Comparison
Press coverage without a link: what to ask, and of whom
You earned the article, but the address in it is plain text or missing. Which fix applies depends on how the story reached the page.
The coverage is real; the link is the missing half
Do not take the silence personally. Newsrooms often style-guide links out of stories, and sub-editors cut them when a piece is trimmed for print.
Pitching is what most owners ask about. How long does it take? Is a second outlet fair game while a story is still timely? Does an embargo help? The honest answer is that none of those choices control the link: they affect whether you get coverage, and the link is a separate request made afterwards.
Keep the request short and kind. A reporter who just wrote about you is your best future contact, and a pushy follow-up can cool that quickly.
Weigh the page first. Ahrefs shows a publication's Domain Rating and estimated organic traffic, and a small trade title with loyal readers can beat a big site that ignores outbound links. Our mention email round has wording you can adapt. Check Semrush or Moz too, since 2026 numbers differ by tool.
Weigh the page first. Ahrefs shows the Domain Rating and the estimated organic traffic of the publication, and a small trade title with a loyal readership can beat a big site that ignores outbound links. Our mention email round has wording you can adapt.
Situation against fix
| Situation | Who to write to | What to ask | Likely outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reporter wrote your URL as plain text | The reporter | Make the URL clickable | Often done within days |
| Wire story picked up by many outlets | The wire's editor, not each outlet | Ask the original desk to include a link in the source copy | Mixed; rewrites rarely keep it |
| Story ran under an embargo, link omitted | The original desk | One polite request after publication | Usually fine |
| Syndicated copy on a partner site | The syndicating editor | Ask for a canonical or live link | Slow |
| Print-first piece online as an image or PDF | Digital editor | Ask for a text version with link | Rare |
| Story quotes you but names a rival's page | The reporter | Offer a better source page for the quote | Only if it is true |
Position
Never let the link become the story
If a reporter feels you pitched for the link, you lose the next story. Treat the link as a courtesy request after the news has run. A good desk may say no, and that is acceptable.
- Ask after publication, not before
- One request per article
- Keep it under three sentences
- Thank them whatever the answer
Questions from people who just got covered
Should I tell other outlets that a rival has an exclusive?
No. It does nothing for your link and can harm your standing with the first outlet. Pitch the second outlet a different angle, or hold your story until the exclusive has run.
Is a nofollow link in a news article still worth having?
Yes, for referral visitors and for recognition. Google has treated nofollow as a hint since September 2019, so it may or may not pass value. Count it as a different kind of win, not as a failure.
Can I pay a publication to add a link?
Be careful. Google's spam policies treat links bought to pass ranking signals as a risk unless marked rel=sponsored, and many newsrooms refuse such requests. Ask for a correction, not for a transaction.
What if the piece is already months old?
Ask anyway, but keep expectations low. Old stories sit behind archive rules and some are read-only. Our lost links timeline shows how to log the attempt and move on.