Backlink Request Email Template for Startups

Turn an Unlinked Mention Into a Link

Ask a site that named your startup in text to turn that plain mention into a live link readers can click.

Subject: Thank you for the mention of [Company]

Hi [First Name],

I came across your piece at [Article URL] and saw you mentioned [Company] by name in the section on [Section Topic]. Genuinely made my week, and I have already sent it to our early users who care about [Reader Topic].

One small thing: the mention is not linked, so a reader who wants to check us out has to stop and search. Would you be open to linking that mention to [Your URL]? That page is the natural landing spot for anyone who reads what you wrote, since it covers [What The Page Explains]. If it helps, the anchor [Suggested Anchor] would read cleanly right where our name already sits.

Nothing else in the paragraph needs to change, and I am glad to send the exact link markup if that saves you a step. If linking it is not your policy, no worries at all, the mention alone meant a lot.

Best,
[Your Name]
[Title, Company]
[Email / Phone]

Competitor Backlink Match

Show a site that already links a rival why your startup deserves a spot on that same page too.

Subject: A fair addition to your [Page Topic] page

Hi [First Name],

I was reading your page at [Article URL] and noticed you link to [Competitor] in the part about [Section Topic]. It is a solid pick, and it is clear you point readers to tools you actually trust.

We build [Product Name], which serves the same readers but takes a different angle on [Differentiator], so anyone weighing their options would get a fuller picture seeing both. If it fits, a link to [Your URL] beside the existing one would round the section out. I am not asking you to drop [Competitor] or rank us above them, just to let readers see the alternative.

To make it easy, here is a ready line in your format: [Product Name]: [One-Line Description] ([Your URL]). Paste it wherever it flows, and I am happy to answer anything about where we fit versus where we do not. Totally your call on whether we belong.

Best,
[Your Name]
[Title, Company]
[Email / Phone]

Resource or Tools Page Add

Request a spot on a live resources, tools, or stack page where early teams like your readers gather.

Subject: A candidate for your [List Topic] resources page

Hi [First Name],

Your list of [List Topic] at [Article URL] is one I send to every founder who asks me where to start, so I have read it more than a few times. Most entries lean toward [Common Category], which makes sense, but there is no option for early teams that need [Specific Use Case] without a heavy setup or an enterprise price.

That is the exact gap we built [Product Name] to fill. To make this a paste rather than homework, here is a ready entry that matches your existing format: [Product Name]: [One-Line Description] ([Your URL]). Drop it wherever it fits the flow.

I am not asking you to bump anything already on the list. If we earn the spot on the merits, wonderful. If not, I would value one line on what a tool would need to belong there, since that feedback is gold at our stage. Either way, thanks for keeping the page current.

Best,
[Your Name]
[Title, Company]
[Email / Phone]

Broken Link to Live Resource Swap

Flag a dead link on their page and offer your startup's live resource as the ready replacement.

Subject: Broken link on your [Page Topic] page

Hi [First Name],

Quick heads up while it is fresh: the link to [Dead Resource] on your page at [Article URL] is dead now, it returns [Error, e.g. a 404]. It sits in the section on [Section Topic], so any reader who clicks it hits a wall right where they need the resource most.

We happen to publish a live piece that covers the same ground at [Your URL], walking through [What The Page Delivers]. If it is a fair fit, swapping the broken link for ours would fix the page and keep readers moving. If you would rather point to something else, that works too. I mostly did not want you sending hard-won traffic into a dead end.

Happy to send the exact replacement line ready to paste, anchor and all, so the fix takes seconds and nothing else in the paragraph moves. Your call entirely on what belongs there.

Best,
[Your Name]
[Title, Company]
[Email / Phone]

Partner or Integration Link

Get a link from a partner, integration, customer, or investor page where your startup already belongs.

Subject: Linking [Company] on your [Page Type] page

Hi [First Name],

Since we already work together on [Shared Context, e.g. the integration or partnership], I wanted to flag something small. Your [Page Type] page at [Article URL] lists [Company], but the name is not linked, so readers who want to learn more cannot get to us in one click.

Would you add a link from that listing to [Your URL]? It is the page that best explains what we do together and where we fit, so it is the natural destination. I am glad to reciprocate and link your listing on our end too, wherever it makes sense for both of us.

To keep it painless, here is the exact anchor and URL ready to paste: [Suggested Anchor] pointing to [Your URL]. If your team prefers a specific format for these entries, send it over and I will match it precisely.

Best,
[Your Name]
[Title, Company]
[Email / Phone]

Press or Feature Link Add

Ask a publication that covered your startup to add the link they left out of the coverage.

Subject: One link to add to your [Company] feature

Hi [First Name],

Thank you for covering [Company] in your piece at [Article URL]. You got the story right, especially the part on [What They Captured Well], and it has already sent curious readers our way.

One thing slipped through: our name is mentioned but not linked, so readers who want to try what you described have to search for us and can land on the wrong page. Would you link the first mention of [Company] to [Your URL]? That is the page that matches what your article covers, so it is where those readers should arrive.

I know edits take time, so here is the exact spot and link ready to go: the mention in the [Paragraph Reference] paragraph, pointing to [Your URL]. If your house style handles links differently, just tell me and I will fit it. Either way, sincerely grateful for the coverage.

Best,
[Your Name]
[Title, Company]
[Email / Phone]

Soft One-Time Follow-Up Nudge

Nudge the site owner once, warmly and briefly, after your first backlink request went unanswered.

Subject: Re: A quick link add for [Company]

Hi [First Name],

Circling back on this just once, then I will get out of your inbox for good. My note below asked about adding a link on your page at [Article URL], with the exact anchor and URL already written so it is a paste, not a project.

I run a startup myself, so I know how fast a good email slides out of view under everything else. If this one slipped past you, no worries at all. To make it even easier, here it is again: link [Suggested Anchor] to [Your URL], right where [Company] already appears. A one-word reply is all it takes and I will handle any tweak you want.

And if it is a no or a not-right-now, that is completely fine too. Just say the word and I will stop following up, no awkwardness. I would rather keep the door open for later than nudge a page that is not the right fit. Either way, genuine thanks for your time.

Best,
[Your Name]
[Title, Company]
[Email / Phone]

What is the fastest kind of backlink to request as a startup?

Turning an unlinked brand mention into a link. The site already chose to name you, so a polite ask to link it is low friction and low risk. After that, target sites that already link a competitor, since they clearly accept links in your space.

How do I find sites that are likely to link to my startup?

Search for pages that mention your name without linking, pages that link competitors, and resource or tools pages in your niche. A backlink tool can surface the exact pages linking your rivals, which are natural prospects for your own request.

Should I ever pay a site to add a backlink to my startup?

No. Paid link placements violate search guidelines and can burn your reputation with owners you may need again. Offer reader value, the exact URL, and a suggested anchor instead. A link earned that way is worth far more and carries no penalty risk.

What actually makes a backlink request get a yes from an owner?

Relevance and effort. Show the link genuinely fits that specific page, make one clear ask, and hand over the exact anchor and URL so the owner can paste it in seconds. Vague, generic asks that create work for the recipient get ignored.

Is it fair to ask a site that links my competitor to add me?

Yes, if you belong there. Sites that link a rival have shown they cover your topic and accept links like yours. Ask them to add you alongside the competitor, not to replace it, and be honest about where you differ and where you do not.

How many follow-ups should I send before giving up?

One. Send a single warm follow-up about five to seven business days after your first email. If there is still no reply, move on. More nudges rarely convert and they cost you goodwill with an owner you may want to reach later.