Brand, Web & Presence

How do I get backlinks when nobody has heard of my startup yet?

A starting point

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

Hand-picked from around the web, each with a note on why it earns your time.

3 resources 2 link-checked Read Use

Read

✍️ Essay
✓ Link checked Free Beginner

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.

Link Building for SEO: The Beginner's Guide

From Ahrefs by Tim Soulo Long read, about 30 to 40 minutes

  • Start with foundational links (social profiles, business listings), then move to earning links, in that order, not the reverse.
  • People link to pages that are interesting or useful, so the real work is making something worth citing before you do any outreach.
  • Relationships beat volume: a warm connection to an industry site converts far better than mass cold email.
Open ahrefs.com →
📄 Article
✓ Link checked Free Intermediate

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.

A Guide To Linkable Assets For Effective Link Building

From Search Engine Journal by Kevin Rowe Medium read, about 15 minutes

  • A linkable asset is content built to be referenced: original data, a free tool, a template, or a definitive resource, not just another blog post.
  • Aim to be more thorough and more useful than whatever currently ranks, or there is no reason for anyone to link to you instead.
  • Good content does not auto-earn links, but it slashes the outreach effort needed to get them, which is the real payoff.
Open searchenginejournal.com →

Use

🛠️ Tool
Free Beginner

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.

Help a Reporter Out (HARO)

From HARO (helpareporter.com) by Featured.com Ongoing (daily email queries you respond to)

  • You reply to journalist queries with a tight, useful answer, and a good one can earn a real editorial backlink plus press credibility.
  • It is free to sign up and respond as a source, which makes it a rare no-budget press channel for an unknown startup.
  • Speed and specificity win: answer fast, answer the exact question, and skip the sales pitch.
Open helpareporter.com →

People also ask

What is SEO and do I even need it as an early-stage startup? SEO is making your site show up when people search for what you solve, free, compounding traffic over time. It's worth it if your customers activel... Beginner 2 resources → How do I do keyword research to find what my customers search for? Start with the problems your customers describe, then use a keyword tool (Ahrefs, or free ones like Google Keyword Planner) to find real search ter... Intermediate 2 resources → What are the basic on-page SEO things I must get right? Put your target keyword in the title tag, H1, URL, and naturally in the content; write a compelling meta description; make the page fast and mobile... Intermediate 2 resources → How do I get started with content marketing without a big team? Write the handful of articles that answer the exact questions your best customers ask before buying, depth beats volume. Publish where your audienc... Beginner 2 resources → How long does SEO take to actually bring in traffic? Realistically months, often 6-12, before content ranks and traffic compounds, it's a long game with a big payoff, not a quick win. Set the foundati... Beginner 2 resources → How do I build content and an audience the Indian way, like the founders who do it well? India's sharpest founders build audiences by teaching in public, think Zerodha's Varsity or founder-led YouTube and LinkedIn. Pick one platform, sh... Intermediate 2 resources →