How to get backlinks for a new website
·4 min read
The simplest way to get backlinks for a new website is to copy what already works for your competitors. Find the sites that link to them, sort those sites by type, and ask the ones that would link to you for the same reason. Add one thing worth linking to, and turn mentions of your brand into links.
Early links also send visitors, which matters while search traffic is still small. For other ways to get those first visitors, read how to get traffic to a new website.
1. List your competitors
Start with the sites that rank for the searches you want, not only the companies you sell against.
Run Competitor Finder on your site. If your site is too new to rank for anything, run it on a competitor you already know. It finds the websites that rank in Google for the same keywords and sorts them into close competitors and large general sites. Pick three to five close competitors. Skip the large general sites, because their links come from years of press and history.
2. See who links to each competitor
Run Backlink Finder on each competitor. It shows the top 100 sites linking to it and 50 link texts, how strong each linking site is and whether it looks spammy.
Sites that link to two or more of your competitors are your best leads. They cover your topic and already link to businesses like yours. Our post on competitor backlinks shows how to find that overlap in a spreadsheet.
Backlink Finder does not give contact details. Find the editor or owner on each site's contact or about page.
3. Sort the linking sites by type
Put each linking site into one group. The group tells you how to ask.
| Type | What it is | How you get the link |
|---|---|---|
| Directories | Lists of tools or businesses by category | Submit a listing |
| Review sites | Sites where users rate products | Create a profile, ask customers to review you |
| Blogs | Articles that mention competitors | Pitch a guest post or an update |
| Lists | "Best X for Y" roundups | Ask the author to consider you |
| Partners | Integrations, agencies, resellers | Build or join the partnership |
News coverage and links from large brands go in a "later" pile. A new site rarely gets those by asking.
4. Get listed on directories and marketplaces
Start here. Listing sites exist to link out, so these are the easiest links to get.
- Submit to the niche directories your competitors appear on.
- If you integrate with a platform that has an app marketplace or integrations page, list your product there.
- Launch on launch sites. The listing stays up after launch day. Our Product Hunt launch checklist covers the website side.
Fill in every listing completely. Use the same name, logo and description each time.
5. Ask partners and tools you integrate with
Companies you work with often have a partners page, an integrations page or a customer list. Ask to be added.
Good candidates are tools you build on, agencies that use your product and suppliers. Keep the ask short: who you are, how you work together and which page you would like to be on.
6. Write guest posts for sites that already link to competitors
Blogs in your Backlink Finder results have already shown they cover your topic. Pitch each one a specific article idea their readers need. Link to your site where it helps the reader, usually once.
Write a few good posts rather than many thin ones. Google's spam policies treat large-scale guest posting for links as link spam.
7. Create one linkable asset
People link to things they can use or cite. Pick one:
- Original data, such as a survey of your users or numbers from your product.
- A small calculator that answers one question your users ask.
- A template people can copy and use.
Then tell the blogs and list authors from step 3 that it exists.
8. Turn unlinked mentions into links
Once people start talking about you, some will mention your name without a link. Search Google for "yourbrand" -site:yourbrand.com to find pages that name you, minus your own site.
When you find a mention with no link, email the author. Thank them and ask if they would link the name to your site. These are often the easiest asks you will make, because they already chose to write about you.
9. Avoid spammy sites
Links from spam sites, link farms and paid link schemes do not help. Google ignores many of them, and taking part in link schemes can get your site a manual action. Backlink Finder shows whether each linking site looks spammy. Skip those, even if a competitor has them.
Never pay for a link that passes ranking credit. It breaks Google's spam policies.
10. Track your own links
Once a month, run Domain Overview on your own site. It shows how many sites link to you, how many keywords you rank for in Google and estimated visits. These are estimates, so watch the trend, not the exact number. For other ways to look up links, including Search Console, read how to check backlinks.
See who links to your competitors
Run Backlink Finder on a competitor for 70 credits. You get its top 100 linking sites and 50 link texts, how strong each site is and whether it looks spammy. It does not give contact details, and it does not tell you which links Google counts. If you are not sure who to run it on, Competitor Finder lists the sites that rank for the same keywords as yours.