Backlinks are still an important ranking factor in Search Engine Results pages. This means they’re a staple for years to come in Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
Search engines have evolved to penalize low-quality, high quantity strategies. Search engines focus more on factors like content relevance, user experience (UX), mobile responsiveness, and core web vitals, making search algorithms more intricate.
Here is a quick list of 25 free backlink providers:
*I’ve used most of them in the past.
| Provider | Description | DA | Spam Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Github Pages | A service to host and publish websites directly from a GitHub repository, primarily for project documentation. | 96 | 2.0 |
| Bit.ly | URL shortening service that allows users to shorten, share, and track links, enhancing usability and tracking engagement. Interestingly still using dofollow backlinks. | 94 | N/A |
| forums.cnet.com | Post on software, hardware or other tech topics | 94 | 3.0 |
| Linktree | A tool for optimizing online presence by creating a configurable landing page that can link to your social profiles and other important links. | 93 | N/A |
| Disqus | You’ll have to find sites that employ Disqus’ commenting system, but it’s still dofollow | 93 | 21 |
| Evernote | Established note-taking app designed for organizing, task management, and archiving. | 92 | 4.0 |
| MySQL forums | Post on MySQL/technical topics | 92 | 1.0 |
| Behance | Â | 92 | 3.0 |
| Hostgator forums | Post on Hostgator/Web topics | 90 | 3.0 |
| del.icio.us | A social bookmarking web service for storing, sharing, and discovering web bookmarks, fostering a community-based approach to bookmark organization. | 89 | 61.0 |
| carrd.co | this might be my fav one: easy backlink creation, growing popularity – carrd allows you to quickly create microsites | 81 | 3.0 |
| buymeacoffee.com | A platform enabling creators to receive support and funding from their audience via one-time or subscription-based payments. | 80 | 1.0 |
| Deviantart.com | Issue: there are different places on the website to add backlinks: 1) in deviantart user profile info AND 2) Backlinks in the deviantart.com Forum | 74 | 6.0 |
| HARO: Help a reporter | Famous backlink exchange, helping you to get references from reputable news sources | 65 | 1.0 |
| provenexpert.com | Â | 64 | 1.0 |
| blogarama.com | Â | 62 | 2.0 |
| allmyfaves.com | Â | 60 | 14.0 |
| dailygram.com | Â | 54 | 16.0 |
| mssg.me | Â | 54 | 15.0 |
| myopportunity.com | A networking platform that connects professionals and businesses based on their industry and location | 51 | 1.0 |
| portfolium.com/entry | Â | 51 | 5.0 |
| Deviantart Forum | A community forum for artists and art enthusiasts to discuss art, share ideas. Awesome place, with lots of enthousiastic people. | 50 | N/A |
| filesharingtalk.com | Â | 45 | 1.0 |
| find-us-here.com | Â | 44 | 4.0 |
| startuphub.ai | A platform dedicated to startup innovation, offering resources, news, and insights. Specifically tailored for the AI and tech startup communities | 32 | 3.0 |
| BONUS: 4 great nofollow backlinks | Â | Â | Â |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linkedin public articles are often ranked highest, since the Google’s Helpful Content Update. Even though the links are nofollow, the referral traffic is often worth it. | 99 | 1.0 | |
| GitHub Repositories & Pages | Github allows you to host your own projects using Git version control system. Good plays to create backlinks | 96 | 2.0 |
| Quora | A big knowledge-sharing platform where users ask questions and connect with others | 93 | 10 |
| Reddit provides good backlinks due to its high domain authority and large, diverse user base. However, most links on Reddit are “nofollow” | 92 | 3.0 |