Backlink Request Email Template for Marketing Agencies

Free editable Backlink Request Email Template for Marketing Agencies. Copy, personalize, or download the Word .docx template from UNmiss.

When you build links for clients, every email carries two reputations, yours and theirs, so it has to be upfront about who you represent and lead with value the editor can verify. These templates request links on a client's behalf, resource adds, mention fixes, roundups, and guest pieces, without the volume tactics that get an agency's whole domain list blacklisted.

6 ready-to-use variants

Client Unlinked Mention to Link

A publication named your client but did not link them; ask, on the client's behalf, to make the mention a link.

Subject: Quick fix on your [Topic] piece, [Client Brand] is mentioned but not linked

Hi [First Name],

I handle SEO for [Client Brand] at [Agency Name], so I am reaching out on their behalf, wanted to be upfront about that. Thanks for including them in [Article Title], the part on [Topic] was a good call.

The mention is not linked, though, so readers who want to look [Client Brand] up have to go searching. Would you add a link on it? The right page is [Exact URL], where readers get [what is there, e.g. the guide or product you referenced]. The existing anchor works, or whatever reads naturally to you.

It is a small edit that makes the piece more useful. Happy to send a screenshot of exactly where the mention sits so it is a 5-second fix on your end. Thanks again for covering them.

Best,
[Your Name]
[Title, Agency Name]
for [Client Brand]
[Email]

Client Resource Page Add

Pitch a client's page or tool for an industry resources page, disclosing that you represent them.

Subject: A [Client's Category] addition for your [Topic] resources page

Hi [First Name],

I run link building for [Client Brand] at [Agency Name], flagging that up front so you know where this is coming from. Your [Resource Page Title] is a strong list, and I noticed it covers [example] but not [the gap the client fills].

[Client Brand]'s [Page or Tool] would fit: [Exact URL], which is [plain one-line description]. It is [free, open, or ungated], so anyone you point there gets the full thing, no wall.

Not asking for a review, just a line on the list if it meets your bar. If it helps, I will format the entry exactly like your others and send it ready to paste, and I can share a couple of other places [Client Brand] is listed so you can vet them before you add anything. Thanks for keeping the page current.

Best,
[Your Name]
[Title, Agency Name]
for [Client Brand]
[Email]

Broken-Link Swap for Client

You spotted a dead link on their page and can offer a client's page as a working, on-topic replacement.

Subject: Dead link on your [Page Title] page

Hi [First Name],

Reading [Page Title] I found a link that no longer resolves, passing it along so you can fix it regardless of the rest of this note. It is the link on [anchor or section], pointing to [the dead URL], and it returns [404 or a parked domain].

For context, I manage content and links for [Client Brand] at [Agency Name]. If you want a replacement on that topic, they publish [Client Page Title] at [Exact URL], which covers the same ground: [one-sentence description]. It is maintained, so it will not go stale on you like the old one did.

Swap it, pick another source, or just drop the dead link, all three help your readers. Mostly I wanted you to know it broke.

Best,
[Your Name]
[Title, Agency Name]
for [Client Brand]
[Email]

Client Roundup Inclusion

An industry roundup lists competing brands but not your client; make the case for including them.

Subject: One addition for your [Category] roundup

Hi [First Name],

I do SEO for [Client Brand] at [Agency Name], being transparent since I have a horse in this race. Your roundup [Article Title] is a genuinely useful reference and it already features [Competitor A] and [Competitor B], who compete directly with my client, so I wanted to flag that [Client Brand] is missing.

Kept factual so you can check it: they [what the client does in one line], and what sets them apart from the others on your list is [the concrete, verifiable difference]. Proof here: [URL].

If they fit your criteria, a row would be great, and I will send the same details you show for the rest, description, link, logo, in whatever format is least work for you. If they do not fit, no worries, I would just rather you had the option.

Best,
[Your Name]
[Title, Agency Name]
for [Client Brand]
[Email]

Guest Post for Client

Pitch a guest article authored by your client's expert, with a single natural link, to a blog that accepts contributors.

Subject: Guest piece for [Site Name] from [Client Brand]'s [Role]

Hi [First Name],

I place expert content for [Client Brand] through [Agency Name], and I read [Recent Post] before pitching, this is not a mass send. Their [Spokesperson or Role, e.g. head of X] can write [Working Title], a [format] on [specific angle your readers search for], drawing on [what makes them credible, e.g. real experience running Y].

It would be original, written for your audience, and on brief, with a single contextual link to [Client's Relevant Page] only where it genuinely helps the reader, plus a short bio. No spun content, no link stuffing, and it runs through your editorial standards like any other contributor.

If the angle is not right, I can pitch 2 or 3 alternatives shaped to your calendar, and I can share other bylines [Spokesperson] has written so you can judge the quality first. Want a full outline?

Best,
[Your Name]
[Title, Agency Name]
for [Client Brand]
[Email]

Soft Follow-Up

Send one respectful nudge on a client link request, no pressure and no new pitch.

Subject: Re: [Original Subject Line]

Hi [First Name],

Quick follow-up on my note from [Timeframe] about [the specific ask] for [Client Brand]. Inboxes fill up fast, so no worries if it slipped by.

The whole ask in one line: [e.g. add a link on the existing mention, or swap the dead URL]. The URL again so it is right in front of you: [Exact URL].

If it is not a fit or not worth the edit, just tell me or ignore this, I will not keep chasing, on my client's behalf or otherwise. If there is anything I can do to make it easy, a screenshot, the entry pre-formatted, references for [Client Brand], say the word and I will turn it around fast.

Thanks either way, and thanks for the work you put into [Site Name].

Best,
[Your Name]
[Title, Agency Name]
for [Client Brand]
[Email]

How to use this template

  1. Get the client's sign-off on the target sites and the anchor text before you send, since every link reflects on their brand as much as your work.
  2. Disclose that you represent the client in the email, editors trust a transparent agency far more than an anonymous outreach alias.
  3. Pick the variant that fits the situation, an unlinked mention, a resource page, a dead link, a roundup, or a guest post, and send the right one per prospect.
  4. Link to the client's single most relevant page, not their homepage, so the reader lands where the mention or gap actually points.
  5. Lead with something the editor can verify, a live page, a public source, or other places the client is credibly listed, since agency pitches get extra scrutiny.
  6. Keep every claim honest, no fabricated stats, no guaranteed placements promised to the client, and no superlatives an editor cannot check.
  7. Avoid the volume tactics that burn a whole client roster, spammy blasts and link networks put every domain you touch at risk.
  8. Track each send per client, send one soft follow-up after about a week, and report outcomes with the live link, not just the attempt.

Pro tips

  • Never promise a client a guaranteed number of links, sell the process and the relevant sites, since editorial links are always the editor's call.
  • Keep a short, verifiable list of where each client is already credibly linked, it is your fastest proof when a new editor vets them.
  • Segment prospects by client relevance, one client's perfect resource page is noise for another, so do not reuse the same list everywhere.
  • Send from your agency address with a real signature and the client named, transparency converts better than a disguised pitch.

Frequently asked questions

Should an agency disclose that it represents the client in outreach?

Yes. State plainly that you handle SEO or PR for the client. Editors are wary of anonymous outreach, and transparency builds the trust that gets links placed. Hiding the relationship reads as manipulative and can cost you both the link and future pitches to that site.

How do I request backlinks for a client without hurting their brand?

Only pitch relevant, quality sites you would be comfortable showing the client, get sign-off on targets and anchors, and keep every claim verifiable. Avoid link networks and spammy volume, a bad link placed under a client's name is worse than no link at all.

Can I guarantee a client a set number of backlinks per month?

No, and you should not. Editorial links are always the publisher's decision, so guaranteeing a quota pushes agencies toward paid or spammy links that risk penalties. Sell the process, the relevant prospects, and honest outreach, and report the links you actually earn.

What is the best way to prove a client's credibility to an editor?

Point to verifiable, on-topic proof: the client's actual page, public data, and a few reputable places they are already cited. Offer the editor a way to check each claim in a click. Real, checkable credibility beats adjectives and earns the link on merit.

How should agencies manage outreach across multiple clients?

Keep prospect lists, anchors, and follow-ups separate per client, and never reuse one client's list for another without checking relevance. Segmenting protects each client's link profile and stops the same editor getting three near-identical pitches from your agency.

How many times should we follow up on a client link request?

Once. Wait about a week, send a single soft follow-up that restates the one-line ask and the URL, and give the editor an easy out. Repeated nudges on a client's behalf damage the relationship and the client's name. Track it and move on.