If you’ve just launched a SaaS, your first do-follow backlinks should come from places with a real reason to mention your product: relevant directories, integration partners, customers, and useful assets. Don’t start by buying a spreadsheet of “high-DR links.” Start by building a small, believable reference graph around the product.
That sounds slower than a bulk order. It is. It is also much less likely to leave you with links nobody visits, anchors you didn’t choose, or a site-wide pattern that looks manufactured.
This is a practical 90-day plan for a small team.
First, what “do-follow” actually means
“Do-follow” is informal SEO shorthand for a normal link without a rel="nofollow", rel="sponsored", or rel="ugc" relationship attribute. A normal editorial link can be used by search engines as a signal in their link graph. It can also send referral traffic and help a new site get discovered.
That doesn’t make every do-follow link valuable. A relevant link from a real software publication may beat a large-looking domain with no audience or editorial standards.
The opposite mistake is dismissing no-follow links. They can send visitors, create brand searches, and make your link profile look like real promotion. Our do-follow backlinks guide covers that distinction.
The backlink test: would this link exist without SEO?
Before you submit your product or send an email, ask one question:
If search engines disappeared tomorrow, would this page still have a reason to exist?
A directory page exists to help people discover software. An integration partner page exists to explain a working connection. A customer story exists to document a result. A tutorial exists to teach something. Those are defensible links.
A page created only to hold your keyword-rich anchor text is a weak foundation, even if a tool labels it “dofollow.”
A realistic order of operations
1. Make your own site linkable first
You can’t earn a useful reference if a visitor lands on a thin homepage and has nowhere to go.
Before link building, prepare these basics:
- A clear homepage title and one obvious description of what the product does.
- A stable product URL, not a temporary launch URL or a page hidden behind a login.
- A contact page and a founder or company identity.
- A concise pricing page, even if the product is free or still in beta.
- Documentation for important integrations, APIs, or workflows.
- One page that teaches something specific to your audience.
This is not about polishing every pixel before launch. It’s about giving a potential referrer a page they can confidently send readers to.
For a broader checklist, see our SaaS SEO strategy for founders. Backlinks won’t rescue a site that search engines can’t crawl, index, or understand.
2. Claim the links you already have a right to claim
The easiest early links are often not “earned” in the dramatic sense. They’re missing references that should already exist.
Make a list of:
- Launch platforms where you submitted the product.
- Integrations and marketplaces where your app is available.
- Accelerators, incubators, or communities that profile members.
- Customer and partner websites.
- Open-source projects or templates that include your product.
- Founder profiles and company directories relevant to your market.
For each one, record the page URL, link status, anchor text, and last contact date in a simple spreadsheet. Ask for a correction or addition only where your product genuinely belongs. Don’t turn every profile into a negotiation about anchor text.
A short message works well:
Thanks for featuring [product]. We noticed the profile currently links to our old launch page. Would you mind updating it to [stable URL]? That’s the page we maintain going forward.
This is boring work. It is also one of the cleanest ways to build a first-party foundation.
3. Use relevant software directories selectively
A good software directory can give you three things at once: a discoverability page, a referral opportunity, and a crawlable reference to your domain. The important word is “good.”
Check the directory before submitting:
- Can you find real products and real descriptions, or is every page spun text?
- Does the directory have a clear audience and category structure?
- Are listings actually indexed, or blocked from search engines?
- Does the page link to the product’s real homepage?
- Is the directory honest about paid placement and ranking?
- Would you still want the listing if the backlink were no-follow?
That last question is a useful filter. If the only reason to submit is a link attribute, the directory probably isn’t a good fit.
Some guides publish lists of alleged do-follow sources with precise domain-rating claims. Treat those as leads, not facts. Link attributes and page quality can change, and third-party metrics are not Google rankings.
On directree, founders can create a free structured listing by submitting a URL. Fields are separated into Observed, AI-inferred, and Founder-edited information. A verified owner can also earn the listing badge and its associated do-follow link. The point is software discovery first, not selling a ranking position. Visit the honest SaaS directory if that fits your product.
4. Create one asset someone can cite
A product page asks for attention. A useful asset earns a reason to reference it.
For a small SaaS, the asset doesn’t need to be a massive annual report. Try one of these:
- A free calculator that solves a narrow problem.
- A public benchmark with a transparent method.
- An integration compatibility table.
- A glossary that defines confusing terms in your niche.
- A migration checklist from a well-known alternative.
- A short teardown based on data from your own product.
The best first asset is usually close to a problem your product already understands. If you build a renewal tracker, a renewal-date calculator or contract handover checklist makes more sense than a generic “ultimate marketing guide.”
Add a source note, the date updated, and a contact address. Those small details make the page easier for another writer to trust.
5. Ask partners for context, not just a link
Integration partners are a natural source of relevant mentions. But “please link to us” is weaker than proposing a useful page for both audiences.
Offer one of these:
- A documented integration page with setup steps.
- A joint customer example.
- A migration guide for users moving between the two products.
- A webinar or technical walkthrough.
- A supported-tools page with accurate compatibility details.
Give the partner a suggested destination URL, not a demanded anchor. Let them describe the relationship in their own words. Branded anchors and plain URLs are normal. Repeating an exact commercial keyword across every link is not a smart goal.
Your first 90 days
Days 1-14: foundation
Fix your own internal links, submit to a handful of relevant directories, update launch and partner profiles, and request corrections to existing mentions. Set up Google Search Console and a backlink tracker. Record the page that links to you, not just the domain.
Days 15-45: one useful asset
Publish one genuinely useful resource and show it to people who already discuss the problem. Share it in communities where you can contribute without dropping a promotional link into every thread. Contact a small number of writers or operators only when the asset is a clear fit for something they already publish.
Days 46-90: deepen what worked
Look for evidence, not vanity totals. Which links sent referral visits? Which pages were indexed? Did a partner mention produce signups? Did a directory listing generate branded searches? Build a second asset or partnership around the signal that was real.
SEO timelines vary. A new domain may start getting crawled quickly, but meaningful rankings for competitive commercial terms can take many months. Don’t promise yourself that ten links will produce a page-one result by Friday. Measure progress in stages: discovery, indexing, impressions, qualified visits, and eventually conversions.
Backlink mistakes to avoid
Buying “guaranteed do-follow” links
Google’s link-spam guidance is a good reason to be wary of paid links intended to manipulate rankings. A disclosed paid sponsorship can be legitimate marketing. Paying for an editorial-looking link whose only job is to pass ranking signals is different.
Submitting to hundreds of generic directories
A small set of relevant listings is a foundation. A burst of hundreds of near-identical submissions is usually just a footprint. Prioritize places your customers might actually use.
Obsessing over domain-rating numbers
Third-party authority metrics are useful for comparing a site’s link profile, but they aren’t Google’s score and they don’t tell you whether the page has a real audience. Look at relevance, indexability, placement, and referral potential together.
Ignoring the destination page
Most early founders point every link at the homepage. That’s understandable, but not always useful. If a partner mentions your API, link to the API documentation. If a directory describes a free tool, link to that tool. A specific destination gives the reader a better next step and creates a stronger internal structure.
FAQ
How many do-follow backlinks does a new SaaS need?
There is no honest universal number. Start with a small group of relevant, crawlable references and watch what happens. Ten useful links can matter more than 100 irrelevant ones, but neither number guarantees rankings.
Should I use exact-match anchor text?
Usually, no. Ask for a natural brand name, product name, or URL unless the linking site chooses otherwise. A natural mix is safer and easier for partners to write.
Are software directories still worth it?
Some are. Choose directories with a real audience, clear editorial rules, indexed listing pages, and transparent placement. If a directory offers neither discovery nor trust, the backlink alone probably isn’t enough.
Can backlinks get my new site indexed?
They can help search engines discover your pages, but they don’t replace a sitemap, internal links, accessible HTML, and a technically crawlable site. Indexing and ranking are separate problems.
What is the best backlink for a SaaS?
The best link is one that is relevant, editorially justified, visible to a real audience, and pointed at a useful page. A partner tutorial, customer story, or specialist directory listing can all qualify.