Startup Backlinks: 8 Places to Get Them and What to Check

By Hridoy Ahmed | Last updated: October 2026 | 10 min read

Short answer: Startup founders often get backlinks from founder-story sites, tech publications, AI tool directories and launch platforms. Eight popular options are Starter Story, Failory, HackerNoon, Startup Founder Stories, Toolify AI, Creator Economy Tools, Foundr and Fazier. Each works differently, some links are nofollow or need a reciprocal badge, and the numbers people quote for them vary a lot. Choose the few that match your startup, and do not chase a link count.

How to judge a backlink source

This post began with a list of “9 places to get backlinks” that circulates online. It only lists eight, because number five is missing, so I cover those eight. I did not verify every site’s current rules. Check each one before you submit. Use these questions:

Relevance: does the audience match your product?
Type: is it an editorial story, a guest article, a directory listing or a launch platform?
Link attribute: is the link dofollow, nofollow or ugc? Check the page source.
Requirements: do you need to add a badge or link back to them?
Cost: is it free, or is the link or promotion paid?
Real audience: do real people read it? A link that sends no visitors is weaker.
Effort: how long will it take, and is the story honest and useful?

For more on quality, see what makes a backlink high quality and how to check whether a backlink is worth getting.

The 8 places

The descriptions below follow the original list. The figures are the ones quoted there, and I have not verified them.

Site	Quoted DR	Quoted monthly traffic	Type
Starter Story	76	436,000+	Founder stories
Failory	75	159,000+	Founder stories and failures
HackerNoon	88	767,000+	Tech publishing
Startup Founder Stories	14	5,400+	Founder stories
Toolify AI	72	1.23M+	AI tool directory
Creator Economy Tools	26	31,000+	Creator tool directory
Foundr	76	117,000+	Editorial and promotional
Fazier	83	436,000+	Launch platform

1. Starter Story

The list describes it as a place to share your startup journey and business lessons with entrepreneurs and founders. This is story-based, so you need a real story with real details. Only claim numbers and results you can prove.

2. Failory

The list says you can share your startup story, failures and lessons. Honest failure stories can work well here. Share what you learned, not a sales pitch.

3. HackerNoon

HackerNoon says that anyone can submit a story, and that each story goes through review by a human editor. It is aimed at tech writing, such as tutorials, technology articles and startup insights. It also has paid programs. Its Business Blogging program gives a business an author bio, social links and a call to action. If you want a free story, write a useful tech article instead of a promotion.

4. Startup Founder Stories

The list describes it as a place to share your founder journey. It is smaller than the others in the list, so check that the audience fits before you spend time.

5. Toolify AI

The list describes it as a place to submit your AI tool so users can find it when they look for AI software. It only fits if you have an AI tool. Check whether a listing is free or paid, and what the link attribute is.

6. Creator Economy Tools

The list says to list your product if it serves creators. It fits tools for content creation and monetization, and not other products.

7. Foundr

The list mentions editorial and promotional opportunities to reach entrepreneurs. Promotional placements can be paid. Paid links should be labeled. See the rules below.

8. Fazier

Fazier is a launch platform where you can submit a SaaS or digital product. According to third-party guides, the free tier is reviewed after a wait and asks you to add a link or badge back to Fazier on your site, while paid tiers promise a backlink and promotion. Check Fazier’s own page for the current terms.

If you want help choosing and pitching the right sites, see my link building and guest posting service.

Why the numbers are not reliable

DR is a third-party metric. It comes from Ahrefs. Google does not use it, and it changes over time.
Different sources disagree. I found Fazier described with a Domain Rating of 67 in one place, 81 in another and 82 or higher in a third. One guide estimates about 1,000 visits a month, while the list quotes 436,000. The same site can look very different depending on who measured it and when.
Traffic to a site is not traffic to your listing. A directory can have many visitors, and none of them may see your page.
Link counts are not a goal. The list was shared with a claim of building 52+ backlinks. I cannot verify that, and a high count does not mean a high-quality profile.

To check a site yourself, use a free tool such as Ahrefs Free on your own site and a trusted checker on others, then look at the page where your link would appear. See my guide to underrated SEO tools.

What Google’s rules say

Google’s spam policies list link practices that can count as spam. These matter for startup link building:

Buying or selling links that pass ranking credit. Google says to qualify paid or sponsored links with rel=”nofollow” or rel=”sponsored”.
Excessive link exchanges. A “link to me and I will link to you” arrangement can be a problem, so think carefully before you add a badge that links back to a directory in return for a listing.
Low-quality directory or bookmark links. Do not submit to hundreds of weak directories.
Optimized anchor text in articles distributed on other sites. Use natural, branded anchors.
Advertorials with links that pass ranking credit. Paid editorial placements should be disclosed and qualified.

Many directories and launch platforms use nofollow or ugc, or reserve dofollow for paid tiers. A nofollow link can still bring readers and brand awareness, but do not plan on it passing ranking power. See my guide on digital PR for SEO for a manual approach.

A simple plan

Prepare your base. A clear homepage, an About page, a product page and one useful article. See the technical SEO checklist for WordPress.
Pick three or four sources that fit. A founder-story site, a relevant publication, and one directory or launch platform for your category.
Write something real. A true story with lessons and details, or a useful article. No invented numbers.
Follow each site’s rules. Read the submission guidelines and disclose anything paid.
Use a consistent brand description. Same name, description and links everywhere. See entity SEO.
Track results. Keep a sheet with the date, the URL, the link type, referral visits and enquiries.
Review after a few months. Keep what brings real visitors, and drop what does not.

Common mistakes

Submitting to every directory you can find
Choosing sites by DR alone
Adding a reciprocal link to your site without thinking about it
Paying for placements and not labeling the links
Telling a story with numbers you cannot prove
Using the same pitch and anchor text everywhere

FAQ

Are these backlinks dofollow?

It depends on the site and the plan, and it can change. Check the link in the page source, and read the site’s terms.

How many backlinks do I need?

There is no number. A few relevant links from real sites matter more than many weak ones. See how many backlinks you need to rank.

Is it safe to submit my startup to directories?

A small number of relevant, real directories is normal marketing. Mass submissions to low-quality directories can look like link spam.

Do these links help rankings?

No one can promise that. They can bring visitors, brand awareness and possible mentions. Treat any ranking effect as a bonus.

Want a link plan that fits your startup? I research the right sites, check each one and build links manually. See my link building and guest posting service.

About the author: Hridoy Ahmed is an SEO specialist and WordPress security expert based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He has 8+ years of experience and works with clients worldwide.

Startup Backlinks: 8 Places to Get Them and What to Check First