Rejected Backlinks: Here’s How We Handle Them Like Pros

If you are a link building specialist, you’ve probably dealt with the rejected backlinks at some point. 

It’s one of the most frustrating moments. You’ve been waiting for that link approval, only to receive a “Sorry, but your request was rejected.” Tough, right?

The good news is that we’ve been there too. We’ve learned how to manage these situations and can share some useful tips and insights on what to do when your backlinks get rejected.

Let’s start!

Why Was My Backlink Rejected?

There are a lot of reasons why link requests can get turned down. We’ve put together some of the most popular reasons we’ve encountered during link exchanges.  

Reason 1: You ignored your link partner’s guidelines

Many of our partners have specific guidelines for link exchanges. Below, you can see one of our partner’s guidelines where. According to this guideline, we can’t use branded or long anchors, or place our links in the introduction or conclusion of the content. So, take the time to read the guidelines and follow them to increase the chances of link approval.

Reason 2: You did not meet site metrics requirements: Some link partners are picky about the link building metrics of the page they’re linking to. For instance, some only want to link to sites with a domain rating (DR) of 50 or higher, while others don’t mind linking to lower DR websites. It’s always a good idea to check if there are specific metric requirements before sending a link request.

Reason 3: You placed the backlink in a restricted blog: Some domains have a list of restricted blog pages where link insertions are not available. If you have done a text edit on one of these pages, your backlink will get rejected. 

Reason 4: You sent an irrelevant text edit: If your requests get rejected because of relevancy, it means that the suggested link insertion feels off-context. Always make sure the backlink fits naturally into the content.

Reason 5: Your partner links to only blog pages: Some partners only accept links to blog pages and won’t link to service or landing pages. Make sure to clarify this in advance before sending a link request.

Reason 6: Your website has a high spam score: Some websites reject backlinks if a site has a high spam score, as they worry it could negatively affect their own score. Even though we don’t give much weight to spam score ourselves (and even Moz suggests it doesn’t make your website spammy), many of our partners still consider it a big deal.

So, now that you know common reasons for link rejections, let’s explore how we handle them.

And no, crying and feeling sad isn’t an option here (just saying)!

How to Handle Rejected Backlinks: 3 Easy Steps

Here’s what we do when it comes to rejected backlinks. 

Step 1: Learning Backlink Rejection Reason

The first thing we do when a backlink gets rejected is to find out why. We always ask our partners the reason behind link rejections so we can make some tweaks and send a new request. 

Usually, if you are in touch with website editors, they tell you why the rejection happened, as they’re the ones making changes on the site.

However, there are cases when you might not get a clear answer, especially when you’re working with link builders, as they don’t have direct access to the website. 

No matter who you are in touch with, just do your best to dig into the rejection reasons, so you can send out a new request and make that backlink live.

Step 2: Informing Client Success Managers About Rejections

Once we find out why our backlink was rejected, we inform our client success managers who are responsible for link requests. 

If the reason behind a rejection is something easy to fix, like content relevance, then our client success managers arrange another link request and content writers try to find the best spot for integrating the client’s anchor text as naturally as it is possible.  

However, sometimes, the rejection can’t be fixed. For example, if the partner’s metrics requirements weren’t met, we can’t do anything in this situation. What we can do is send a new request for a different client, one that fits the partner’s metrics criteria.

Step 3: Sending a New Link Request & Following-Up 

Once we’ve made all the necessary changes and the new link request aligns with our partner’s guidelines, our link builders send it out.

At this point, they are responsible for backlink management aka monitoring the status of their link requests. This can be easily tracked with a simple spreadsheet, so they know if the request is still pending, live, or rejected.

Sending follow-up emails is key! Of course, we don’t want to spam anyone. If there’s a tight deadline, we’ll follow up a bit more often, but usually, we check in every two to three days to keep things on track without bothering and annoying partners.

7 Tips To Prevent Backlinks from Getting Rejected

Here are some of our best tips on how to avoid rejected backlinks. 

Tip 1: Ask for guidelines early: When you start working with a new partner, always ask for their guidelines (if any) to learn what they expect and minimize the rejection rate.

Tip 2: Contact partners who owe you backlinks: Remind partners of any backlinks they owe you. This allows you to send the request more confidently and reduces the chances of rejection.

Tip 3: Track and follow up: Keep track of all pending requests and follow up on time. This shows you’re committed to the exchange and makes your partner work on your request more effectively.

Tip 4: Be patient with delays: Being ignored by partners is usually a link exchange red flag. When things take longer than expected, the link requests become automatically rejected. However, your link partners might be dealing with work or personal issues, so it’s key to stay understanding and kind!

Tip 5: Get to know your partners well: The better you know your clients, the better you know their preferences, and picky sides. This knowledge can help you make requests that lead to live backlinks. 

Tip 6: Provide value in follow-ups: Always try to give value during follow-ups. We often offer new websites during this stage for link exchanges. This way, partners become more motivated to make our backlinks live.

Tip 7: Don’t rely on memory: When working with 100+ partners throughout a backlink campaign, it can be challenging to remember every single detail. That’s why we advise you to record every interaction with your partners. 

For example, we use a contact database (created with spreadsheets) to keep all guidelines and other essential information related to link exchanges in one place. 

Below, you can find columns for whether the link exchange partner allows text edits, links to landing pages, or low-metric websites. There is also a separate column for guidelines. This way, we can make link requests that are more likely to be approved and go live.

Closing Thoughts

Rejected backlinks might become a real headache if you don’t take the necessary steps to fix them. 

So, it’s key to learn how to deal with these situations to keep your backlink campaign on track and moving in the right direction.

Thanks for reading, and good luck!

FAQ about rejected backlinks