Backlinks still matter for search, but the way startups get them has changed. Mass directory submissions and bought links do little or put you at risk. What works is giving other sites a genuine reason to link to you.
Tinkerfeed Launchpad is our product. We've listed what each platform is best at so you can choose.
Dofollow, nofollow and why it matters
When a site links to you normally, search engines read it as a vote of confidence. When the link is marked nofollow, ugc or sponsored, they are told not to pass ranking credit. Most launch platforms and social sites, including Product Hunt, Peerlist and Tinkerfeed Launchpad, use nofollow on listing links.
That does not make launch platforms useless for SEO. A launch puts your product in front of writers, bloggers and founders who may later mention you on their own sites, and those editorial links are the valuable kind. It also gives your brand name a few pages that can appear when people search for you.
Bottom line: use launch platforms for users, feedback and awareness. Earn your strongest links with the tactics below.
7 ways startups earn real backlinks
1. Publish original data
Run a small survey, analyse your own anonymised product data, or benchmark something in your niche. Journalists and bloggers link to numbers they cannot find elsewhere.
2. Build a free tool
A simple calculator, checker or template related to your product earns links for years. Keep it genuinely useful without requiring a sign-up.
3. Write the definitive guide
Pick a question your customers ask constantly and answer it better than anyone else, with examples and screenshots. Update it each year.
4. Be a guest
Podcasts, newsletters and community AMAs usually link to their guests. Founders with a specific story are easy to book.
5. Partner and integration pages
If you integrate with other tools, ask to be listed on their integrations or partners page. These are relevant, trusted links.
6. Fix broken and outdated references
Find articles in your niche that link to tools that no longer exist, and suggest your product as a replacement when it genuinely fits.
7. Share your story where founders read
An honest build-in-public post, launch retrospective or "what we learned" write-up gets shared and cited far more than a product announcement.
What to avoid
- Buying links that pass ranking credit. It breaks Google's spam policies.
- Mass directory blasts. Hundreds of low-quality directories add little and can look spammy.
- Link exchanges at scale ("I'll link you if you link me").
- Hidden links in widgets, badges or footers of other people's sites.
Where Tinkerfeed fits
Tinkerfeed Launchpad gives you a permanent, categorised product page and a daily launch audience. Its listing links are nofollow, so think of it as a way to be discovered by people who might write about you, not as a shortcut to rankings.
Questions
Do launch platforms give you backlinks?
Some do, many don't. Product Hunt, Peerlist and Tinkerfeed Launchpad mark listing links as nofollow, so they do not pass search ranking value directly. Their real SEO benefit is indirect: visitors, mentions and people who later link to you from their own sites.
What is the difference between dofollow and nofollow links?
A normal (dofollow) link tells search engines you vouch for the page. A nofollow, ugc or sponsored link tells them not to pass ranking credit. Both can still send real visitors.
Should I buy backlinks?
No. Google's spam policies treat paid links that pass ranking credit as link schemes, and sites caught doing it can lose rankings. Paid placements should be marked sponsored.
How many backlinks does a new startup need?
There is no magic number. A handful of links from relevant, trusted sites usually does more than hundreds from low-quality directories.