How to get backlinks in 2026: 12 methods ranked by effort and risk

You get backlinks in 2026 by publishing pages worth citing and then asking the specific people who edit related pages to reference them. For a SaaS or startup, the methods that pay off most are getting into “best X” and alternatives posts, reclaiming unlinked mentions, partner listings, and data or tools that writers want to cite, while paid links, link swaps and automated link creation are the ones to avoid.

This guide ranks twelve methods by effort, cost, Google policy risk and fit for software companies, then walks through each one. It is the hub for our series on earning backlinks, so every section links to a deeper guide where one exists. If you sell software, the commercial version of this advice lives on our link building for SaaS page.

Key takeaways

• A backlink is a link from another site to yours. Google uses links to discover pages and as one signal of relevance and quality.
• The safest links are ones an editor chooses to add because the page helps their readers. Asking for them is fine; paying for followed links is not.
• For SaaS, the highest-yield method is getting added to “best X”, alternatives and comparison posts your buyers already read.
• Free methods cost time, not money. Budget hours per link and track which methods actually convert.
• Google’s spam policy names the tactics to skip: bought links, excessive exchanges, automated links, low-quality directories and keyword-stuffed guest posts.

How do you get backlinks to your website?

You get backlinks by giving another site a reason to link and then making the request easy to say yes to. That reason is usually one of three things: your product belongs on a list they maintain, your page has information they want to cite, or they already mention you and forgot the link. The request is a short, specific email to the person who edits the page.

A backlink is any link from a page on another domain to a page on yours. Google states plainly that it “uses links as a signal when determining the relevancy of pages and to find new pages to crawl”. Its public explanation of ranking goes further: “one of the factors used to determine quality is understanding if other prominent websites link or refer to the content”.

So links still matter. What has changed is how good Google has become at ignoring links that were placed to manipulate rankings. In December 2022 it announced it was using SpamBrain, its AI spam system, to “detect both sites buying links, and sites used for the purpose of passing outgoing links”, and that credit from those links would simply be lost. The practical lesson for 2026: the effort you put into links should go toward ones a real editor would choose to add.

There are only four broad ways a link appears:

Most of this guide is about the third row, because it is the one you can work on every week without waiting for luck and without breaking rules.

The 12 methods, ranked by effort and risk

Here is the full ranking. “Effort per link” is our editorial estimate for a small team doing the work by hand; it is a rough guide, not a measured average. “Policy risk” refers to Google’s link spam policy.

#	Method	Effort per link	Cash cost	Policy risk	Fit for SaaS
1	“Best X” and alternatives posts	Medium	None to low	Low	Excellent
2	Unlinked brand mentions	Low	None	Low	Good once you have press
3	Integration and partner listings	Low	None	Low	Excellent if you integrate
4	Competitor backlink gap	Medium	Low (tool access)	Low	Very good
5	Resource pages	Medium	None	Low	Good for niche tools
6	Free tools and calculators	High upfront, low per link	Dev time	Low	Very good
7	Original data and digital PR	High	Low to medium	Low	Good
8	Journalist source requests	Medium	None to low	Low	Fair; links vary
9	Podcast guesting	Medium	None	Low	Good for founders
10	Broken link building	High	Low	Low	Fair
11	Guest posts on real publications	High	None	Medium if done at scale	Fair
12	Directories and launch platforms	Low	None to low	Low to medium	Starting point only

Two patterns stand out. First, the methods at the top all reuse something that already exists: a list that already ranks, a mention that is already published, a partner page that already lists integrations. Second, effort falls sharply when the editor has a reason to update the page anyway. “Best X” posts are refreshed because rankings depend on them staying current; that is why pitching them works.

If you have no budget at all, sort this table by the cash cost column: everything rated “None” or “None to low” costs time, not money. To compare that time against hiring help, the link building cost calculator runs the numbers.

1. Get into “best X” and alternatives posts

Pitching existing “best X”, “[competitor] alternatives” and roundup posts is the highest-yield method for most software products. These pages already rank for searches your buyers make, editors update them to stay current, and a single sentence plus a link is a small ask. Start by finding every ‘best X’ post in your niche; alternatives posts have their own playbook in getting into competitor alternatives articles.

The method works in five steps:

The full walkthrough, including what to put in the pitch, is our guide to getting listed in “best X” articles. The strategy behind it, and why it suits SaaS so well, is covered in the listicle link building hub.

Why it ranks first: the page, the audience and the editor’s motivation already exist. You are not asking anyone to write something new. A “best X” mention also sends referral visitors who are actively comparing tools, which is more than most links do.

Where it fails: brand-new categories where no lists exist yet, and niches where most roundups are pay-to-play affiliate pages. In the second case, the editor wants a commission, not a better list.

2. Reclaim unlinked brand mentions

An unlinked mention is a page that names your product or company without linking to it. Asking the author to add the link is the easiest request in link building, because they have already decided you are worth writing about. Catching them early is part of backlink monitoring.

Find them by searching Google for your brand name in quotes while excluding your own site, for example "YourProduct" -site:yourproduct.com. Set a Google Alert for the same phrase so new mentions reach you. Then send a two-line note: thank them for the mention, give the exact URL you would like linked, and point to where it appears on their page. Our unlinked mention outreach template has a version you can adapt.

This method only works once people are writing about you. For a product in its first months there may be nothing to reclaim yet, which is why it ranks second rather than first.

3. Integration and partner listings

If your product integrates with other software, the partner’s app directory or integrations page is one of the most natural links you can earn. Marketplaces, “works with” pages and partner directories exist to list products like yours, and they are usually maintained by the partner’s own team.

Make a list of every tool you integrate with, every platform you build on, and every agency or consultant who recommends you. For each one, check whether they have a public directory or integrations page, what it takes to be listed, and whether the link is followed. Our nofollow link checker shows the rel attribute on any page.

Keep it genuine. Google’s spam policy lists “partner pages exclusively for the sake of cross-linking” as link spam. A listing that describes a real integration is fine; a page of reciprocal links with companies you have no relationship with is not.

4. Win the links your competitors already have

Pages that already link to a competitor are strong prospects, because their editors have shown they write about your category. A competitor backlink analysis lists those pages so you can work through the ones where you also belong.

Use a backlink tool to export the referring pages of two or three competitors, filter out the ones you cannot realistically get (sponsorships, their own partners, paid placements), and sort the rest by type: lists, reviews, guides, resource pages. Lists and comparisons that mention a competitor but not you are the first ones to pitch.

We cover the free and paid data sources, and how to run a proper link gap, in how to find your competitors’ backlinks.

5. Resource pages

A resource page is a curated list of links on a topic, such as “Tools for freelance designers” or “Free accounting resources for small business”. They exist to point elsewhere, so a relevant addition is welcome.

Find them with searches such as "[your topic]" inurl:resources or "[your topic]" "useful links". Check the page is maintained (recent dates, no pile of dead links) and that the audience matches yours. Then pitch the specific page with a one-line description that fits their format. The resource page outreach template is a good starting point.

Resource pages work best for products with a free plan, a free tool, or genuinely educational content. A pricing page rarely belongs on a list of resources.

6. Build free tools and calculators

A free tool that solves one small, recurring problem attracts links for years. Writers link to calculators, checkers and generators because they help readers do something, not just read about it.

The best tools sit next to your product’s job. An invoicing app might publish a late-fee calculator; an email tool might publish a subject-line tester. Keep each tool to one job, make it work without sign-up, and put a short explanation on the same page so it can rank for its own query.

We built thirteen free tools on this site for that reason, from a link building cost calculator to an SPF and DMARC record generator. The effort is front-loaded: development time up front, then little work per link once the tool ranks.

7. Publish original data and run digital PR

Digital PR means creating something newsworthy, usually original data, and pitching it to journalists and bloggers who cover your space. When it lands, it can earn links from publications that would never respond to a product pitch.

For a small SaaS, the realistic version is modest: a survey of your users, an analysis of public data in your niche, or a pricing benchmark you have compiled by hand. Publish the method alongside the findings so others can trust and cite it. Then pitch the writers who covered similar stories in the past year. Our guide to digital PR without an agency walks through a full campaign.

This is high effort with uneven returns. One study can earn dozens of links or none, so run it after the cheaper methods above are working.

8. Answer journalist source requests

Several platforms connect journalists who need expert quotes with people who can give them. Answering relevant requests quickly, with a specific and quotable answer, can earn a mention and sometimes a link in a news or trade publication.

The catch is that many publications do not link to sources, and popular requests attract hundreds of replies. Pick requests in your exact area of expertise, answer in the first hour or two, and keep the quote short. We compare the main platforms on our HARO alternatives page, and the expert quote template shows a reply format that gets used.

9. Go on podcasts

Podcast show notes usually link to the guest’s company. For founders who can talk about their market in an interesting way, guesting on niche podcasts earns a link, a little referral traffic, and something you can share.

Look for shows your buyers listen to, not just the biggest ones. Pitch a specific episode idea based on something you know that their audience does not, and mention one or two past episodes you liked so the host knows you listened. Check that the show publishes notes on a website, since some only post to podcast apps.

10. Broken link building

Broken link building means finding links on other sites that point to pages that no longer exist, then suggesting your page as a replacement. You help the editor fix a dead link; they get a working resource.

It still works, but the effort per link is high. You need a page that genuinely replaces what was lost, and you have to check many pages to find a handful of good opportunities. It suits sites with deep educational content more than product pages. When you find a good opportunity, the broken link outreach template gives you a short email to adapt.

11. Write guest posts for publications your buyers read

A guest post is an article you write for another site, usually with a link back to you in the author bio or body. Done for audience and credibility, it is legitimate. Done at scale for links, it falls under Google’s spam policy.

The policy specifically names “links with optimized anchor text in articles, guest posts, or press releases distributed on other sites” as link spam when they exist to pass ranking credit. Many sites that advertise “write for us” pages also sell links, which is exactly the neighbourhood you want to avoid.

Our rule: write guest posts only for publications your buyers would read even if there were no link, use your brand name or a plain URL as the anchor, and treat the link as a bonus. If you compare the time cost with a listicle inclusion, the listicle almost always wins for SaaS.

12. Directories and launch platforms

Directories and launch sites, such as SaaS directories, AI tool lists and Product Hunt, are where most new products get their first handful of links. They are quick to submit to, but many are low quality, many links are nofollow, and Google’s spam policy lists “low-quality directory or bookmark site links” as link spam.

Treat them as a starting point that helps people and search engines find you, not a link strategy. Pick directories that real buyers browse, are curated by a person, and do not exist only to sell listings. We submitted BacklinkGenie to dozens of them and logged every result; the counts and lessons are in what actually got listed when we submitted our SaaS to directories.

How do you get backlinks from high authority sites?

You get links from high-authority sites the same way as from smaller ones, but with a narrower set of reasons they will say yes. Large publications link to original data, expert sources, genuinely notable products and pages they already reference. They rarely respond to generic link requests.

Three routes work in practice:

• Get into their existing lists. Large tech and business sites publish “best X software” roundups too, and they update them. A strong, specific pitch to the author of an outdated list is often the most direct route.
• Be the source. Original data, a clear expert opinion, or a quote in response to a journalist request gives a writer something they cannot get elsewhere.
• Climb in steps. Writers at big publications research using smaller niche sites. Being well covered in your niche makes you easier to find and easier to justify.

Be careful with authority metrics. Domain Rating by Ahrefs and similar scores estimate the strength of a site’s link profile; they are third-party metrics, not Google’s. A page that ranks for your buyers’ searches on a mid-sized site is often worth more than a link buried on a high-DR site no buyer visits. Our backlink quality hub covers how to judge a link beyond one number.

Can you get backlinks from Reddit?

Reddit can send traffic and get your product discovered, but it is a poor source of followed backlinks. Links in posts and comments on large user-generated platforms are typically marked nofollow or ugc, which Google treats as hints rather than votes. You can check any page with our nofollow link checker.

Where Reddit helps is upstream. People ask “what’s the best tool for X?” in subreddits, writers read those threads when building lists, and a helpful, disclosed answer can lead to a mention elsewhere. Self-promotion that breaks a subreddit’s rules gets removed and can get your domain banned there, so read the rules first and answer the question before mentioning your product.

The phrase “how to get backlinks reddit” is also a search people run to find honest advice from practitioners. The common thread in those discussions matches Google’s own policy: earn links by being useful, and avoid anything that looks like buying or swapping them.

What backlinks should you avoid?

Avoid any link that exists mainly to manipulate rankings rather than to help readers. Google’s spam policy lists the main types, and links like these can be ignored by its systems or lead to a manual action that lowers or removes your pages from results. If you’re tempted to pay anyway, read what buying backlinks costs and risks first.

Avoid	What it looks like	What Google’s policy says
Paid links that pass ranking credit	“Guaranteed DR 60 placement, $150”	“Buying or selling links for ranking purposes” is link spam
Product-for-link deals	Free subscription in exchange for a review with a link	Includes “sending someone a product in exchange for them writing about it and including a link”
Link exchanges	“Link to me and I’ll link to you”	“Excessive link exchanges” are link spam
Automated links	Tools that post your link across forums or profiles	“Using automated programs or services to create links to your site”
Low-quality directories	Pages listing thousands of unrelated sites	“Low-quality directory or bookmark site links”
Keyword-stuffed guest posts	Bio link with “best cheap invoicing software” anchor	Optimized anchors in guest posts and press releases are named
Footer and widget links	A link in a theme or widget used on many sites	“Widely distributed links in the footers or templates of various sites”
Forum signature spam	Keyword links in comment signatures	“Forum comments with optimized links in the post or signature”

Two clarifications help. Paid placements are not banned outright: Google says buying and selling links “is a normal part of the economy of the web for advertising and sponsorship purposes”, and it is fine as long as the link carries rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow", as the same policy page explains (the attributes themselves are covered in qualify your outbound links). The problem is paying for a link that pretends to be editorial.

And a private blog network, or PBN, is a group of sites built only to link to a target. It combines several of the patterns above, which is why it sits at the top of most “never do this” lists.

If you want a printable version of the safe side of the line, use our white hat link building checklist.

How to get backlinks for free

Every method in the ranking except paid placements can be done for free. What you spend instead is time: finding prospects, checking fit, finding the right person, writing and following up. A realistic plan for a solo founder is a few hours a week on two or three methods, tracked so you can drop what does not work.

A sensible free starting order:

1. Submit to a short list of curated directories and your integration partners’ listings.
2. Search for and reclaim any unlinked mentions.
3. Build a list of 20 to 30 “best X” and alternatives posts where you fit and pitch two or three a day.
4. Once something is working, add one asset that earns links on its own, such as a free tool.

Free tools that help, all on this site, include the search string builder, the email permutator for finding contact addresses, and the outreach email checker.

Which methods suit SaaS and startups best?

For software companies, the best methods are the ones that put you in front of people comparing tools. “Best X” lists, alternatives posts, comparison articles and integration directories do that. Generic content links do not, even when they come from strong sites. If you are about to launch, our 90-day SEO plan for a new SaaS puts these methods in order.

The table below maps stage to method:

Startup-specific advice is on our link building for startups page.

How long does it take for backlinks to work?

Expect weeks before a new link is counted and months before you see ranking changes from a body of links. Google has to recrawl the linking page first, and one link rarely moves a competitive query on its own. Referral traffic from a well-read list can arrive the day the link goes live.

We avoid promising timelines because they depend on how often Google crawls the linking site, how competitive your query is, and how many links you earn. Track referral visits and the rankings of the pages you are building links to, month over month, rather than waiting on any single link.

Is link building still worth it in 2026?

Yes, if it is the kind of link building that would survive a human review. Google still documents links as a ranking signal, and editorial mentions on pages your buyers read also bring visitors directly. What stopped working is the volume game: buying, swapping and mass-producing links that Google now neutralises.

Links and mentions also matter beyond classic search: assistants that browse the web, such as ChatGPT search and Perplexity, cite pages from the open web, including “best X” posts. Our AI search visibility guide covers that side.

How to run outreach without hurting your domain

Most of the methods above end in an email to an editor. Sending a few a day from your normal company address is fine. Sending dozens a day from it puts your team’s everyday email at risk, because mailbox providers judge a domain by how recipients react to all of its mail. If you plan to send from Google Workspace, read Workspace setup, limits and risks for outreach first.

The common practice is to send outreach from a separate domain that looks like your brand, with SPF, DKIM and DMARC set up, and to increase daily volume slowly. The full setup, record by record, is in our link outreach deliverability guide, and the wider process, from finding editors to following up, is in our link outreach hub.

Doing this every week

The manual process above works. The hard part is doing it every week: running the searches, reading every result, finding the editor, writing a pitch that names the exact post, and following up on time.

That is the part BacklinkGenie does. It searches the way your buyers do for “best X”, alternatives and roundup posts, keeps only the ones where your product fits, verifies the person who edits each one, and drafts a pitch for that specific post. Pitches go out from a separate domain and Google Workspace mailbox we set up with SPF, DKIM and DMARC, starting at 4 emails a day and ramping to 35. You approve every email (Growth and Agency plans can switch on autopilot later), and won links are re-checked weekly. Full detail is on how it works, and what AI agents can and can’t do in link building covers where automation helps and where it doesn’t.

It is not a fit for every site. If your category is so new that no lists exist, or your niche is one we turn away (gambling, adult content and similar), the manual methods above will serve you better. If you want to compare doing it yourself, hiring an agency, and using a tool, the link building cost calculator runs the numbers.

Disclosure: BacklinkGenie sells an outreach product, mentioned above. Everything else in this guide works without it.

Where to go next in this hub

Each method above has a deeper guide in this hub. Start with the one that matches your next question:

• Just launched? Read what we learned submitting to directories.
• Want a target list? Read competitor backlink analysis.
• Weighing shortcuts? Read our white hat link building checklist and what a backlink costs by method.

When you are ready to work on the method that suits SaaS best, the listicle link building hub and our step-by-step guide to getting listed in “best X” articles are the places to start. This how to get backlinks hub will keep growing as new guides ship.