> How to get your first backlinks on a new website: reviewed directories, integration pages, guest content and partners, plus the link schemes to avoid. Page: https://www.indieneed.com/blog/how-to-get-backlinks-new-website-2026 - [Home](https://www.indieneed.com/) - [Blog](https://www.indieneed.com/blog) - How to Get Your First Backlinks on a New Website in 2026 [Guides](https://www.indieneed.com/blog/category/guides) # How to Get Your First Backlinks on a New Website in 2026 First backlinks for a new site: reviewed directories, launch sites, integration pages, guest content and partners. Plus the link tactics to avoid. By [IndieNeed](https://www.indieneed.com/about) Published Nov 11, 2026 Updated Nov 12, 2026 5 min read > **Quick answer:** The easiest first backlinks for a new website come from places that already have a reason to mention you: reviewed startup directories and launch sites, tools you integrate with, partners, and niche blogs or podcasts. Aim for a few relevant links from real, indexed pages. Avoid bought link packages, link networks and automated submissions. ## What is a backlink, and why does a new site need one? A **backlink** is a link from another website to yours. Search engines use links to discover pages and as one of many ranking signals. A brand-new site has none. Until it has a few, search engines may be slow to find and rank it. ## How do you get backlinks for a new website? Start with links you already qualify for, then earn the harder ones. | Source | Effort | Typical quality | When | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Reviewed startup directories and launch boards | Low | Mixed; choose carefully | Week 1 | | Your profiles (GitHub, social, communities) | Low | Often nofollow, still helps discovery | Week 1 | | Integration and partner pages | Medium | Often strong and relevant | Months 1 to 3 | | Guest posts, podcasts, interviews | Medium to high | Good if relevant | Month 1 onward | | Free tools, data, original guides | High | Best long-term | Month 2 onward | ## Do directory backlinks help SEO? They can help a little, if the directory is well kept. Spammy or dead directories do nothing, and in bulk they look bad. A good directory listing can: - Help search engines find your site sooner. - Pass some ranking signal. - Send real visitors. Before you submit, check: - Listings are reviewed, not auto-approved. - Listing pages are indexed ( `site:theirdomain.com` on Google). - There are recent listings. - The category fits your product. Our [best startup directories 2026](https://www.indieneed.com/directories) page lists 300+ directories with Ahrefs Domain Rating, 40 of them checked by hand. It lists them by Domain Rating, highest first. **Domain Rating** (DR) is Ahrefs' 0 to 100 score for the strength of a site's backlinks. Useful for comparing, but it is not traffic. We run IndieNeed, so here is the plain version: - Every product gets a permanent product page. Free listings are reviewed by a person. - Paid plans ($15 to $120, one-time) include a **dofollow** link: a normal link without `nofollow`, which search engines may count. - A free listing can add one for $7. - Browse listed products on our [Domain Rating leaderboard](https://www.indieneed.com/leaderboard/domain-rating). It is one directory among many. Do not stop there. ## Are launch sites good for backlinks? They are better for visitors than for links. - Many large launch platforms mark outbound links `nofollow`. Check each one yourself. - Even nofollow links help people and crawlers find you. - A good launch often leads to people writing about you on their own sites. That is where useful links come from. Choosing where to launch? See our [Product Hunt alternatives](https://www.indieneed.com/product-hunt-alternatives). ## How do integration and partner pages earn links? If your product works with another tool, that tool may list you. These links are relevant by definition. - List every tool your product connects to, uses or exports to. - Check each for an integrations directory, app marketplace or partner page. - Follow their process. Some need an approved app; some need a form. - Check tools you build with. Hosting, payment and framework companies sometimes showcase customers. - Ask partners. A joint guide or webinar with a non-competing product often comes with a link. ## Does guest content still work in 2026? Yes, when it is real content for a real audience. - **Guest posts:** pitch a specific topic you know well to a blog your buyers read. Link to your site only where it helps the reader. - **Podcasts:** niche shows need guests. Show notes usually link to you. - **Interviews:** some startup blogs and newsletters feature makers. - **Expert answers:** reply to writers' questions in your field when you have something specific to add. Skip sites that publish any guest post for a fee, on any topic. That is a paid link, not guest content. ## What content earns links on its own? Pages that other people want to cite. - **A free tool** related to your product: a calculator, checker or generator. - **Original data:** a user survey, or anonymised numbers from your product. - **The clearest guide on a narrow topic.** Not the longest. The clearest. These take more work, but they keep earning links after you stop promoting them. ## What should you avoid when building backlinks? Avoid anything built to fake popularity. [Google's spam policies](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/essentials/spam-policies) describe these as link spam. | Avoid | Why | | --- | --- | | "1,000 backlinks for $20" packages | Low-quality and spam sites | | Private blog networks (PBNs) | Built only to pass links | | Automated directory or comment blasting | Ignored at best, manipulative at worst | | Excessive link swaps | Named as a link scheme | | Paid footer or sitewide links | Easy to spot | Google says paid or sponsored links should carry `rel="sponsored"` or `rel="nofollow"`. See [qualify your outbound links](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/qualify-outbound-links). A good test for any listing, ours included: would you want it for the page and the visitors alone, even with no ranking value? If yes, it is a reasonable listing. ## How long until new backlinks make a difference? Weeks to months. - Search engines must crawl the linking page, then your page, then reassess. - Tools like Ahrefs also need time to find new links. - Judge results over a quarter, not a week. ## FAQ ### How many backlinks does a new website need? There is no set number. A handful of relevant links can be enough to get found and rank for specific, low-competition searches. ### Are nofollow backlinks worthless? No. They send visitors and help crawlers find you. Google treats `nofollow` as a hint, so it may still use some. ### Should I buy backlinks for a new site? Google's spam policies count links bought to pass ranking credit as link spam, so avoid link packages. If you pay for a listing, an ad or a sponsorship, judge it by the page and the visitors, not the link. ### What is the fastest safe way to get backlinks? Submit to a few reviewed directories, claim your integration and partner listings, and pitch one or two niche blogs or podcasts. All of that fits in the first month. - [\#backlinks](https://www.indieneed.com/blog/tag/backlinks) - [\#link building](https://www.indieneed.com/blog/tag/link%20building) - [\#new website](https://www.indieneed.com/blog/tag/new%20website) - [\#seo](https://www.indieneed.com/blog/tag/seo) - [\#startup directories](https://www.indieneed.com/blog/tag/startup%20directories) Share [X](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=How%20to%20Get%20Your%20First%20Backlinks%20on%20a%20New%20Website%20in%202026&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.indieneed.com%2Fblog%2Fhow-to-get-backlinks-new-website-2026) [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.indieneed.com%2Fblog%2Fhow-to-get-backlinks-new-website-2026) [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.indieneed.com%2Fblog%2Fhow-to-get-backlinks-new-website-2026) [WhatsApp](https://wa.me/?text=How%20to%20Get%20Your%20First%20Backlinks%20on%20a%20New%20Website%20in%202026%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.indieneed.com%2Fblog%2Fhow-to-get-backlinks-new-website-2026) ## Launch your product on IndieNeed Free to submit, hand-reviewed, and you pick the launch day. [Submit a product](https://www.indieneed.com/submit) ## Products to explore - [Market Verdict](https://www.indieneed.com/products/market-verdict) Featured: a paid launch Validate business ideas with a data-driven viability score. - [DevTV](https://www.indieneed.com/products/devtv) Featured: a paid launch A TV-style browser app for developer content. No backend. ## Related articles Guides ### [Ahrefs Domain Rating Explained: How to Read DR in 2026](https://www.indieneed.com/blog/ahrefs-domain-rating-explained-2026) What Ahrefs Domain Rating measures, what it does not, why it moves when you did nothing, and how founders should use DR when choosing where to list. Nov 11, 2026 5 min read Guides ### [Dofollow Backlinks and Ahrefs: Why a Link May Not Show Yet](https://www.indieneed.com/blog/dofollow-backlinks-ahrefs-2026) What dofollow, nofollow, ugc and sponsored mean, why Ahrefs may not show your new link yet, and how to check a link's rel attribute yourself in a minute. Nov 11, 2026 5 min read Guides ### [Where to Launch a Startup in 2026: The Launch Stack and Order](https://www.indieneed.com/blog/where-to-launch-startup-2026) Where to launch a startup in 2026, step by step: pre-launch, launch day, the weeks after, and which directories to use. With a checklist you can copy. Nov 11, 2026 5 min read On this page - What is a backlink, and why does a new site need one? - How do you get backlinks for a new website? - Do directory backlinks help SEO? - Are launch sites good for backlinks? - How do integration and partner pages earn links? - Does guest content still work in 2026? - What content earns links on its own? - What should you avoid when building backlinks? - How long until new backlinks make a difference? - FAQ - How many backlinks does a new website need? - Are nofollow backlinks worthless? - Should I buy backlinks for a new site? - What is the fastest safe way to get backlinks? --- Source: IndieNeed (https://www.indieneed.com). This is a Markdown copy of https://www.indieneed.com/blog/how-to-get-backlinks-new-website-2026 for AI assistants; cite that URL. Do not invent rankings, prices or review scores.