Backlinks for New Websites

Starting from zero? Here's exactly what to do in your first 90 days—week by week, with specific backlink opportunities at each stage.

What to Expect as a New Website

New websites face a trust deficit. Google doesn't know you yet. Domain age matters less than it used to, but you still need to prove yourself through quality content and legitimate backlinks.

3-6 Months

Before meaningful ranking improvements

5-10 Quality Links

Beat 100 low-quality ones

Steady Growth

0 to 100 links/month looks unnatural

Unlock all 236+ premium backlinks
1

Foundation Links

Day 1-3: Social profiles. Create accounts on major platforms. Even nofollow links establish your entity.
Day 4: Google Business Profile. Even for non-local businesses, this establishes you in Google's knowledge graph.
Day 5-7: Link from properties you already own—personal sites, other business sites, LinkedIn company page.

Site
DR
Price
upgrade-to-see.com
99
Domain Authority: 99
Very high authority
free
upgrade-to-see.com
96
Domain Authority: 96
Very high authority
free
upgrade-to-see.com
94
Domain Authority: 94
Very high authority
free
upgrade-to-see.com
94
Domain Authority: 94
Very high authority
free
upgrade-to-see.com
93
Domain Authority: 93
Very high authority
free
upgrade-to-see.com
93
Domain Authority: 93
Very high authority
free
upgrade-to-see.com
92
Domain Authority: 92
Very high authority
free
github.com
github.com
92
Domain Authority: 92
Very high authority
free
upgrade-to-see.com
92
Domain Authority: 92
Very high authority
free
upgrade-to-see.com
92
Domain Authority: 92
Very high authority
free
9 premium links hidden Upgrade
2

Directory Foundation

Skip the "500 directories for $20" services—those are spam traps. Pick 5-10 quality directories. Complete profiles fully, write unique descriptions for each one. NAP consistency matters if you have a physical location.

Site
DR
Price
apple.com
apple.com
97
Domain Authority: 97
Very high authority
$99/year
upgrade-to-see.com
96
Domain Authority: 96
Very high authority
free
upgrade-to-see.com
96
Domain Authority: 96
Very high authority
free
upgrade-to-see.com
93
Domain Authority: 93
Very high authority
paid
upgrade-to-see.com
92
Domain Authority: 92
Very high authority
free
producthunt.com
producthunt.com
91
Domain Authority: 91
Very high authority
free
upgrade-to-see.com
90
Domain Authority: 90
Very high authority
free
crunchbase.com
crunchbase.com
90
Domain Authority: 90
Very high authority
free
upgrade-to-see.com
90
Domain Authority: 90
Very high authority
paid
upgrade-to-see.com
89
Domain Authority: 89
Very high authority
paid
7 premium links hidden Upgrade
Full Directory Guide
3

Content-Based Links

Launch Platforms

Product Hunt, Hacker News (Show HN), relevant subreddits. A good launch gets traffic AND high-authority backlinks.

Your First Guest Post

Don't spam 50 sites. Pick ONE quality publication, craft a compelling pitch, write exceptional content.

HARO Responses

Sign up for HARO, Qwoted, Help a B2B Writer. Expect 5-10% success rate, but links from major publications.

Full Guest Posting Guide
4

Scale What Works

Analyze Results

  • Check Google Search Console for impressions
  • Monitor referral traffic from new links
  • Use Ahrefs/Moz to verify which links were indexed

Double Down

  • Guest posting worked? Pitch 2-3 more sites
  • HARO got results? Increase response frequency
  • Directories drove traffic? Find similar ones
Full Link Building Guide

Common Mistakes That Tank New Websites

Building Too Fast

0 to 100 links in a month triggers spam filters. A natural profile grows steadily. 5-10 links per month is plenty for a new site.

Ignoring Relevance

A link from a random blog means almost nothing. Prioritize sites in your industry, even if their DA is lower.

Expecting Instant Results

SEO takes months, not days. Links built today impact rankings in 1-3 months. Plan accordingly.

Giving Up Too Soon

Most people quit at month 2. The compound effect kicks in at month 6+. Consistency beats intensity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Start Your First 90 Days

Browse our database filtered by difficulty. Start with easy wins, scale up from there.