SEO
How to Find and Reclaim Lost Backlinks
Building links is difficult. Which is why it’s so frustrating when hard-earned links disappear without warning.
Sadly, this happens all the time.
Here’s a screenshot of a link to Ahrefs’ Content Explorer in an article by Copy.ai:
This is a nice link from a page on a site with a Domain Rating (DR) of 93.
But take a look at that article now. The link is no more. It’s gone.
That would sure be a nice link to reclaim, right?
Yes. It would. The same goes for the hundreds of other links we’ve lost in the past couple of months. Which is where link reclamation comes in.
Link reclamation is the process of reclaiming lost links. You had a link. You lost it. You want it back. So you take steps to try to reclaim it.
What steps, I hear you ask?
It depends why you lost the link in the first place.
Here are four common reasons for link losses:
- Link removed. The author removes your link from the linking page
- Linking page deleted. The linking page no longer exists (404 error)
- Linking page redirected. The linking page gets (301) redirected
- Linking page noindexed. The linking page is no longer indexed in Google*
I’ve starred (*) that last reason because it’s not not technically a lost link. It still exists. But because the page isn’t indexed, it probably isn’t going to be as valuable.
Understanding the nuances associated with each “reason” is the key to taking action to reclaim the links. Keep reading to learn how.
Link reclamation vs. claiming unlinked brand mentions
Here is an unlinked mention:
Ahrefs is cited, but there’s no link.
You could argue that this should be a link. In which case, attempting to convert this to a linked mention would be a form of link reclamation, right?
Before I started writing the original version of this guide back in 2018, I made this exact point to Tim (my boss), to which he responded:
Mind. Blown.
You can’t reclaim a link you never had in the first place.
So this guide is all about reclaiming lost backlinks.
But…
If this post by Antonio Gabric is to be believed, the answer is yes—and very well. He says he reclaimied 31 backlinks from just 166 outreach emails. That’s an 18.67% conversion rate, which is pretty much unheard of in link outreach these days.
But the reality is that results can differ by industry, brand, and how you built or earned the links in the first place.
In fact, I think Antonio got such good results because he was clearly attempting to reclaim links built through “win win collaborations.” In other words, they were either paid backlinks or ones acquired through shady tactics like link exchanges:
It makes sense to expect the other party to hold up their end of the bargain when a deal is made, so this likely explains Antonio’s stellar results.
Still, link reclamation is a simple tactic that’s rarely a big time investment once you have things set up. This can make it well worth doing even if conversation rates are relatively low.
Bottom line? As with all link building tactics, you won’t know how well link reclamation works for you until you try it.
Follow these two simple steps.
1. Find lost links with Site Explorer
Site Explorer > enter your domain > Backlinks > Lost
Here you will see all the backlinks you’ve lost during the past 30 days.
For ahrefs.com, I see 6,285 lost links.
But the reality is that most of those links won’t be worth trying to reclaim. Many will just be junk that weren’t helping you to rank anyway.
To find links worth reclaiming, set the “Best links” filter to “Show best links only.”
If we do this for Ahrefs.com, 6,285 immediately drops to 594.
Sidenote.
You can configure “Best links” to filter for whatever types of backlinks you think are best. For example, if you only care about followed links from DR30+ sites with 10K+ monthly organic traffic, you can configure it to filter for only those links.
If you’ll only be doing link outreach in a particular language, it’s worth filtering for links from pages in that language too.
2. Pick the best opportunities
How you approach reclaiming a lost link will depend on the reason for its loss. Some may not even be worth trying to reclaim at all (more on that in a moment).
In Ahrefs, we label every link with a link loss reason:
You can also filter by link loss reason:
Let’s tackle if and how to handle each reason for link loss.
Link removed — Often worth pursuing
This means the link disappeared from the linking page.
Here are three common reasons this can happen:
- They refreshed their content, removing some external links in the process.
- They replaced your link with something better.
- They implemented a policy banning external links.
You can use the Page Inspect feature in Ahrefs to figure out which reason it is. Hit “Show changes” next to the link loss reason to bring it up.
You should see the HTML of the page before and after the link was removed. Removed sections are highlighted red, and new sections are highlighted green.
To quickly scroll to links you may have lost, use the up/down arrows in the search box on the left:
For example, here’s a link to our website that was replaced:
Here’s how to figure out the reason for the link loss:
- If the content is completely different, it’s probably a content update. Seeing lots of red and green in Page Inspect is a telltale sign of this. Check if your link would add value to the refreshed content and if so, pitch them.
- If your link has been replaced, they probably because they found a better resource. Reach and ask why they replaced it. Get feedback, improve. This will prevent more link losses. They may even reinstate your link if you improve your content.
- If your link has been removed along with many others, they probably have a new external links policy. Don’t pitch. There’s not much you can do about this.
Sidenote.
There are other reasons links can be removed. These are just the common ones.
Not found — Sometimes worth pursuing
This means the linking page couldn’t be found during our last crawl.
There are three reasons this can happen:
- The site owner deleted the page intentionally
- The site owner deleted the page accidentally
- For some reason we couldn’t access the page when crawling. This might be because the site was temporarily down.
I would only recommend pursuing these opportunities if you think the page got deleted accidentally.
To check if the page was deleted, click to visit the referring page.
Here’s one that no longer exists from WPShout:
There’s no way of knowing for sure if it was deleted accidentally, but the page having lots of backlinks is usually a sign of this. After all, no sane SEO-savvy website owner would delete such a page without redirecting it.
To see how many links the referring page has, hit the caret next to the URL:
In this case, the page has backlinks from 109 websites.
That’s quite a lot, so it may be worth sending a quick “Hey, Just noticed that your page about ____ is broken. Did you mean to delete it?” email.
Looking for a better tactic here?
Give broken link building a shot. This is where you create a similar page, then reach out to everyone linking to the dead resource and suggest they replace it with yours. It can work very well if you find a dead page with a lot of good backlinks.
Broken redirect — Sometimes worth pursuing
This means the linked redirecting URL couldn’t be followed to its “destination” page during the most recent crawl.
There are a few reasons this can happen:
- Not redirected anymore: Linked URL (or one of the links in the redirect chain) is no longer redirecting.
- Not canonicalized anymore: Linked URL’s declared canonical changed.
- Destination changed: Linked URL now redirects to a different location.
Sidenote.
There’s also the “Dropped” reason, which means the linked redirecting URL was removed from our database. These links almost always still exist and aren’t worth worrying about.
Unless any of these things happened by mistake, there’s no link reclamation opportunity to pursue here. These links are reported as lost because of changes made on your website.
For example, we recently moved our API documentation. In doing so, we redirected the old URL to the new one. This then gets reported as a lost link.
Here’s another example:
This time, the declared canonical changed. Our list of SEO agencies in Bulgaria previously canonicalized to the homepage of our SEO agencies directory. I’m not close to this project, but I’m guessing this was because there were no agencies listed in this section so we didn’t want it indexed.
Now there are three agencies, so it makes sense to remove the canonical that pointed to the main page and have Google index the actual page:
In both of these cases, there’s no link reclamation opportunity because they’re the result of changes we intended to make.
The only time there might be a link reclamation opportunity is when redirects are removed by mistake, leading to 404s with backlinks. But, to be honest, it’s much easier to spot these opportunities by filtering the Best by Links report for the most linked dead pages. You can then just redirect them to wherever makes sense.
Noindex — Probably not worth pursuing
This means the linking page was noindexed since the last crawl.
You can verify the presence of this tag with the Ahrefs SEO Toolbar:
This is a strange case because your link is probably still on the page itself. It’s just that Google may not count it due to the page being noindexed.
If the site owner meant to noindex the page, there’s not much you can do about this.
But a lot of people noindex pages by accident. In which case, you might want to reach out and give them a heads up. This can be something as simple as:
Hey, Just spotted a “noindex” tag on your page about _______. Not sure if you did this on purpose but if not, you might want to fix it. Adding this tag removes the page from Google. 🙁
Here are two ways to spot accidental noindexing:
- Check if their homepage also has a “noindex” tag: Nobody in their right mind wants to de-index their homepage. The presence of a noindex” tag here almost always indicates that they’ve added a sitewide noindex tag by accident.
- Look out for signs of SEO: Nobody would optimize a page they planned to “noindex.” If the page shows any signs of optimization (e.g., targeting a high-volume keyword), the likeliness of an accidental “noindex” is high.
The reason I say you only might want to reach out is because they’ll probably realize their mistake and fix it eventually without your input. Reaching out may just waste your time.
Not canonical anymore — Probably not worth pursuing
This means the linking page is now specifying another resource as its canonical.
You can see the declared canonical using Ahrefs SEO Toolbar:
9 times out of 10, these are nothing to worry about. Common reasons for canonicals include:
- Canonicalization to HTTPs (from HTTP)
- Canonicalization to a standardized version of the URL (e.g., with/without trailing slash)
- Canonicalization to the same content at a different URL
In all of these instances, your link will still exist (and “count”) at the canonicalized version of the URL.
But sometimes, canonicals are indicative of a mistake…
For example, the URL this referring page declares as its canonical gives a security warning:
That doesn’t look right at all.
But here’s the thing: in cases like these, Google is smart enough to realize that it probably shouldn’t respect the canonical. In which case, it will still index the linking page and the link won’t technically be lost. Therefore, there’s rarely any opportunity here.
301/302 redirect — Probably not worth pursuing
This means the linking page redirected to a different URL during the most recent crawl.
Much like canonicals, redirects are rarely worth pursuing. Common reasons for them include:
- Redirect from HTTP to HTTPs
- Redirect to standardized version of the URL (e.g., with/without trailing slash)
- Redirect to new location of page (e.g., blog.ahrefs.com to ahrefs.com/blog/)
In each of these cases, the redirected URL will usually still link back to your site.
But sometimes, pages are deleted and redirected elsewhere. This often leads to a true lost backlink. You can easily check whether this is the case by searching the source code of the final destination URL for yourdomain.com.
No results? The redirected page doesn’t link back to you.
I would only recommend pursuing these opportunities if:
- The redirected page contains an unlinked mention: This is rare but if it happens, you can treat it as an unlinked mention opportunity.
- There’s a clear link opportunity on the redirected page: If a link to a resource of yours would add value to the page, reach out and suggest it.
In all other cases where the redirect is irrelevant (e.g., an old blog post redirected to the site homepage), leave it and cut your losses.
PRO TIP
Want an easy way to check whether the 301/302 redirected pages link back to you?
Make a copy of this Google Sheet, then filter the Backlinks report in Ahrefs’ Site Explorer for links lost with the 301/302 redirect status. Next, enter your domain in cell A1 of the sheet labelled “Settings,” then paste the referring pages (from the report export) into column A in the sheet labelled “Redirects.” It will show whether each final redirected URL contains a link back to your site.
Further investigate any with the label “Link lost :(”
NOTE. This sheet is an edited version of the one created by The Tech SEO here.
Crawl error — Not worth pursuing
This means we couldn’t crawl the referring page during our last attempt.
Crawl errors can occur for all kinds of reasons. Usually they’re not worth worrying about and the links will reappear during the next successful scheduled crawl.
Dropped — Not worth pursuing
This means we dropped the referring page from our database.
It’s very likely that the link is still on the page. We only count them as lost because we’re no longer able to see whether it’s there or not.
Here are a few reasons why we might drop a page from our index:
- We crawled a “better” page with the same content.
- The page was disallowed by robots.txt for at least 2 months.
- The domain does not exist anymore.
- The page has a low URL Rating (UR).
Final thoughts
Link reclamation isn’t a one-time process. You will lose links all the time for many different reasons. It pays to regularly check for lost links and reclaim any that you can.
It may even be wise to re-allocate some of your resources away from link building and towards link reclamation. This is because reclaiming lost links can often be easier, less time-consuming, and ultimately less costly than building new links.
My final piece of advice? Pick your battles wisely. Don’t try to reclaim links that were lost for good reason. Pursue those you stand a good chance of reclaiming.
For more link building tactics that don’t require new content, check out our list of link building strategies.
SEO
What The Google Antitrust Verdict Could Mean For The Future Of SEO
In August 2024, Google lost its first major antitrust case in the U.S. Department of Justice vs. Google.
While we all gained some interesting insights about how Google’s algorithm works (hello, NavBoost!), understanding the implications of this loss for Google as a business is not the easiest to unravel. Hence, this article.
There’s still plenty we don’t know about Google’s future as a result of this trial, but it’s clear there will be consequences ahead.
Even though Google representatives have said they will appeal the decision, both sides are already working on proposals for how to restore competition, which will be decided by August 2025.
My significant other is a corporate lawyer, and this trial has been a frequent topic at the dinner table over the course of the last year.
We come from different professional backgrounds, but we have been equally invested in the outcome – both for our respective careers and industries. His perspective has helped me better grasp the potential legal and business outcomes that could be ahead for Google.
I will break that down for you in this article, along with what that could mean for the SEO industry and Search at-large.
Background: The Case Against Google
In August 2024, Federal Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Google violated the U.S. antitrust law by maintaining an illegal monopoly through exclusive agreements it had with companies like Apple to be the world’s default search engine on smartphones and web browsers.
During the case, we learned that Google paid Apple $20 billion in 2022 to be the default search engine on its Safari browser, thus making it impossible for other search engines like DuckDuckGo or Bing to compete.
This case ruling also found Google guilty of monopolizing general search text advertising because Google was able to raise prices on ad products higher than what would have been possible in a free market.
Those ads are sold via Google Ads (formerly AdWords) and allow marketers to run ads against search keywords related to their business.
Note: There is a second antitrust case still underway about whether Google has created illegal monopolies with open web display ad technology as well. Closing arguments will be heard for that in November 2024 with a verdict to follow
Remedies Proposed By The DOJ
On Oct. 8, 2024, the DOJ filed proposed antitrust remedies for Google. Until this point, there has been plenty of speculation about potential solutions.
Now, we know that the DOJ will be seeking remedies in four “categories of harm”:
- Search Distribution and Revenue Sharing.
- Accumulation and Use of Data.
- Generation and Display of Search Results.
- Advertising Scale and Monetization.
The following sections highlight potential remedies the DOJ proposed in that filing.
Ban On Exclusive Contracts
In order to address Google’s search distribution and revenue sharing, it is likely that we will see a ban on exclusive contracts going forward for Google.
In the Oct. 8 filing, the DOJ outlined exploring limiting or prohibiting default agreements, pre-installation agreements, and other revenue-sharing agreements related to search and search-related products.
Given this is what the case was centered around, it seems most likely that we will see some flavor of this outcome, and that could provide new incentives for innovation around search at Apple.
Apple Search Engine?
Judge Mehta noted in his judgment that Apple had periodically considered building its own search technology, but decided against it when an analysis in 2018 concluded Apple would lose more than $12 billion in revenue during the first five years if they broke up with Google.
If Google were no longer able to have agreements of this nature, we may finally see Apple emerge with a search engine of its own.
According to a Bloomberg report in October 2023, Apple has been “tinkering” with search technology for years.
It has a large search team dedicated to a next-generation search engine for Apple’s apps called “Pegasus,” which has already rolled out in some apps.
And its development of Spotlight to help users find things across their devices has started adding web results to this tool pointing users to sites that answer search queries.
Apple already has a web crawler called Applebot that finds sites it can provide users in Siri and Spotlight. It has also built its own search engines for some of its services like the App Store, Maps, Apple TV, and News.
Apple purchased a company called Laserlike in 2019, which is an AI-based search engine founded by former Google employees. Apple’s machine learning team has been seeking new engineers to work on search technologies as well.
All of these could be important infrastructure for a new search engine.
Implications For SEO
If users are given more choices in their default search engine, some may stray away from Google, which could cut its market share.
However, as of now, Google is still thought of as the leader in search quality, so it’s hard to gauge how much would realistically change if exclusive contracts were banned.
A new search engine from Apple would obviously be an interesting development. It would be a new algorithm to test, understand, and optimize for.
Knowing that users are hungry for another quality option, people would likely embrace Apple in this space, and it could generate a significant amount of users, if the results are high enough quality. Quality is really key.
Search is the most used tool on smartphones, tablets, and computers. Apple has the users that Google needs.
Without Apple’s partnership with Google, Apple has the potential to disrupt this space. It can offer a more integrated search experience than any other company out there. And its commitment to privacy is appealing to many long-time Google users.
The DOJ would likely view this as a win as well because Apple is one of the few companies large enough to fully compete across the search space with Google.
Required Sharing Of Data To Competitors
Related to the accumulation and use of data harm Google has caused, the DOJ is considering a remedy that forces Google to license its data to competitors like Bing or DuckDuckGo.
The antitrust ruling found that Google’s contracts ensure that Google gets the most user data, and that data streams also keep its competitors from improving their search results to compete better.
In the Oct. 8 filing, the DOJ is considering forcing Google to make: 1) the indexes, data, fees, and models used for Google search, including those used in AI-assisted search features, and 2) Google search results, features, and ads, including the underlying ranking signals available via API.
Believe it or not, this solution has precedent, although certainly not at the same scale as what is being proposed for Google.
The DOJ required AT&T to provide royalty-free licenses to its patents in 1956, and required Microsoft to make some of its APIs available to third parties for free after they lost an antitrust case in 1999.
Google has argued that there are user privacy concerns related to data sharing. The DOJ’s response is that it is considering prohibiting Google from using or retaining data that cannot be shared with others because of privacy concerns.
Implications For SEO
Should Google be required to do any of this, it would be an unprecedented victory for the open web. It is overwhelming to think of the possibilities if any of these repercussions were to come to fruition.
We would finally be able to see behind the curtain of the algorithm and ranking signals at play. There would be a true open competition to build rival search engines.
If Google were no longer to use personalized data, we might see the end of personalized search results based on your search history, which has pros and cons.
I would also be curious what would happen to Google Discover since that product provides content based on your browsing history.
The flip side of this potential outcome is that it will be easier than ever to gamify search results again, at least in the short term.
If everyone knew what makes pages rank in Google, we would be back in the early days of SEO, when we could easily manipulate rank.
But if others take the search algorithm and build upon it in different ways, maybe that wouldn’t be as big of a concern in the long term.
Opting Out Of SERP Features
The DOJ filing briefly touched on one intriguing remedy for the harm Google has caused regarding the generation and display of search results.
The DOJ lawyers are proposing that website publishers receive the ability to opt out of Google features or products they wish to.
This would include Google’s AI Overviews, which they give as an example, but it could also include all other SERP features where Google relies on websites and other content created by third parties – in other words, all of them.
Because Google has held this monopoly, publishers have had virtually no bargaining power with Google in regards to being included in SERP features without risking complete exclusion from Google.
This solution would help publishers have more control over how they show up in the search results.
Implications For SEO
This could be potentially huge for SEO if the DOJ does indeed move forward with requiring Google to allow publishers to opt out of any and all features and products they wish without exclusion in Google’s results altogether.
There are plenty of website publishers who do not want Google to be able to use their content to train its AI products, and wish to opt out of AI Overviews.
When featured snippets first came about, there was a similar reaction to those.
Based on the query, featured snippets and AI Overviews have the ability to help or harm website traffic numbers, but it’s intriguing to think there could be a choice in the matter of inclusion.
Licensing Of Ad Feeds
To address advertising scale and monetization harm caused by Google, the DOJ filing provided a few half-baked solutions related to search text advertising.
Because Google holds a 91% market share of search in the U.S., other search engines have struggled to monetize through advertising.
One solution is to require Google to license or syndicate its ad feed independent of its search results. This way, other search engines could better monetize by utilizing Google’s advertising feed.
It is also looking at remedies to provide more transparent and detailed reporting to advertisers about search text ad auctions and monetization, and the ability to opt out of Google search features like keyword expansion and broad match that advertisers don’t want to partake in.
Implications For SEO
I don’t see obvious implications for SEO, but there are plenty for our friends in PPC.
While licensing the Google ad feed is intriguing in order to help other search engines monetize, it doesn’t get at the issue of Google overcharging advertisers in their auctions.
More thought and creativity might be needed here to find a solution that would make sense for both creating more competition in search and fairness for advertisers.
They are certainly on the right track with more transparency in reporting and allowing advertisers to opt out of programs they don’t want to be part of.
Breaking Up Of Google
The DOJ lawyers are also considering “structural remedies” like forcing Google to sell off parts of its business, like the Chrome browser or the Android operating system.
Divesting Android is the remedy that has been discussed the most. It would be another way to prevent Google from having a position of power over device makers and requiring them to enter into agreements for access to other Google product apps like Gmail or Google Play.
If the DOJ forced Google to sell Chrome, that would just be another way to force them to stop using the data from it to inform the search algorithm.
There are behavioral remedies already mentioned that could arguably accomplish the same thing, and without the stock market-shattering impact of a forced breakup.
That said, depending on the outcome of the U.S. election, we could see a DOJ that feels empowered to take bigger swings, so this may still be on the table.
The primary issue with this remedy is that Google’s revenue largely comes from search advertising. So, if the goal is to reduce its market share, would breaking up smaller areas of the business really accomplish that?
Implications For SEO
If Android became a stand-alone business, I don’t see implications for SEO because it isn’t directly related to search.
Also, Apple controls so much of the relevant mobile market that spinning Android off would have little to no effect in regards to addressing monopolistic practices.
If Chrome were sold, Google would lose the valuable user signals that inform Navboost in the algorithm.
That would have some larger implications for the quality of its results since we know, through trial testimony, that those Chrome user signals are heavily weighted in the algorithm.
How much of an impact that would have on the results may only be known inside Google, or maybe not even there, but it could be material.
Final Thoughts
There is so much to be decided in the year (potentially years) to come regarding Google’s fate.
While all of the recent headlines focus on the possibility of Google being broken up, I think this is a less likely outcome.
While divesting Chrome may be on the table, it seems like there are easier ways to accomplish the government’s goals.
And Android and Google Play are both free to customers and rely on open-source code, so mandating changes to them doesn’t seem the most logical way to solve monopolistic practices.
I suspect we’ll see some creative behavioral remedies instead. The banning of exclusive contracts feels like a no-brainer.
Of all the solutions out there, requiring Google to provide APIs of Google search results, ranking signals, etc. is by far the most intriguing idea.
I cannot even imagine a world where we have access to that information right now. And I can only hope that we do see the emergence of an Apple search engine. It feels long overdue for it to enter this space and start disrupting.
Even with Google appealing Mehta’s decision, the remedy proposals will continue ahead.
In November, the DOJ will file a more refined framework, and then Google will propose its own remedies in December.
More resources:
Featured Image: David Gyung/Shutterstock
SEO
Snapchat Is Testing 2 New Advertising Placements
The Snapchat ad ecosystem just expanded with two new placement options.
On Tuesday, Snap announced they started testing on two new placements:
- Sponsored Snaps
- Promoted Places
While not available to the general public yet, Snap provided information on the test, including their launch partners and more about the ad placements.
The goal of these placements are for brands to expand their reach across some of the most widely adopted parts of the platform.
Sponsored Snaps Ad Placement
Snapchat is testing a new Sponsored Snaps placement with Disney, in the announcement from October 8th.
The Sponsored Snaps placement shows a full-screen vertical video to users on Snapchat.
Users can then opt-in to opening the Snap, with options to engage with the advertiser in one of two ways:
- Sending a direct message to the advertiser by replying
- Use the call-to-action to open the link chosen by the advertiser.
Sponsored Snaps aren’t delivered via a push notification and will appear differently than other Snaps in a user’s inbox.
After a certain amount of time, any unopened Sponsored Snaps disappear from a user’s inbox.
Promoted Places Ad Placement
Snap partnered with two other brands for their Promoted Places ad placement test: McDonalds and Taco Bell.
This new ad placement shows on the Snap Map, which is meant to help users discover new places they may want to visit.
Promoted Places will highlight sponsored placements of interest within the Snap Map.
In early testing, Snap said they’ve found adding places as “Top Picks” drives a typical visitation lift of 17.6% for frequent Snapchat users.
They also mentioned the possibility of exploring ideas around customer loyalty on the Snap Map in future phases.
Summary
Snap hasn’t yet announced how long these ad placement tests will run, or when they’ll be available for broader advertisers.
Snap said the Sponsored Snaps and Promoted Places placements will evolve from feedback within the Snapchat community and the brands partnered with them at launch.
In the future, there’s possibility of integrating features like CRM systems and AI chatbot support to make communication more streamlined between brands and Snapchat users.
SEO
The 11 Best SEO Books You Must Read Today
SEO is a rapidly evolving field, making it important for professionals to continuously expand their knowledge and skills.
We’ve put together a list of essential SEO books suitable for readers at various levels.
Some books on this list provide a foundation in core concepts, while more advanced practitioners can explore topics such as entity optimization.
The list includes specialized resources tailored to specific areas of SEO. For example, some books offer strategies for businesses targeting local audiences, while others serve as comprehensive guides to link building tactics.
For those interested in Google’s perspective, another book provides insights into the company’s philosophies and principles.
Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced professional, this list caters to diverse interests and skill levels, ensuring there’s something for everyone.
Books On Search Engine Optimization
1. SEO For Beginners: An Introduction To SEO Basics
Published by Search Engine Journal, this is a comprehensive guide to SEO. It covers everything from link building and SEO history to busting common myths and offering expert tips.
While it’s for beginners, veterans can also gain new insights. The book breaks down complex ideas into bite-sized pieces, making it a great starting point.
It’s well-structured, with each chapter tackling a different SEO aspect – from search engine mechanics to the latest algorithm updates.
The authors don’t just stick to theory. They provide real-world examples and case studies to show how these concepts work in practice. This mix of theory and application makes the book a valuable resource for anyone looking to improve their SEO.
Key reasons to give it a read:
- Get a solid grasp of SEO basics from industry pros.
- Easy-to-follow explanations of tricky concepts.
- Practical advice you can apply to your SEO strategies.
- Stay in the loop with current SEO trends and Google updates.
- Benefit from the collective wisdom of top SEO experts.
2. Entity SEO: Moving From Strings To Things
By Dixon Jones, CEO of InLinks
Dixon Jones’ book “Entity SEO: Moving from Strings to Things” explains the shift from old-school keyword SEO to modern entity-based optimization.
It explains how search engines now use the Knowledge Graph to understand relationships between concepts and offers practical advice on adapting your SEO strategy.
Key points:
- Making your brand an “entity” in your niche.
- Using structured data effectively.
- Getting quality links and mentions.
- Creating content rich in entity information.
The book uses real examples to show how these concepts work in practice. It’s meant to help SEO professionals at all levels understand and prepare for where search is heading.
Worth reading if you want to:
- Get a solid grip on entity SEO.
- Learn actionable entity optimization tactics.
- Establish your brand as a recognized entity.
- Master the use of structured data for SEO.
- Future-proof your SEO strategy.
3. The Art Of SEO: Mastering Search Engine Optimization
by Eric Enge of Stone Temple Consulting, Stephan Spencer, and Jessie C. Stricchiola
Covering everything from SEO 101 to advanced tactics, this book starts with the basics of how search engines work and then dives into the meat of SEO: keyword research, on-page optimization, technical SEO, and link building.
The authors break down complex strategies into actionable steps, making implementation a breeze.
What sets this book apart is its holistic approach. It’s not just about ranking; it’s about aligning SEO with your business goals and integrating it into your digital strategy. The book also discusses the role of content marketing and social media in boosting SEO performance.
Reasons to read this book:
- Get a complete SEO education, from basics to advanced strategies.
- Learn to align SEO with your business objectives.
- Access practical, step-by-step guides for implementing SEO tactics.
- Understand how to integrate SEO with content marketing and social media.
- Benefit from the collective wisdom of three renowned SEO experts.
4. The Psychology Of A Website: Mastering Cognitive Biases, Conversion Triggers And Modern SEO To Achieve Massive Results
Matthew Capala’s “The Psychology of a Website” offers a fresh take on website optimization. Instead of focusing on technical aspects, it dives into the psychology behind user behavior and conversions.
Capala, a seasoned digital marketer, shares actionable tips for creating websites that perform well in search results and keep visitors engaged and more likely to convert.
The book kicks off by exploring how our brains work when we browse websites. Capala then gets into the nitty-gritty of optimizing different website elements, from how they look to what they say.
A big focus throughout is user experience (UX). Capala stresses that a great website isn’t just about ranking high on Google – it needs to be easy and enjoyable for people to use.
While UX is key, Capala doesn’t ignore SEO. He offers practical advice on keyword research, on-page optimization, and building links while keeping the focus on creating content that actually connects with users.
By blending psychological insights with practical digital marketing strategies, Capala offers a well-rounded approach to website optimization that can lead to significant improvements.
Reasons to read this book:
- Gain insights into the psychology driving user behavior and conversions.
- Learn to create websites that not only rank well but also engage visitors.
- Get practical strategies for optimizing design, content, and calls-to-action.
- Discover how to enhance user experience and mobile performance.
- Learn to integrate SEO best practices with a focus on user engagement.
- Benefit from real-world examples and expert insights from a seasoned digital marketer.
5. The Best Damn Website & Ecommerce Marketing And Optimization Guide, Period
SEO veteran Stoney DeGeyter’s book “The Best Damn Website & Ecommerce Marketing And Optimization Guide, Period” covers SEO basics to advanced tactics for websites and online stores.
It starts with SEO essentials and then dives into advanced topics. The book’s standout feature is its focus on ecommerce, addressing product pages, category optimization, and effective product descriptions.
DeGeyter emphasizes a holistic SEO approach that aligns with business goals and user experience. He also covers analytics for strategy refinement.
This guide suits both small business owners and ecommerce marketers.
Reasons to read:
- Master SEO fundamentals and advanced strategies.
- Learn ecommerce-specific optimization tactics.
- Discover product page and description best practices.
- Understand user-generated content’s SEO impact.
- Align SEO efforts with business objectives.
- Benefit from decades of industry expertise.
6. Ecommerce SEO Mastery: 10 Huge SEO Wins For Any Online Store
Kristina Azarenko’s “Ecommerce SEO Mastery” offers 10 key strategies for online stores. The book tackles common ecommerce SEO challenges like thin content and complex site structures.
Azarenko breaks down each “SEO win” with practical advice on implementation.
Topics include:
- Ecommerce keyword research.
- Product & category page optimization.
- Leveraging user-generated content.
- Building quality backlinks.
- Site speed and mobile optimization.
- Structured data.
The book provides real-world examples and emphasizes data-driven SEO. It guides readers through using tools like Google Analytics and Search Console to track progress.
Reasons to read:
- Learn 10 powerful ecommerce-specific SEO strategies.
- Gain insights from a renowned SEO expert.
- Discover how to optimize product and category pages.
- Leverage user-generated content for SEO benefits.
- Learn to build high-quality backlinks.
- Apply real-world examples and case studies.
- Adopt a data-driven approach to ecommerce SEO.
7. Product-Led SEO: The Why Behind Building Your Organic Growth Strategy
by Eli Schwartz
Eli Schwartz’s “Product-Led SEO” offers a fresh take on SEO strategy, emphasizing business goals and sustainable organic growth.
Drawing from his work with major brands, Schwartz presents a framework that integrates SEO with overall company strategy.
The book challenges traditional SEO tactics, advocating for a holistic approach that prioritizes user value.
Key topics include:
- User intent optimization.
- Content strategy for the full customer journey.
- Measuring SEO’s business impact.
Schwartz focuses on the strategic “why” behind SEO tactics, encouraging critical thinking and adaptable strategies for long-term success.
Reasons to read this book:
- Gain a strategic perspective on SEO that aligns with business objectives.
- Learn to create sustainable organic growth through user-centric approaches.
- Discover how to optimize for the entire customer journey.
- Understand methods for measuring and communicating SEO’s business impact.
- Access real-world case studies and examples from major brands.
- Benefit from the author’s extensive experience in driving impactful SEO results.
Books On Link Building
8. The Link Building Book
by Paddy Moogan
Paddy Moogan’s “The Link Building Book” is a comprehensive, free online guide.
It covers link building basics, tactics for acquiring high-authority backlinks, content creation, and practical steps for planning and executing campaigns.
The book emphasizes white-hat techniques and quality over quantity, making it valuable for both SEO novices and pros.
Reasons to read:
- Master link building fundamentals and best practices.
- Learn diverse tactics for acquiring high-quality, relevant links.
- Understand how to assess potential linking websites.
- Discover content strategies that naturally attract links.
- Learn to plan and execute effective link building campaigns.
- Benefit from practical advice and real-world examples.
- Access updated, valuable insights at no cost.
Books On Local SEO
9. Local SEO Secrets: 20 Local SEO Strategies You Should Be Using NOW
by Roger Bryan
“Local SEO Secrets” by Roger Bryan is a must-read for businesses targeting local customers. It offers 20 proven strategies to boost local search visibility and drive growth.
Key topics include:
- Local SEO fundamentals and how it differs from traditional SEO.
- Optimizing Google Business Profile listings.
- Building local citations and leveraging structured data.
- Creating local content and managing online reputation.
- Implementing and tracking local SEO strategies.
The book provides actionable advice, real-world examples, and step-by-step instructions. It’s valuable for small business owners, marketers, and SEO consultants working with local clients.
Reasons to read:
- Learn 20 proven strategies for improving local search visibility.
- Understand key local ranking factors like Google Business Profile, reviews, and citations.
- Master GBP optimization for local SEO success.
- Discover how to use structured data and local content effectively.
- Learn reputation management best practices.
- Get practical, easy-to-implement instructions and examples.
- Learn to measure local SEO performance with analytics tools.
Books On Search Engines
10. How Google Works
by Eric Schmidt and Jonathan Rosenberg
“How Google Works” by ex-Google execs Schmidt and Rosenberg offers an insider’s view of the search giant. While not focused on SEO, it provides valuable insights for digital marketers and business leaders.
The book offers practical advice and real-world examples applicable to businesses of all sizes.
Understanding Google’s philosophy can inform more effective, customer-focused digital marketing strategies.
Reasons to read:
- Get an insider’s view of Google’s success principles.
- Understand how to create a user-centric business strategy.
- Discover ways to foster innovation and experimentation in your organization.
- Gain insights into data-driven decision-making processes.
11. Entity-Oriented Search
“Entity-Oriented Search” by Krisztian Balog is a deep dive into modern search engine tech. It focuses on entities, knowledge graphs, and semantic search and is aimed at readers with a background in information retrieval (IR).
A key strength is its coverage of cutting-edge research, like neural entity representations and knowledge-based language models. While tech-heavy, it touches on applications in QA, recommender systems, and digital assistants and discusses future trends.
It’s essential reading for IR, natural language processing (NLP), and artificial intelligence (AI) pros seeking in-depth knowledge of modern search engines.
Reasons to read:
- Deep dive into entity-oriented and semantic search tech.
- Research on knowledge graphs and semantic understanding.
- A detailed look at entity extraction, linking, and ranking algorithms.
- Insights on neural entity representations and knowledge-based language models.
- Expert knowledge from a renowned IR and search engine specialist.
Conclusion: Choosing Your Next Book
These 11 SEO books have got you covered – whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro.
For beginners, “SEO for Beginners” and “The Art of SEO” are solid starter packs that’ll teach you the SEO fundamentals.
As you level up, books like “Entity SEO” and “Product-Led SEO” explore more advanced topics like optimizing for entities and aligning SEO with business goals.
Several books focus on specific areas:
- “Local SEO Secrets” is a must-read if you’re targeting local customers.
- “Ecommerce SEO Mastery” zeroes in on ecommerce SEO.
- “The Link Building Book” is your starting point to master link building.
On the technical side, “Entity-Oriented Search” dives deep into semantic search and cutting-edge search engine tech. “How Google Works” gives you the inside scoop on Google’s mindset.
The key is picking books that match your skill level and areas of interest. Whether you want to learn SEO from scratch, level up your game, or specialize, there’s a book for you.
The Amazon links in this post are not affiliate links, and SEJ does not receive compensation when you click or make a purchase through these links.
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Featured Image: PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock
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