The 3 Types of Backlinks You Should Know
Not all backlinks work the same way. If you are building links for SEO, understanding the three types helps you focus on what actually moves rankings.
Editorial backlinks. Someone links to your site because they found your content useful. These are the hardest to get and the most valuable. Google treats them as genuine trust signals.
Listing backlinks. Your site appears in a directory or platform listing. These are easier to get and still carry value when the directory has real authority and traffic. A listing on a curated directory like FindGreatSites gives you a permanent dofollow link without any outreach.
Self-made backlinks. Profile links, forum signatures, blog comments. These are the least valuable. Google has devalued most of them. They can still drive referral traffic but rarely move rankings on their own.
A healthy backlink profile combines all three types, with the emphasis on editorial and listing links. If you are just starting out, listing links are your fastest path to a dofollow foundation.
Why Most Dofollow Links Fail to Help Your Rankings
Getting a dofollow link is not enough. The link needs to come from a page that Google trusts. Here are the most common reasons a dofollow link does nothing for your site:
- The linking site has no editorial standards. If a site links out to hundreds of unrelated pages, each link carries less weight. Google sees the pattern and discounts the value.
- The link sits in low-value page real estate. A link buried in a footer or sidebar is treated differently from a link embedded in the main content of an article.
- The linking domain has no traffic. Domain Rating matters, but real traffic is a stronger trust signal. A DR30 site with engaged visitors is often better than a DR60 site with zero organic reach.
- The context is wrong. If your site sells accounting software and the link comes from a recipe blog, the topical mismatch reduces the SEO benefit.
This is why directories that accept any submission regardless of quality rarely deliver SEO value. A curated platform - where each listing is categorized and reviewed - maintains the contextual relevance that search engines reward.
The 5-Minute Dofollow Backlink: Your Starting Point
The fastest dofollow backlink you can get today does not involve outreach, guest posting, or payment. You submit your project to FindGreatSites, and your listing goes live with a permanent dofollow link.
Here is what you get:
- A dofollow link from day one. The link is part of your listing page. It starts passing authority immediately.
- Categorized placement. Your project appears alongside similar tools and services. This contextual fit strengthens the link.
- Permanent and free. The listing stays indexed as long as your project is active. No expiration, no hidden fees.
- Visibility beyond SEO. The directory has 112+ projects and growing. Each category page gets crawled and indexed regularly.
Create your free account, add your project, and you are done. Five minutes for a dofollow backlink that stays with you.
Once you have that first link, expand to other trusted platforms. The top creators on FindGreatSites average 3-13 listed projects - they understand that consistent directory presence builds authority over time.
Where NOT to Get Dofollow Backlinks
Avoiding bad links is as important as finding good ones. Google can penalize sites with unnatural link profiles. Here are sources to skip:
| Avoid | Why |
|---|---|
| Link farms and PBNs | Google detects these networks. A penalty can wipe out your rankings entirely. |
| Auto-approved directories | If a directory accepts every submission instantly, the links are effectively worthless. Google ignores them. |
| Widget and embed links | Mass-distributed footer links from plugins or themes are frequently devalued by algorithm updates. |
| Spammy forum profiles | Creating hundreds of forum accounts just for a signature link wastes time and adds zero SEO value. |
The safer alternative is always a curated platform. A directory that reviews submissions and assigns categories creates a link profile that looks natural to search engines.
A Realistic Timeline for Building Dofollow Authority
SEO takes time. Here is what a realistic dofollow link-building schedule looks like for a new site:
Month 1: Submit to 3-5 curated directories and platforms. Your first links start being crawled within 1-2 weeks. Set up profiles on G2, Capterra, and Crunchbase.
Month 2: Start guest posting outreach. Pitch 5-10 blogs in your niche. Most editors respond within 2 weeks. Aim for 1-2 published guest posts by the end of the month.
Month 3-4: Build on what works. If directories brought referral traffic, add 2-3 more. If one guest post performed well, pitch similar sites. Monitor your backlink profile with a free tool.
Month 5-6: Reassess. Which dofollow links are driving traffic? Which sites have the best domain metrics? Double down on the sources that deliver results.
By month 6, a consistent approach should give you 15-20 quality dofollow backlinks. For most niches, that is enough to compete for medium-difficulty keywords.
Check Your Backlink in 10 Seconds
Before counting a backlink in your strategy, verify it is actually dofollow. Here is the fastest method:
- Open the page with your link.
- Right-click the link and choose Inspect Element.
- Look inside the
<a>tag. If you seerel="nofollow", the link is nofollow. If there is norelattribute, it is dofollow by default.
Browser extensions like SEOquake or Ahrefs Toolbar color-code links so you can spot them visually. If a platform promises a dofollow link but the HTML shows nofollow, contact their support or move to another source.
To get started with your first verified dofollow link, submit your project to FindGreatSites. It takes five minutes, and the link is dofollow from the moment your listing goes live.
