What Are Backlinks? A Simple Guide for Builders
Backlinks explained in plain English. What they are, why Google cares, and how directories give them to you for free.
You keep hearing "get backlinks" but nobody explains what that actually means. Let's fix that in under 3 minutes.
What is a backlink?
A backlink is simply a link from another website to yours. When a directory like SaaSHub or AlternativeTo lists your product and links to your site, that's a backlink.
That's it. Nothing more complicated than that.
Why does Google care?
Google treats every backlink as a vote of confidence. When other sites link to you, Google thinks: "other people trust this site, so it's probably worth showing in search results."
More backlinks from quality sites = higher Google ranking = more free organic traffic to your product. You don't pay for this traffic. It just keeps coming.
Dofollow vs Nofollow
Not all backlinks are equal. There are two types:
- Dofollow backlinks pass SEO value to your site. Google counts them as real votes. This is what you want.
- Nofollow backlinks send visitors to your site but don't boost your ranking. Still useful for traffic, just not for SEO.
When we say a directory gives a "dofollow backlink," that means it directly helps your Google ranking.
What is Domain Rating (DR)?
Domain Rating is a score from 0 to 100 that measures how strong a website is. Think of it like a credibility score.
A backlink from a DR 80 site (like SaaSHub) is like getting a recommendation from a well-known professor. A backlink from a DR 10 site is like getting one from a stranger. Both help, but the professor's carries way more weight.
LaunchPanda shows you each directory's DR so you can prioritize the ones that give the biggest boost.
Why directories are the easiest way to get backlinks
Most backlink strategies are hard. Guest posting takes weeks. PR outreach costs money. Cold emailing is painful.
Directories are different:
- Free to submit (most of them)
- Fast (often instant or 1 to 3 days)
- No outreach needed (just fill out a form)
- 140+ options (not just Product Hunt)
You save your product info once in a Launch Kit, then copy and paste your way through dozens of directories. Each one is a new backlink, a new listing, and a new source of traffic.
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Build your Launch Kit on LaunchPanda and start collecting backlinks today. It takes about 30 seconds to set up.
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