For startups and indie founders
Link building for startups
A new product has no audience, no brand searches and a Domain Rating near zero. You can still earn real links in your first months, from posts that already cover your category. Here's where to look, what to skip, and how to pitch.
Worth your time
- "Alternatives to [big tool]" posts, where cheaper or simpler options are welcome
- Niche roundups on smaller blogs whose readers are your users
- How-to guides for the exact job your product does
- A few directories your users genuinely browse
Only if it's cheap
- Guest posts on sites your buyers read
- Podcast appearances in your niche
- Answering journalist requests (slow, but occasionally big)
Skip
- Paid links and "guest post" marketplaces
- Submitting to hundreds of directories
- Link exchanges and private blog networks
- Comment and forum signature links
Why being new can help your pitch
Editors who write "best X" lists want them to feel current. A product that launched this year, with a clear angle the big names don't have (free for small teams, built for one niche, a feature others lack), gives them something new to add. Lead with that angle. Don't pretend to be bigger than you are; editors can see your DR too. For the full menu of options at this stage, see how to get backlinks, with each method ranked by effort and risk.
A simple first month
- Write your one-line difference. "Invoice reminders for freelancers, free under 20 clients." Every pitch builds on it.
- Find 50 relevant posts. Search your category, "[competitor] alternatives" and "how to [job]". The search string builder writes the queries. Directories are a quick start too, but our directory submission test shows which ones actually list you.
- Set up a separate sending domain. Keep cold email off your main domain. Use the SPF and DMARC generator and start slowly; the warmup calculator shows the ramp, and the deliverability guide covers the rest.
- Send a few specific pitches a day. Name the post, say where you'd fit, give the one-line difference. Check them with the outreach email checker.
- Follow up once, keep a list, check links that land. Use the follow-up template, and budget with the cost per link calculator so you know what each link is worth.
Where BacklinkGenie fits
If you'd rather spend your hours on the product, BacklinkGenie does the searching, contact finding and first drafts, then sends from a mailbox on a separate domain we set up for you. The free prospect report shows the posts it would pitch before you pay anything. Paid plans write and send the pitches; you approve each one. See pricing or read how it works.
Questions people ask
How do I get backlinks for a brand-new website?
Start where being new is an advantage: lists of new or indie tools, 'alternatives to [big name]' posts, niche roundups by smaller blogs, and communities and directories that matter in your space. Pitch posts that cover your category and explain what you do differently in one sentence.
Do startup directories and launch sites help SEO?
A handful of reputable ones are worth it for referral traffic and a few early links. Mass-submitting to hundreds of directories isn't: most are low quality and some look spammy. Pick the few your target users actually browse.
What Domain Rating should a startup target?
Don't filter too hard early on. A relevant blog with a modest DR whose readers are your buyers is worth more than an unrelated high-DR site. Relevance and real readership first; DR as a tiebreaker.
Should I pay for links to get started faster?
No. Paid links break Google's spam policies, sites that sell links sell to anyone, and a new domain with a profile full of paid links is easy to spot. Earned mentions in posts that already rank are slower but they last.
How many links does a new site need?
There's no magic number. A few relevant editorial links from sites in your niche usually help a new domain get crawled and taken seriously. After that, quality and steady pace matter more than count.
Related
Link building for SaaS
Get your product into the 'best X software' lists, alternatives pages and comparisons your buyers read before they pick a tool.
Link building for agencies
Run white-hat outreach for several client sites from one account, each with its own sending domain and approval queue.
All use cases
See every way teams use BacklinkGenie, side by side.
Outreach volume planner
Work out how many pitches a month your link target needs.
See where a new product like yours could be mentioned.
Enter your URL. The free report lists posts in your niche where you fit, with the editor to contact for each. No card.
