Proven Benefits of Scaling Link Building
Free backlinks still work in 2026, however only from sites with real traffic and editorial requirements., Locafy's company directory site research, and the called platforms Ahrefs and Backlinko point to in their own link building guides.
Where a source reported a DA or DR figure, it's included and labeled with its scale. Deal with every number as directional. Moz's DA and Ahrefs' DR are different scoring systems, and third-party price quotes wander gradually, so re-check anything you will spend real time on. A few guidelines before you begin submitting: Most of the websites below are nofollow (Google Service Profile, Yelp, Reddit, Pinterest, and almost every social platform are nofollow by default).
Directory sites cross-reference NAP (name, address, phone) information. The websites in that area below turn down submissions that read like an ad.
A lot of are nofollow, but they're still worth declaring due to the fact that they establish NAP consistency, which Google and Bing both use as a regional ranking signal, and due to the fact that a declared Google Service Profile or Bing Places listing appears straight in map and local search engine result regardless of link value. SiteURLReported DAFollowNotesGoogle Service for local/map visibility, not optionalBing Placesbingplaces.com93NofollowBing's comparable, faster approval than GoogleApple Company Apple Maps and Siri business resultsFacebook Organization Pagefacebook.com96NofollowAlso operates as an evaluation and messaging channelLinkedIn Company Pagelinkedin.com98-99NofollowB2B-relevant, doubles as a reliability signalYelpyelp.com93Nofollow (partial complimentary)Free fundamental profile, paid tiers add featuresBetter Organization Bureau (BBB)bbb.org91NofollowFree accredited-status application, regional prices requests accreditation itselfFoursquarefoursquare.com92NofollowStill indexed by other map apps that certify its dataYellowPages.comyellowpages.com88Nofollow (partial totally free)Tradition directory site, still gets real search trafficSuperpagessuperpages.com82NofollowFree basic listingMapQuestmapquest.com88NofollowFree company listing connected to map dataMantamanta.com72NofollowFree tier, SMB-focusedAngi (formerly Angie's List)angi.com91VariesBest for home services, some classifications need paid membershipNextdoor Businessnextdoor.com91Nofollow (partial totally free)Hyperlocal, strong for neighborhood-facing businessesCitysearchcitysearch.com72NofollowFree listingHotfroghotfrog.com60NofollowFree, instant approvalChamber of Commerce (regional chapter)chamberofcommerce.com66VariesMembership fee usually uses, however the directory site listing itself is often includedLocal.comlocal.com62NofollowFree fundamental listingShowMeLocalshowmelocal.com52NofollowFree, instant listingEZLocalezlocal.com52NofollowFree standard tierUSCity.netuscity.net46NofollowCity-organized directoryBrownbook.netbrownbook.net64DofollowOne of the few complimentary directory sites that remains dofollowCylexcylex.com62NofollowFree listing throughout a lot of regionsiBeginibegin.com45NofollowFree, Canada/US focusedTupalotupalo.com54NofollowFree, includes review functionalitySpoke.comspoke.com58NofollowFree standard business profileData Axle (InfoUSA)dataaxle.com76N/ AFeeds data to dozens of downstream directory sites and GPS systems Source for the directory-tier data: Locafy's service directory list.
two tier link buildingHuman Versus Automated Backlink Generation
No spam, unsubscribe anytime. Purpose-built for software application and start-ups. These matter more for a SaaS or app than a general business directory site does, because the traffic is purchasers actively comparing tools. SiteURLReported DR/DACategoryNotesProduct Huntproducthunt.com90+Launch directoryFree launch, ranking is time-boxed to introduce dayCrunchbasecrunchbase.com92Company profileFree fundamental business profile, heavily indexedAngelList (Wellfound)wellfound.com80+Startup/talent directoryFree listing, doubles as a working with channelCapterracapterra.com85+Software application evaluation directoryFree standard profile, part of Gartner Digital MarketsGetAppgetapp.com80+Software directorySister site to Capterra, very same parent (Gartner)Software Advicesoftwareadvice.com80+Software application directoryAlso Gartner-owned, complimentary fundamental listingG2g2.com90+Software review directoryFree profile, reviews bring the most SEO and trust weightAlternativeToalternativeto.net80+Comparison directoryHigh purchaser intent, users are actively looking for a swapSaaSHubsaashub.com60+SaaS directoryFree listing, smaller sized but pertinent trafficStackSharestackshare.io70+Tech stack directoryFree, developer-facing audienceIndie Hackersindiehackers.com80+Start-up communityFree profile plus a genuine conversation communityStartupStashstartupstash.com60+Curated start-up directoryFree listing optionFuturepediafuturepedia.io60+AI tool directoryRelevant particularly for AI-powered items Source for this section: cross-referenced from several 2026 SaaS-directory roundups (MarketingLad, GetIntel, LaunchDirectories) that independently noted the exact same core set of platforms.
The link normally resides in your author bio or profile, not the short article body, so the SEO value is smaller per link, however the platforms themselves have huge domain authority and often outrank a new website for its own name in search engine result. SiteURLReported DAFollowWhat you publishMediummedium.com95NofollowFull posts, profile bio linkWordPress.comwordpress.com95NofollowFree hosted blogBloggerblogger.com94NofollowFree hosted blog site, Google-ownedGitHub website hosting, truly dofollowSlideShareslideshare.net95NofollowPresentation/ deck uploads with a linked profileNotion (public page)notion.so94NofollowPublic docs/pages, indexable if shared publiclyGravatargravatar.com94NofollowProfile tied to your e-mail, reveals up anywhere Gravatar is usedSoundCloudsoundcloud.com94NofollowAudio uploads with profile link Source: BacklinkForMe's complimentary backlink websites page.
They're on this list anyhow due to the fact that they still drive referral clicks, help brand-new content get indexed faster, and (for Pinterest and Reddit specifically) can send significant direct traffic when a post really resonates in a pertinent subreddit or board. SiteURLReported DAFollowPinterestpinterest.com94-97NofollowRedditreddit. com91-94NofollowX (Twitter)x.com99NofollowInstagraminstagram.com98NofollowDiigodiigo.com78NofollowMix (formerly StumbleUpon)mix.com73NofollowScoop.itscoop.it72NofollowInstapaperinstapaper.com74NofollowBizSugarbizsugar.com65NofollowFolkdfolkd.com62NofollowFlipboardflipboard.com90+NofollowRaindrop.ioraindrop.io60+Nofollow Note: Pocket was shut down by Mozilla in July 2025 and Delicious has been chosen years.
