K9 — Chapter 11 - Backlinks

Criterion K9: Press Mentions — guide + checklist

PART 1 - Fundamentals Chapter 11 - Backlinks Keyword : mentions presse

Here we talk about a criterion that often makes the difference in audits.

Criterion K9 — Press Mentions is part of our SEO checklist (335 criteria). Here, you have a practical method to check and fix it — with a concrete example.

What exactly this criterion covers

Here we talk about a criterion that often makes the difference in audits.

K9 — Press Mentions (Chapter 11 - Backlinks): Media coverage with links

Why it matters (SEO + UX)

Why it matters: it is a comprehension signal for the engine. When poorly applied, we often observe: ambiguity (wrong associated query), duplication between pages, or loss of performance on bounce rate.

On volume-generated sites, this criterion also serves as a safeguard: a stable rule prevents 1,000 errors at once.

How to check (step by step)

Approach: check by crawl (list + export). Recommended tool: Majestic.

  1. Verify the presence of expected signals on the page (author, proofs, NAP, sources).
  2. Check consistency across the entire site (same rules everywhere).
  3. Measure via Search Console (indexing, queries, linked pages) if applicable.

Tip: first isolate 10 representative URLs (top pages + generated pages) before scaling the correction.

How to fix properly

Strategy: fix the minimum necessary, then stabilize.

  • Redirect old URLs to the most relevant page.
  • Avoid anchor over-optimization: mix brand / neutral / descriptive.
  • Strengthen target pages (content + internal linking) before seeking links.

Then: re-crawl 50–200 URLs, then monitor Search Console over 7–14 days (impressions/CTR/indexing).

Concrete example (illustrative)

Example (illustrative):

  • Context: FAQ page for insurance in Tunis
  • Before: Backlinks to 404 pages + over-optimized anchors.
  • After: Clean redirects + varied anchors + solid target pages.
  • Note: Goal: preserve link value and avoid “spammy” signals.

Checklist to tick

  • [ ] Avoided 404s
  • [ ] Clean redirects
  • [ ] Varied anchors
  • [ ] Solid target pages
FAQ

Frequently asked questions — K9

What is the most common mistake on “Press Mentions”?

Trying to “optimize” by adding too many keywords, which degrades readability and creates repetitions.

Which tool is fastest for large-scale checking?

For this type of criterion, a crawl (e.g. Screaming Frog) plus targeted verification in Majestic is generally the fastest combo.

How to prevent this from happening on 10K generated pages?

Freeze an auto-generation rule (title/structure/schema/URLs) plus add automatic control (crawl or test) before production import.

Ready to go from theory to action?

Validate this criterion with an audit, then deepen the method in the Academy.

Audit with the tool → Learn in the Academy →