Link Building for Startups: 13 Best Strategies for New Sites

This is a guide to link building explicitly dedicated to startups.

When I say explicitly, I mean exactly that - link building strategies that work exceptionally well and are particularly suited for startups that:

• Have a relatively new website, possibly with no (or almost no) authority so far, 
• Haven’t got a vast library of content assets, and 
• Lack any massive market visibility that would earn them backlinks left, right, and center.

All the strategies you will learn here helped my clients build initial authority and rank their content better in Google. (And yes, that is despite them being new companies with unknown products and new websites.)

Here’s the backlink profile of one of those startups, for example:

And yes, I agree - If you compare it with any leading and established company in their niche, these results don’t seem spectacular at all.

175 referring domains? 889 backlinks? Seriously, some companies have millions of those!

That’s true. 

But then again, we’re talking about a very new startup without any content assets to which they could build links. We’re also talking about a very short timeline to acquire those. 

So, below, you’ll find the exact link-building techniques that will help your startup achieve the same results.

So, let’s get started.

Public Relations (PR) is a natural first marketing strategy for every startup. 

It’s the simplest way to generate brand awareness, after all. PR can help you introduce your product to the target audience and build up some buzz about the company, too. 

It’s also one of the easiest ways to build backlinks…. 

But at the same time, it’s probably the least utilized link-building method among startups. 

Now, I admit it - This isn’t the most obvious strategy. It’s not something you realize or even think of until you’ve heard about it. But once you do, it’s one of the most obvious things in the world.  

So, here it is. 

You see, not every PR or brand mention will include a link back to your site.

It’s never done on purpose, of course. Nine out of 10 times, the lack of link back to the site is nothing but a simple oversight, nothing else. 

Here’s one example.

The author of this passage references a (now) well-known startup. 

But they don’t link to it!

In fact, they talk about the startup several times in the article but none of those mentions contains a backlink to the startup’s site. 

Well, that’s a great opportunity to reclaim such a link. And to do so, you’d just need to reach out to the author or the site’s editor, asking to rectify the emission. 

Granted, not everyone might agree to link to you. But from experience, I know that most people will do it. They have mentioned your startup on purpose, after all. They did it to tell others (their readers) about it. So, it only makes sense to include a link to you, too.

How do you find a brand and name mentions?

The simplest way is by monitoring for them. 

Many brand monitoring tools – Mention, Brand24 and others - allow you to monitor the web for references of particular terms. 

These tools work like notification systems. You specify what terms you want the tool to monitor for, and you’ll receive notifications every time it finds a mention. 

BONUS TIP

Brand monitoring tools monitor the web. But recently, we’ve been experiencing a surge in other brand mentions: on podcasts. 

More and more brands shift their focus to producing podcast and video episodes. 

What’s more, they usually include a list of resources mentioned on a show in the show notes. 

Here’s how you can bank on those brand mentions, too, and turn them into great sources of links:

Use a tool like Podscan.fm to monitor mentions of your brands on podcasts. Podscan transcribes new episodes and looks for mentions for whatever terms, keywords, brands, etc. you want. 

Set up mentions for your startup, the product category, etc. 

Anytime Podscan finds a relevant mention, visit the episode’s show notes. If they don’t contain a link to your product or website, reach out and ask the host to rectify it.

Here’s another no-brainer link building strategy that NOBODY thinks of at first…

…and yet it’s, probably, the simplest and the most powerful way to build links for a startup.

Why? Because I doubt that you’re building your startup in a vacuum.

I bet that right now you could think of at least ten other founders like you that you could ask for a link.

Yup, they are a natural source of great quality links that you could get within… well, the exact time it would take to shoot them a quick email or a Slack message. 

Ask them to link to you. Most likely, they'll say yes.

After all, these founders are in the same spot as you are. And even if their startups are slightly further down the road than you, they probably remember the grind of getting started with SEO.

For example, here’s an outreach email I sent to another founder recently:

Now, being an SEO consultant, it made it easier for me to identify the best place to put that link, write the anchor text, and do all the leg work for my friend. 

But even if you just ask for a link without suggesting where to put it, I’m sure the response would be the same - A big, resounding yes. 

A side note - Founders often fear asking other startups for links, thinking it could be seen as a link exchange. So… If the other founder asks for a link back, it would technically be an exchange. 

But it doesn’t mean that you would be doing something wrong. Or that exchanging links with another founder would cause a Google penalty. Not at all.

After all, it is perfectly fine for startups to list their friends or associates. Or link to other startup’s posts, guides, or other content. Not to mention that statistically, it is also completely possible for two startups to link to each other. 

So, no, there is absolutely no risk in asking other founders for links and linking to them as well.

I bet that even though you are a new startup, you already have an amazingly-looking website. 

After all, it’s become a standard for new companies to wow their initial customers with beautiful websites (and rightly so!)

Such a great design immediately makes you more trustworthy. It boosts your perceived authority, too. Not to mention that it adds value to your brand. 

But did you know that your website design can become a link building asset?

Here’s what I mean…

Many sites offer the opportunity to showcase and reference your design to others. And what’s important is that they will always link to the included website. 

Here’s one example. 

(Notice that not only the gallery links to the site but it’s also a dofollow link. A double win.)

So, another way to build initial backlinks for a startup is by submitting the site to CSS galleries.

ACTION: You can find some of the most popular CSS galleries on this list.

More and more sites review SaaS startups. 

In the past, you had a handful of big review sites like G2crowd or Getapp, and that was it.

Today, software reviews appear on blogs.

Many YouTube channels specialize in reviewing software, too. 

Here’s an example of one of my favorite channels. Notice how many startups they’ve reviewed recently. 

Coincidentally, they also run a software review site. 

And the important bit? 

Many YouTube channels specialize in reviewing software, too. 

What’s amazing about this strategy is that such sites usually have high authority, sending an incredible link value to your site.

ACTION: Use terms like “[your product category] + review” or “[competitor name] + review” to identify potential review opportunities. 

Search for those in Google but also, do the same on YouTube. 

Here’s a snippet of search results for “Todoist reviews”.  

Granted, these pages don’t rank at the very top of the SERP (they are still on page one, nonetheless.) But since our goal is not to find top-ranking content but relevant review opportunities, it’s fine. 

And here are the same results on YouTube. Note that the two top results come from a software review site.

Today, software reviews appear on blogs.

Many YouTube channels specialize in reviewing software, too. 

Here’s an example of one of my favorite channels. Notice how many startups they’ve reviewed recently. 

This is another ridiculously simple way to build links for a startup.

It is so ridiculously simple because to do it, you just need to submit your product to software directories. 

Software directories, as the name might suggest, feature the best SaaS products on the web. 

Moreover, the most established directories have incredible domain authority, meaning they send a strong backlink to whomever they link to.

Naturally, as with everything in life, there is a catch….

Some directories require paying for a premium placement to get a dofollow link.

But even if you set up a free listing and get a nofollow link, it’s still something.

Here’s an example of a software directory:

FACT: Startups rarely operate locally.

Most software startups are online businesses. I bet you don't have a physical location. Hell, you don’t even have a physical product. 

But in spite of that, you must have a registered office somewhere. It’s a legal requirement to start a company in most countries, after all. Sure, it could be your or your co-founder’s home, it doesn’t matter. 

What matters is that because you do have a registered location, you could also list it in various local business directories.

Worth noting - Business directories do not send super strong links. 

But if you’re really stuck for links, then even a reference like this is worth something. 

Many founders openly criticize tool listicles, and I can’t understand why. 

Sure, being a marketer, it’d be easy for me to roll my eyes on yet another listicle of tools. After all, I know why such a page was created. 

But for the most part, our target audiences aren’t marketers. They’re ordinary folk with a real problem to fix. And that’s what your tool does.

Plus, Google doesn’t want to rank your homepage or feature page for product-relevant keywords. 

It prefers to rank a tool listicle.

Sure, it will rank a commercial page, too, if there is one and the content fits. However, on average, you’ll find more listicles in the SERP.

In other words, tool listicles are beyond useful to users. They provide them with a compact answer when they’re looking for available software on the market.

They are often also the exact content type that ranks for commercial or category keywords.

And that is your ticket to getting extremely useful and high-quality links.

• Google your category keywords and look for listicles or resource pages relevant to your product. 
• Use a tool like Hunter.io to find emails of people behind those articles. Granted, you might need to dig a little deeper here. Often, you’ll find that the company hired an external writer to create the article and gave them the byline. But the person might not be in a position to update it with your product. In that case, you might need to look for marketing person behind the brand, or their SEO.
• Reach out and ask whether they’d be open to include your product on the list, too. 

I’ll admit that this strategy can be a.) a little time-consuming and b.) less effective, particularly at first. Not every company will respond to your outreach. You might also find it difficult to connect with a relevant person. 

But keep at it. Being included on a tool listicle is, probably, single most powerful link building strategy for startups. It not only delivers insane links, it also puts your product in front of people who actively search for tools like yours. 

TIP: Create a listicle of tools, too. Every time you approach another site for inclusion, offer to include their product on your list (if relevant, of course.) It might help break the ice.

Quora is a great place to start building links for startups.

First, it allows you to include links in your bio.

Second, you can include links in your replies to questions relating to what your product does.

It’s that simple.

(A thing to note, all Quora links are nofollow. They still carry some link value, though.)

Building links with Reddit is a little bit more complicated. 

For one, you don’t get a link in bio. It’s also harder to include a link naturally in an answer. 

But Reddit offers an opportunity to have meaningful conversations with people who match your ideal client profile. And yes, occasionally, you do get a chance to include a link in your response (again, no follow, though.)

I don’t think it’s too far-fetched to assume that many podcasts target the same audience as you.

What’s more, many of those shows continuously look for guests to feature on the show.

Here’s how to get on:

• Review podcast lists on Apple, Stitcher or any other podcast directory, looking for shows relevant to your product. Most of them will list the show’s website in the description. 
• Review their sites, and the past episodes, looking for topics where you could add value or new insights.
• Again, use tools like Hunter.io to find the hosts email address (unless they reference it publicly on the site, of course.) Send them a personalized email , introduce yourself and your product and suggest what you’d like to talk about. 

Once you get featured, the host will feature links to your site in the show notes on the site.

This is a more time-consuming strategy, but it can deliver three outcomes, actually. It can get you the links but also help build relationships with key figures in your industry and generate buzz about your app.

(By the way, roundups are also one of the most effective growth hacking strategies for startups.)

Here’s how it works. 

Create a roundup post focusing on an issue your audience finds intriguing. The best roundups focus on how others have solved a problem your audience has. 

This startup, for example, focused on showing how other companies overcome the problem their product eliminates too.

To make a roundup work, you need participants, naturally. So, reach out to key figures in your industry, asking for insights or comments on the topic.

Here’s an example of an outreach email I received from a startup a while ago. 

Then, wait for replies (hint: you might have to follow up a few times.)

Finally, compile the replies you’ve received in a blog post, publish, and let everyone who participated know about it. 

Over time, this post will generate attention, much of it will result in links. 

Of course, if you could promote it further on social media (and ask your participants to do the same,) you can amplify its reach and the results it can generate. 

In other words, tool listicles are beyond useful to users. They provide them with a compact answer when they’re looking for available software on the market.

They are often also the exact content type that ranks for commercial or category keywords.

This method can help you attract attention and links by the thousands. 

I mean it. 

Just listen to what guests on my podcast say about this: 

• Andy Chadwick spoke at length about the benefits of creating a free Reddit keyword research tool.
• Nick Swan talked about building a free rank tracker. 
• Craig Hewitt told me about the wins his startup, Castos, gets with free tools.

Another example - this SaaS company, for example, offers a whole range of such tools. Each of them solves a particular problem of their audience, and stands a chance at getting noticed and linked to. 

And, as a matter of fact, that’s exactly what happens. Just one of those tools has acquired 24 links to date. 

They are often also the exact content type that ranks for commercial or category keywords.

Finally, this strategy combines on-page SEO best practices and content promotion to attract and win you amazing links. 

It’s a bit of intensive strategy and relies on two elements:

The first is conducting and publishing original research on the topic relevant to your audience’s pain point, product, or niche. 

The actual research doesn’t have to be anything fancy. The key here is to address an often-discussed issue within your target market and deliver new and unique data points.

For example, one of my clients - a survey software startup - evaluated their existing customer data to uncover average response rates, completion rates, and best-performing placements for in-app surveys. 

Note how they didn't have to do any specific or additional research. 

The company just evaluated their customers’ performance, that’s all. 

However, the resulting research made for a beautiful and highly insightful study that gets quoted and referenced online. 

And they get amazing inbound links.

The other focuses on promoting the hell out of that research to gain references, mentions, and links. 

This is the catch - For all those references, quotes, and mentions to happen, others must be able to find your research. 

This usually means two things:

• You need to publish them publicly on your site, perhaps as a blog post, or as a dedicated resource page and optimize the hell out of that. This way, you can rank the page for topics related to the topic of the research or stats about it. 
• You also need to make noise about that research. Again, there are several opportunities here, depending on where you hang out online - social media, Reddit, some Slack groups, etc. Promote your findings there, and make sure that people in your industry see them.

Over time, both activities will result in your research becoming quoted, referenced, and linked to. 

And that's it...

These are the best link building strategies for startups. They’ll help you get those initial valuable backlinks and kickstart building your authority. 

Good luck!

Hey there...

My name is Pawel Grabowski. I am a startup SEO consultant specializing in helping early-stage startups develop and deploy successful SEO programs.

Learn more about me or hire me to run SEO for your startup.