about your category and note pages they cite that name you.

What to send

Thank them for the mention, give the exact page and sentence, and ask whether they'd link it to the right page on your site. One request, no extras. The unlinked mention template is short on purpose.

Skip it when the mention is negative, when the site has a clear no-links policy, or when the mention is in a news story the outlet won't edit.

Example

A thesis-writing blog post says "I keep my notes in Margin" without a link. Margin thanks the author and asks if they'd link the name.

Putting it into practice

Where to use it: Unlinked mention email template.

Questions people ask

Do unlinked brand mentions help SEO?

They help your brand, and they can shape what AI assistants say about you, but they don't pass link credit the way a link does. Turning a relevant mention into a link adds that credit and lets readers click through.

How do I find unlinked brand mentions?

Search your brand name in quotes while excluding your own site, set up Google Alerts for your brand and product names, and use a backlink tool's mentions report filtered to pages that don't already link to you.

Should I ask for a link in a negative review?

Usually not. A link from a critical article may not help, and the request can read as tone-deaf. Respond to the criticism if it's fair, and spend your outreach on positive or neutral mentions.