Backlink

Why backlinks matter

Backlinks do two jobs. First, discovery: a crawler finds new pages by following links, so a page that nothing links to may take a long time to be found. Second, trust: a link from a site people already rely on suggests your page is worth showing too.

For a new product the first backlinks often come from launch platforms, directories, founder communities and the founder's own profiles. Later links come from people writing about the product because they use it, which is the kind that moves rankings most.

What makes a backlink valuable

Relevance: a link from a page about your topic counts for more than a link from an unrelated page. Indexing: the linking page must be crawled and in the index, or the link is invisible. Placement: a link in the main content beats one in a footer. Attributes: a dofollow link passes more than a nofollow one. Permanence: a link that disappears after a week passes nothing after that week.

Domain metrics such as Domain Rating are a rough proxy for the linking site's strength, but the page itself matters. A strong domain that noindexes its listing pages gives you a link Google never sees.

Earning backlinks as a founder

Launch where your users are, publish something genuinely useful such as a free tool, data or a guide, and make it easy to link to you with a press kit and a clear name. Avoid link farms, mass directory submissions and paid followed links, which can do harm.

Example

A review site writes about your product and links to it. That link is a backlink to your site, and an outbound link from theirs.

Questions people ask

How many backlinks do I need to rank?

There is no fixed number. It depends on how competitive the query is. A handful of relevant links can be enough for a niche query, while a broad one may need hundreds.

How do I see who links to me?

Google Search Console has a Links report for your verified site. Third party tools such as Ahrefs show links to any site.