How do I get backlinks when nobody has heard of my startup yet?
The short answer
Forget buying links or begging strangers. Early on, links come from things you'd do anyway: writing genuinely useful posts people cite, guest writing where your buyers already read, getting listed in relevant directories, and being quoted by journalists via platforms like HARO. A starting point: create one resource so useful that linking to it makes someone else look good.
Go deeper, your way
3 hand-picked resources, 2 link-checked. Pick how you want to dig in.
✍️ Essay
✓ Link checkedFreeBeginner
Why we picked it
This is the honest starting point when you have zero links and nobody knows you yet. Tim Soulo walks through a phased approach: grab the easy foundational links (social profiles, directories), then build something genuinely worth linking to, then earn links through real relationships rather than cold begging. It is blunt that if your page is not useful, no tactic will save it, which is exactly the reality check a first-time founder needs.
Why we picked it
The most durable way to get links without an audience is to build something people actually want to cite, and this article explains exactly what that looks like. Kevin Rowe breaks down the asset types that reliably earn links (original research, statistical roundups, free tools, templates, calculators) instead of hoping generic blog posts get noticed. It is honest that great content alone does not guarantee links, but it makes outreach far easier, which is the realistic promise.
Why we picked it
When nobody has heard of you, a real quote in a journalist's story is one of the few ways to earn a genuine press link from a standing start. HARO sends out reporter queries looking for expert sources, and a sharp, specific answer from a founder can land a mention with a link back, no PR budget required. Founders building outside the big startup hubs can compete here purely on the quality of the response, since reporters care about the insight, not where you sit.
