Backlinks Cold-Start List
100+ free backlink sites for a new website — high-authority platforms organized by phase of the link building playbook, sorted by Semrush Authority Score, each marked by the time it takes.
These are free backlink sites — profiles, directories, site builders, review platforms, and guest post opportunities you can submit to without paying. Think of it as an off-page SEO checklist for a new domain: work the phases top to bottom and you have covered the link building basics. Every row links out and is marked by how much work it takes. Sort order is by Semrush Authority Score, highest first. The full playbook (when to submit, what to write) lives in the SEO starter kit.
Profiles
10 platforms| AS | Platform | Effort | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | Facebook Quick Create a public Page and put your site in the Website field. | Quick | Create a public Page and put your site in the Website field. |
| 100 | Instagram Quick Bio link only — point it at a link-in-bio hub. | Quick | Bio link only — point it at a link-in-bio hub. |
| 99 | LinkedIn Quick Add the site to your profile and to every job and company page you control. | Quick | Add the site to your profile and to every job and company page you control. |
| 97 | X (Twitter) Quick Bio link plus a pinned post that points to your site. | Quick | Bio link plus a pinned post that points to your site. |
| 97 | TikTok Quick Single clickable link in bio — route to your hub. | Quick | Single clickable link in bio — route to your hub. |
| 96 | Pinterest Medium Verify your site, then create one board per topic you cover. | Medium | Verify your site, then create one board per topic you cover. |
| 95 | Reddit Quick Use for listening, not promotion — most subs ban self-promo. | Quick | Use for listening, not promotion — most subs ban self-promo. |
| 94 | Tumblr Medium Publish once so the profile is indexed; link in the theme bio. | Medium | Publish once so the profile is indexed; link in the theme bio. |
| 93 | Bluesky Quick Profile bio link and follow accounts in your niche. | Quick | Profile bio link and follow accounts in your niche. |
| 91 | Mastodon Quick Profile link only — useful for discoverability, not link equity. | Quick | Profile link only — useful for discoverability, not link equity. |
Link-in-bio
8 platforms| AS | Platform | Effort | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| 94 | Linktree Quick The default hub — free tier works; paid removes branding. | Quick | The default hub — free tier works; paid removes branding. |
| 91 | Carrd Medium One-page site with a hero image and custom domain on the paid tier. | Medium | One-page site with a hero image and custom domain on the paid tier. |
| 90 | About.me Quick Clean profile page, good for a founder or author bio. | Quick | Clean profile page, good for a founder or author bio. |
| 83 | Solo.to Quick Lightweight hub with a less crowded template than Linktree. | Quick | Lightweight hub with a less crowded template than Linktree. |
| 81 | Magic.ly Quick Profile page builder — useful as a secondary hub. | Quick | Profile page builder — useful as a secondary hub. |
| 78 | Joy.link Quick Link aggregation for a secondary hub. | Quick | Link aggregation for a secondary hub. |
| 75 | Hoo.be Quick Backup hub in case your primary provider changes URL structure. | Quick | Backup hub in case your primary provider changes URL structure. |
| 61 | IGLinks.io Quick Built specifically for Instagram bios. | Quick | Built specifically for Instagram bios. |
Site Builders
10 platforms| AS | Platform | Effort | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| 95 | Wix Medium Drag-and-drop builder; custom domain and no branding on paid tier. | Medium | Drag-and-drop builder; custom domain and no branding on paid tier. |
| 94 | Weebly Medium Simple builder owned by Square — good for a secondary blog. | Medium | Simple builder owned by Square — good for a secondary blog. |
| 93 | HubSpot Medium Free tier includes a hosted site with CRM forms for newsletter signups. | Medium | Free tier includes a hosted site with CRM forms for newsletter signups. |
| 92 | Jimdo Medium AI-assisted builder — pick a template, publish. | Medium | AI-assisted builder — pick a template, publish. |
| 92 | Myspace Medium Still indexed; useful for music or creator profiles. | Medium | Still indexed; useful for music or creator profiles. |
| 91 | Kit (ConvertKit) Medium Creator marketing platform; 14-day premium trial unlocks a hosted landing page. | Medium | Creator marketing platform; 14-day premium trial unlocks a hosted landing page. |
| 90 | Strikingly Medium No-code one-page site builder. | Medium | No-code one-page site builder. |
| 83 | Bravenet Medium Free website and blog builder, older interface. | Medium | Free website and blog builder, older interface. |
| 72 | IJ.io Medium Free builder for a third satellite if you publish a lot. | Medium | Free builder for a third satellite if you publish a lot. |
| 70 | Blogfreely Medium Free blog hosting, useful as a third property. | Medium | Free blog hosting, useful as a third property. |
Directories
17 platforms| AS | Platform | Effort | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| 92 | SourceForge Medium Open-source directory — submit if you have an open repo or tool. | Medium | Open-source directory — submit if you have an open repo or tool. |
| 91 | Aitools.neilpatel.com Medium High-authority AI tools directory — submit if you have an AI product. | Medium | High-authority AI tools directory — submit if you have an AI product. |
| 87 | Devpost Medium Hackathon and project platform — add your project to your portfolio. | Medium | Hackathon and project platform — add your project to your portfolio. |
| 81 | Dang.ai Quick AI tools directory — submit once for breadth. | Quick | AI tools directory — submit once for breadth. |
| 76 | SaaSHub Quick SaaS and AI tools directory — good fit if you have a SaaS product. | Quick | SaaS and AI tools directory — good fit if you have a SaaS product. |
| 73 | Viesearch Quick Search engine and directory — submit for indexing. | Quick | Search engine and directory — submit for indexing. |
| 69 | FutureTools Medium AI tools collection — submit if your site is an AI tool. | Medium | AI tools collection — submit if your site is an AI tool. |
| 69 | Aitoolly Quick Another AI tools directory — submit once. | Quick | Another AI tools directory — submit once. |
| 69 | Sitelike.org Quick Similar sites finder — submit so you appear in "alternatives to" pages. | Quick | Similar sites finder — submit so you appear in "alternatives to" pages. |
| 69 | ExactSeek Quick Web directory — submit once for a profile link. | Quick | Web directory — submit once for a profile link. |
| 66 | StartupStash Quick Startup tools and resources directory. | Quick | Startup tools and resources directory. |
| 66 | LibHunt Quick Developer tools directory — good fit for libraries and frameworks. | Quick | Developer tools directory — good fit for libraries and frameworks. |
| 62 | SoMuch Quick Directory and link aggregator — submit for breadth. | Quick | Directory and link aggregator — submit for breadth. |
| 60 | TinyLaunch Medium Product launch platform — useful for a one-time launch spike. | Medium | Product launch platform — useful for a one-time launch spike. |
| 59 | Firsto.co Quick AI tools directory — submit once. | Quick | AI tools directory — submit once. |
| 57 | Library.phyital.plus Quick AI tools library — submit once. | Quick | AI tools library — submit once. |
| 55 | Open-Launch Medium Product launch platform — submit when you launch. | Medium | Product launch platform — submit when you launch. |
B2B Reviews
15 platforms| AS | Platform | Effort | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| 91 | Clutch Medium B2B service reviews — required for agencies and consultancies. | Medium | B2B service reviews — required for agencies and consultancies. |
| 91 | G2 Medium B2B software reviews — claim your profile and collect reviews. | Medium | B2B software reviews — claim your profile and collect reviews. |
| 90 | Capterra Medium Software reviews and comparisons — same playbook as G2. | Medium | Software reviews and comparisons — same playbook as G2. |
| 89 | TradeIndia Medium India B2B marketplace — required for the Indian market. | Medium | India B2B marketplace — required for the Indian market. |
| 87 | Washington DC Craigslist Quick Local classifieds — useful for local service businesses. | Quick | Local classifieds — useful for local service businesses. |
| 85 | Thomasnet Medium Industrial supplier directory — required for North American manufacturing. | Medium | Industrial supplier directory — required for North American manufacturing. |
| 81 | GlobalSources Medium B2B sourcing for international trade — useful for Asia-sourced products. | Medium | B2B sourcing for international trade — useful for Asia-sourced products. |
| 78 | GlobalSpec Medium Engineering and technical products directory. | Medium | Engineering and technical products directory. |
| 76 | Kompass Medium Global B2B directory — free tier is enough for a listing. | Medium | Global B2B directory — free tier is enough for a listing. |
| 74 | DirectIndustry Medium Industrial B2B directory — required for industrial products. | Medium | Industrial B2B directory — required for industrial products. |
| 73 | EC21 Quick Global B2B marketplace — submit once. | Quick | Global B2B marketplace — submit once. |
| 71 | ClassifiedAds.com Quick Free classified ads — post with a link back. | Quick | Free classified ads — post with a link back. |
| 70 | Europages Medium European B2B directory — submit if you sell to European buyers. | Medium | European B2B directory — submit if you sell to European buyers. |
| 64 | WorldTrade Quick B2B directory — verify it is still active before relying on it. | Quick | B2B directory — verify it is still active before relying on it. |
| 51 | Listing.freeadstime.org Quick Free classifieds — post a free ad. | Quick | Free classifieds — post a free ad. |
Media Repurposing
16 platforms| AS | Platform | Effort | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| 99 | YouTube Studio Involved Default video platform — add your site to channel About and every video description. | Involved | Default video platform — add your site to channel About and every video description. |
| 96 | Vimeo Involved Professional video hosting for polished explainers and walkthroughs. | Involved | Professional video hosting for polished explainers and walkthroughs. |
| 95 | Spotify Involved Create a show; add episode show notes that link back. | Involved | Create a show; add episode show notes that link back. |
| 94 | SoundCloud Involved Upload audio with a link in the description. | Involved | Upload audio with a link in the description. |
| 94 | Unsplash Medium Profile link is carried by every photo you upload. | Medium | Profile link is carried by every photo you upload. |
| 94 | Flickr Quick Photo community; photo pages rank for image search queries. | Quick | Photo community; photo pages rank for image search queries. |
| 93 | Issuu Medium Publish PDFs, whitepapers, reports — each gets a profile link. | Medium | Publish PDFs, whitepapers, reports — each gets a profile link. |
| 92 | SlideShare Medium Upload a slide deck as PDF; add a link in the description. | Medium | Upload a slide deck as PDF; add a link in the description. |
| 92 | Pexels Medium Free stock photos and videos; profile link carries through every upload. | Medium | Free stock photos and videos; profile link carries through every upload. |
| 91 | Podbean Involved Podcast hosting with built-in distribution. | Involved | Podcast hosting with built-in distribution. |
| 91 | Mixcloud Involved DJ mixes and long-form audio — useful for interviews or panels. | Involved | DJ mixes and long-form audio — useful for interviews or panels. |
| 89 | Spreaker Involved Podcast creation and hosting with monetization options. | Involved | Podcast creation and hosting with monetization options. |
| 85 | Publulu Medium Interactive flipbook publishing — lighter alternative to Issuu. | Medium | Interactive flipbook publishing — lighter alternative to Issuu. |
| 81 | 4shared Quick File sharing — upload a PDF and link back in the file description. | Quick | File sharing — upload a PDF and link back in the file description. |
| 80 | Audiomack Involved Music streaming — relevant for music-adjacent content. | Involved | Music streaming — relevant for music-adjacent content. |
| 74 | Xiaoyuzhou FM Involved Chinese podcast platform — worth a slot for a Chinese-speaking audience. | Involved | Chinese podcast platform — worth a slot for a Chinese-speaking audience. |
Guest Posts & Tools
34 platforms| AS | Platform | Effort | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| 96 | GitHub Medium A well-written README with a project description and link back. | Medium | A well-written README with a project description and link back. |
| 95 | Bit.ly Quick Profile link on a URL shortener. | Quick | Profile link on a URL shortener. |
| 94 | Jotform Medium Publish a public form; add your site link on the thank-you page. | Medium | Publish a public form; add your site link on the thank-you page. |
| 93 | Typeform Medium Same as Jotform — form with a link back on the thank-you page. | Medium | Same as Jotform — form with a link back on the thank-you page. |
| 92 | Ko-fi Quick Creator support page with a link in the bio. | Quick | Creator support page with a link in the bio. |
| 92 | Disqus Quick Profile link shows on comments you leave on other sites. | Quick | Profile link shows on comments you leave on other sites. |
| 91 | Hugging Face Medium Model card or dataset README that links back to your project. | Medium | Model card or dataset README that links back to your project. |
| 91 | Cal.com Quick Create a public booking page; add your site to the profile. | Quick | Create a public booking page; add your site to the profile. |
| 91 | Trello Quick Publish a public board with a description that links back. | Quick | Publish a public board with a description that links back. |
| 91 | Peatix Medium Public event page with a link in the description. | Medium | Public event page with a link in the description. |
| 90 | Indiegogo Involved Project page from a crowdfunding campaign gives a high-authority link. | Involved | Project page from a crowdfunding campaign gives a high-authority link. |
| 90 | Padlet Quick Collaborative board with a link back in the description. | Quick | Collaborative board with a link back in the description. |
| 90 | Evernote Quick Publish a public notebook that links back. | Quick | Publish a public notebook that links back. |
| 88 | Codeberg Quick Mirror your open-source repos here for a second high-authority link. | Quick | Mirror your open-source repos here for a second high-authority link. |
| 87 | S.id Quick Indonesian URL shortener with a public profile. | Quick | Indonesian URL shortener with a public profile. |
| 87 | Flipboard Medium Create a magazine; add articles that link back. | Medium | Create a magazine; add articles that link back. |
| 86 | CodeSandbox Medium Publish a sandbox with a link in the description. | Medium | Publish a sandbox with a link in the description. |
| 85 | Replit Medium Publish a repl with a description that links back. | Medium | Publish a repl with a description that links back. |
| 85 | Wakelet Quick Content curation collection with links back. | Quick | Content curation collection with links back. |
| 85 | Wattpad Involved Storytelling platform — only relevant if your content overlaps. | Involved | Storytelling platform — only relevant if your content overlaps. |
| 83 | F6S Medium Startup community — create a profile for your company. | Medium | Startup community — create a profile for your company. |
| 83 | FramaGit Quick Mirror public repos — third backup alongside GitHub and Codeberg. | Quick | Mirror public repos — third backup alongside GitHub and Codeberg. |
| 82 | Instapaper Quick Save articles with a public profile linking back. | Quick | Save articles with a public profile linking back. |
| 82 | AllMyLinks Quick Link aggregation — add your site to the profile. | Quick | Link aggregation — add your site to the profile. |
| 82 | Diigo Quick Bookmark with descriptions that link back. | Quick | Bookmark with descriptions that link back. |
| 78 | Pearltrees Quick Content curation tree with links back. | Quick | Content curation tree with links back. |
| 77 | Scrapbox Quick Collaborative notebook with a link back. | Quick | Collaborative notebook with a link back. |
| 73 | Stck.me Quick Link shortener with a public profile. | Quick | Link shortener with a public profile. |
| 69 | Manylink.co Quick Link aggregation — add your site to the profile. | Quick | Link aggregation — add your site to the profile. |
| 59 | ArticleAlley Involved Guest blogging — requires reasonable English to be accepted. | Involved | Guest blogging — requires reasonable English to be accepted. |
| 58 | ArticleBiz Involved Article submission — submit with a link in the author bio. | Involved | Article submission — submit with a link in the author bio. |
| 58 | Pitchwall.co Quick Pitch platform — submit your product once for a profile link. | Quick | Pitch platform — submit your product once for a profile link. |
| 51 | BlogPost.freeadstime.org Involved Free blog posting — submit a post with a bio link. | Involved | Free blog posting — submit a post with a bio link. |
| 41 | Help a Reporter Out (HARO) Involved Daily journalist queries — answer one that fits your expertise and get quoted (and linked) in press coverage. | Involved | Daily journalist queries — answer one that fits your expertise and get quoted (and linked) in press coverage. |
110 platforms across 7 phases. Authority Score figures are a Semrush snapshot from and will drift over time.
Backlinks FAQ
- What are the types of backlinks?
- Three kinds matter here. Profile links come from your page on another site — a GitHub profile, a directory listing. Contextual links sit inside real content — a guest post, a quoted answer to a journalist. Editorial links are earned unprompted when someone cites your work. All three appear on this list, ranked by authority; contextual and editorial links carry the most weight.
- Do nofollow links help SEO?
- Yes, but differently. A nofollow link tells Google not to pass full endorsement, so it carries less ranking weight than a dofollow link — but it is still a real signal: it can drive traffic, get your site discovered by crawlers, and make your backlink profile look natural. A profile with only dofollow links looks manufactured. Most links on social platforms and many directories are nofollow; treat them as the floor, not the goal, and pursue contextual dofollow links as the real wins.
- What is a backlink profile?
- The complete set of links pointing at your site: how many there are, which domains they come from, what anchor text they use, and the ratio of dofollow to nofollow. Google reads it as a reputation record. A healthy profile grows steadily, comes from relevant sites, and mixes link types; a bad one spikes overnight, comes from unrelated sites, or repeats the same anchor text. You can see yours in Google Search Console (Links report) or any backlink tool.
- How do I get backlinks for a new website?
- Work the phases in order. Profiles and link-in-bio pages first — they take minutes and establish that your domain exists. Directories and site builders next. Then the slower plays: republished content, B2B reviews, and guest posts. A new website that does the first three phases in week one typically has 30–50 referring domains within a month.
- Are free backlinks worth it?
- Yes, at the start. Every platform on this list is free to submit to, and a link from a high-authority domain — even a profile page — is a legitimate vote. What does not work is scale without substance: 100 empty profiles and no site worth linking to. Submit to the platforms where you can add real content, not just a bare URL.
- How do I index my backlinks?
- Mostly, you wait — days to months. Google crawls high-authority domains constantly, so links there get discovered fast; a profile page on a quieter site can sit uncrawled for weeks. You cannot force indexing of a page you do not control. The practical move is to link to your profile pages from your own site occasionally, so a crawler following your links finds them.