For a brand-new site, the reliable free sources of dofollow links are directories and launch platforms that give followed links, podcast and interview pages, "best tools for X" articles you pitch your way into, and the sites already linking to your competitors. Build them to the pages you want to rank, not just your home page.
What is a dofollow backlink, and why the first ones matter
A dofollow backlink is an ordinary link from another website to yours, one without a rel="nofollow" (or "ugc" / "sponsored") attribute. "Dofollow" isn't a real attribute; it just means search engines are allowed to count the link as a vote for your page.
Links from other sites are still one of the strongest signals search engines use, and a new site starts with none. The number of different sites linking to a page is the backlink factor that tracks rankings most closely, so the first 10–20 linking sites make a visible difference. After that, quality matters more than count.
Only followed links pass that value. A link marked rel="nofollow", "ugc" or "sponsored" can still send visitors, but search engines don't count it the same way.
How to check whether a link is dofollow
- Open the page with your listing and find your link.
- Right-click it and choose Inspect.
- Look at the <a> tag's rel attribute. No rel, or rel="noopener" alone, means followed. nofollow, ugc or sponsored means not.
Check after your listing is live: many directories only follow links for paid or verified listings, and policies change.
Five free ways to get them
- Directories and launch platforms that give followed links. Many do for verified or badge-carrying listings. See our list of free startup directories for where to start.
- Badge exchanges. Several launch platforms, IndieLaunch included, give a dofollow link when you show their badge on your site. It's a fair trade and it's quick.
- Podcasts and interviews. Episode pages usually link to the guest's site. Search for podcasts in your niche and pitch a specific story, not your product.
- "Best X tools" articles. Search for listicles in your category, find ones where you'd honestly fit, and email the author with a reason: a feature they're missing, or a tool on the list that's shut down.
- Your competitors' links. Run a similar product through a free backlink checker and look for listicles, directories and roundups that link to them. Those sites have already said yes to a product like yours.
Point links at the pages you want to rank
Search engines rank pages, not whole sites. Home page links are the foundation, but when a directory or article lets you choose the URL, link the page that targets the search you care about — a feature page, a comparison, a guide. Then link from your home page to those pages, so the value your home page earns flows to them too.
What to avoid
- Paying for bulk submissions to hundreds of directories nobody visits.
- Link schemes, private blog networks and "guaranteed DR" packages. They can get a site penalised.
- Obsessing over domain authority scores. They're third-party estimates. Traffic from search is the number that matters.
Get a dofollow link from IndieLaunch
Launching is free. Add our badge to your site and your product page links to you with a followed link; Premium launches are always dofollow, no badge needed.
Frequently asked questions
- Are free dofollow backlinks safe?
- Links from real directories, launch platforms, podcasts and articles are. What's risky is buying links in bulk or joining link networks built only to manipulate rankings.
- Do nofollow links help at all?
- They send visitors and help search engines discover your site, and a natural link profile has a mix. They just don't pass ranking value the way followed links do.
- How many backlinks does a new site need to rank?
- There's no fixed number. For low-competition searches, a handful of relevant links plus a page that answers the question well is often enough. Look at who ranks now and how many sites link to them.