A free dofollow backlink is a normal link you did not pay for. The pages that rank for “free dofollow backlinks” are mostly spreadsheets of blogs that will publish anything. Submitting your URL to that list is how sites get a pile of low-quality links, which is an example in Google's link-spam description. The free links worth having are citations from pages a person opens on purpose.
Free paths that are still legitimate
- A launch write-up you earned: Product Hunt, BetaList, Indie Hackers, or a directory that reviews submissions. The link may still be nofollow. Check the live tag.
- A free FoundrList listing. The link on a free listing is nofollow. It can still be a public URL for your product. A dofollow link is part of paid launch plans, which are not free.
- An original explanation, dataset, or template other people reference. You do not control whether they add rel.
- Open-source docs and a README that points at your site, when the project is real.
- A quote you gave a reporter or a newsletter that already covers your niche.
Free paths to skip
- “Submit to 500 directories” tools you have never heard of.
- Comment links, profile bios, and widget footprints.
- Anyone ranking for “buy dofollow backlinks” who also offers a free sample pack.
- Automated outreach that asks for a link and offers nothing the reader needed.
If a link is free because the site does not care what it publishes, it is not an asset. Spend the afternoon on one page people can cite, using the steps in how to get dofollow backlinks.
What the search is actually asking
Free dofollow backlinks, dofollow backlinks list, and list of dofollow backlinks are searched by people who want a spreadsheet. The pages that rank are often the spreadsheet. Using it is how a new site collects links from pages that exist to sell links. Google's link-spam examples include low-quality directories and paid links that pretend to be editorial. A free link is only useful when a person would have published it without a list.
Free work that can still produce a normal link
- Publish a page that answers a question your buyers type, with sources.
- List the product on a directory that reviews submissions and has readers. Check the rel tag. A free FoundrList listing is nofollow. That is still a public URL. It is not a dofollow link.
- Post a real milestone where you already participate, such as Indie Hackers, after you have read the rules.
- Give a specific quote to a newsletter or writer who covers your niche.
- Ship an open-source README that points at the product, if the project is real.
Skip comment links, profile bios, widget footprints, and anyone who ranks for buy dofollow backlinks and also offers a free sample. The how to get dofollow backlinks page is the sequence. Where to launch a startup is the channel list if the goal is readers, not a rel attribute.
How to tell a list is junk
- The domains are unfamiliar and the pages look the same.
- The only call to action is submit your URL or buy a package.
- Domain Rating is the only column. There is no note about whether a person reads the site.
- The list promises hundreds of links from one afternoon of forms.
Questions people ask
Where can I download a free dofollow backlinks list?
You can find plenty. They are not a plan. The sites on those lists are often paid or abandoned. Build citations from places your buyers already use.
Is a free directory listing dofollow?
Sometimes, and often not. FoundrList's free listing is nofollow. Always view the source on the live page instead of trusting a blog table.
Will free links get a new domain indexed?
A link from an indexed page can help discovery. It does not force indexing. Submit your sitemap in Search Console either way.
Can I get a dofollow link without paying anyone?
Yes, when someone cites you because the page helped them. You do not control the rel attribute. You control whether the page deserves the cite.
Is a free directory listing a free dofollow backlink?
Only if the live anchor has no nofollow, sponsored, or ugc. Many free listings are nofollow, including FoundrList's. View the source.
Keep reading
- What are dofollow backlinks?
- How to get dofollow backlinks
- Where to launch a startup
- What a SaaS directory is
