How to get a backlink from Goodreads
Backlink signals
Editorial estimates for comparing this provider.
- Dofollow links Can pass equity
- Yes : We set this after checking whether the recommended backlink method on this provider typically outputs a dofollow link in the page HTML. If attributes vary by page type, we use the realistic default for that path and explain the nuance in the guide.
- Authority rating Editorial estimate
- 35/100 : We score the actual backlink surface—not the provider homepage—using Domain Authority when available, otherwise a conservative Backlink Badger editorial estimate. This approximate comparison number may not match third-party tools or the live page's real strength.
- Spam rating Lower is better
- 2/100 : We use spam score when we have a defensible value for the relevant domain or surface, otherwise a conservative Backlink Badger editorial estimate from platform quality and spam patterns. Treat it as an approximate comparison guide, not a guarantee of how search engines evaluate the site.
- Acquisition difficulty Lower is easier
- 65/100 : Backlink Badger assigns this 0–100 score from editorial review of signup friction, content requirements, approval gates, and account trust for the recommended path. It is an approximate comparison estimate, not a measured difficulty metric.
- Time estimate Typical setup
- ~45 min : We estimate the minimum minutes a prepared user needs to sign up, set up, and publish or submit the backlink, including obvious waiting steps we can reasonably predict. This Backlink Badger estimate is approximate—your first attempt or extra verification may take longer.
- Free option No required spend
- Yes : We mark Yes when the recommended backlink path can be completed without paying the provider for access, placement, or a required plan. If only paid tiers unlock the link, or payment is commonly required in practice, we mark No.
Goodreads is only worth targeting if you are an author, publisher, or marketer who can legitimately claim an author profile. The fastest legitimate backlink path is not a normal reader profile; it is the website field on a verified Goodreads Author page.
Method: Claim an author profile and add your website
- Create or sign in to a Goodreads account.
- Open the Goodreads Author Program page and confirm that your book, or soon-to-be-published book, is already in the Goodreads database.
- Search Goodreads for your most popular book by ISBN, ASIN, or title.
- Open the author name from the book page, scroll to the bottom of the author profile, and use Is this you? Let us know! to submit the claim.
- After approval, update the author profile with a real author website. Keep the profile bio, photo, and book listings complete so the page does not look like a bare link drop.
A public Goodreads author profile can show the author website as a direct external link. In the inspected example below, the author website link uses rel="noopener noreferrer" and does not include nofollow, ugc, or sponsored.
Link quality notes
The author website field is the backlink surface to prioritize. On the same inspected author page, a Twitter/social link was marked rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer", so do not assume every external link on Goodreads has the same behavior.
This is also not a scalable generic profile-link tactic. If you do not have a real book listing and a claimable author identity, Goodreads is a poor fit and the application may not be approved. For legitimate authors, the link is useful because the profile is public, tied to the book graph, and likely to be trusted more than a throwaway user profile.
Provider overview
Goodreads is a book discovery and reader community owned by Amazon. Verified authors can claim an author profile and add an official website link that appears on a public Goodreads author page.
Minimum requirements to get a backlink from Goodreads
- Goodreads account
- Published book listing
- Author identity proof
- Author website URL
Key challenges to get a backlink from Goodreads
- Author-only path: The useful backlink workflow requires a published or soon-to-be-published book in the Goodreads database.
- Approval gate: Goodreads says Author Program applications are reviewed before the profile is claimed.
- Limited link surface: The author website field is the cleanest link; social links on inspected profiles may be marked nofollow.