Free backlinks for a new website: 9 methods that still work

A backlink is simply a link from another site to yours. Moz's introduction to backlinks describes them as a signal of trust and relevance for search engines. The words that matter are "trust" and "relevance": a link counts for more when it sits on a page your audience reads, in a context related to what you do.

A quick test before you chase any link: would a real person click it? If the answer is no, the link is unlikely to bring visitors, and it may also be the kind of link search engines discount.

Google's spam policies define link spam as links intended to manipulate rankings. The examples include buying or selling links, excessive link exchanges, automated programs that create links, low-quality directory or bookmark site links, and forum comments with optimized links in the post or signature.

"Free" does not make a link safe. A thousand automated profile links cost nothing and fit several of those examples.

Also expect many links to be marked nofollow, ugc or sponsored. Google's guide to qualifying outbound links explains these attributes: sites use them for paid placements and user-generated content. Such links still send visitors and help discovery, so do not reject a good opportunity because of the attribute.

1. Launch platforms

Launch sites exist to link to new products, and their audience clicks through to try them. A launch gives you a listing page that links to your site, often with discussion and upvotes that keep it visible for a while. Start with a free listing on MegaLaunch, then see our list of Product Hunt alternatives for others.

2. Relevant directories

Directories are not dead, but most are not worth the time. Pick ones your customers actually browse, in your category, with real editorial review. Our list of SaaS directories is a starting point, and do directory submissions help SEO? explains how to judge each one before submitting.

3. Integration and partner pages

If your product works with another tool, ask to be listed on its integrations or partner page. These pages are relevant by definition, and users of that tool are your audience. The same goes for templates or plugins you publish in another product's marketplace.

4. Your open source work and profiles you actually use

If you publish code, the repository, its README and your developer profile are natural places for a link to your product. GitHub shows a profile README on your profile page when you create a repository named after your username. Keep it to profiles you maintain: a few active ones beat dozens of empty ones.

5. Expert quotes for journalists and writers

Writers regularly look for sources to quote. Services such as Qwoted connect journalists with experts. Answer only requests where you have real experience, reply fast, and give a specific, quotable answer. Not every quote comes with a link, but the ones that do are often from strong, relevant sites.

6. Publish something worth citing

People link to things they want to reference: original data, a free tool, a clear template, a definitive guide to a narrow problem. You do not need a big study. A small, well-documented dataset from your own product (anonymized), a calculator, or a checklist that saves time can collect links for years.

7. Broken link building

Find pages in your niche that link to a resource that no longer exists, then offer your page as a replacement if it covers the same topic. Ahrefs' broken link building guide walks through the full process. It works best when you already have a genuinely good replacement page; it is a match, not a trick.

8. Communities where you already help

Answering questions on forums, Reddit, Discord servers or Slack groups builds links naturally when your product is the honest answer. Lead with the answer, mention your product only when it fits, and never put optimized links in signatures. Most of these links are ugc or nofollow, and that is fine: the visitors are real.

9. Mentions you already have

Search for your product name and your own name. Blogs, newsletters and roundups sometimes mention a product without linking. A short, polite email asking to add a link to the mention is one of the easiest wins there is.

• Mass profile and bookmark sites that exist only for links.
• Link exchange schemes ("link to me and I'll link to you" at scale).
• Automated submission tools that promise hundreds of backlinks.
• Comment spam on blogs and forums.
• Generic "free backlink generator" tools. They mostly create pages nobody visits.

You do not need all nine methods at once. For a new product site, this order works well:

1. Week 1: list the product on two or three launch platforms and the five most relevant directories in your category.
2. Week 2: ask every tool you integrate with for a listing, and update the profiles you actually use (GitHub, your X bio, community profiles).
3. Week 3: search for unlinked mentions of your product and send short requests; answer a few questions in communities where you can genuinely help.
4. Week 4: publish one resource worth citing, such as a template or a small dataset, and start answering journalist requests in your area of expertise.

Then repeat the last two steps every month. Links from useful resources and expert quotes compound; one-off submissions do not.

Track links by the visitors they send, not just their number. Tag the links you control with UTM parameters and check referral traffic in your analytics; our guide to measuring traffic from directory listings shows how. After a few months, keep investing in the two or three sources that bring real users, and drop the rest.