By SEOENV Team | Published October 23, 2026
You can get backlinks for free by asking partners, suppliers and customers for links, reclaiming unlinked mentions of your brand, writing guest posts for real sites, getting listed on relevant directories and offering your content as a replacement for broken links. These cost time rather than money. What you should avoid are "free backlink generator" sites and mass-submission lists, which create low-quality links that Google ignores or treats as spam.
Below are 12 free methods, what they're worth, and how to keep track of them.
Key takeaways
- Most legitimate links cost time, not money.
- The best free links come from relationships and useful content.
- Avoid "free backlink generator" sites and automated submissions.
- Free directory and profile links help a little; editorial links help most.
- Track free links like paid ones, since they disappear too.
Free backlink methods at a glance
| Method | Time per link | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Partner and supplier links | Low | Medium-high |
| Customer "tools we use" pages | Low | Medium |
| Unlinked mentions | Low | High |
| Redirecting your broken pages | Low | High |
| Business and industry directories | Low | Low-medium |
| Social and community profiles | Low | Low |
| Resource page suggestions | Medium | Medium |
| Broken link replacements | Medium | Medium |
| Guest posts | High | Medium |
| Expert quotes for journalists | Medium | Medium-high |
| Podcast guest spots | Medium | Medium |
| Free templates and tools you publish | High | High |
1. Partners and suppliers
Companies you work with often list partners, stockists or clients. Ask for a listing with a link.
2. Customers
Happy B2B customers may mention you on "our stack" or case study pages. Offer to co-write the case study.
3. Unlinked mentions
Search for your brand in quotes and exclude your own site. Politely ask writers who mention you to link.
4. Fix links to your 404 pages
Search Console's Links report and backlink tools show which pages are linked. Redirect any that 404.
5. Directories
Relevant business directories, chambers of commerce and trade associations. See directory backlinks.
6. Profiles
Social profiles, community profiles and professional networks. Usually nofollow, but they help people find you.
7. Resource pages
Find curated lists in your topic and suggest your page where it fills a gap.
8. Broken link building
Find dead links on relevant pages and suggest your page as a replacement.
9. Guest posts
Write useful articles for real sites in your niche. See guest blogging for SEO.
10. Expert quotes
Respond to journalist requests with specific, useful answers.
11. Podcasts
Show notes link to guests. Pitch hosts with a clear topic.
12. Publish something free and useful
A template, checklist or calculator that others want to share.
Free links share one weakness: there's no contract and no invoice, so nobody notices when they go. A partner redesigns their site, a directory removes old listings, and the link is gone.
Keep free links from quietly disappearing
Track every link and see which are Lost or Broken.
Free backlinks to avoid
- "Free backlink generator" tools that create links on hundreds of junk pages.
- Lists of "10,000 free dofollow backlink sites" for profile and comment spam.
- Automated blog comments and forum signatures.
- Article directories and spun content sites.
Google's spam policies name automated link creation as link spam. These links won't help and can make your profile look manipulated.
Worked example: one month of free link building (example data)
The figures are invented example data for a small local bakery.
| Activity | Attempts | Links won |
|---|---|---|
| Supplier and stockist pages | 8 asked | 5 |
| Local directories and chamber | 6 submitted | 6 |
| Unlinked mentions (local blogs) | 4 found | 3 |
| Local food blog guest recipe | 2 pitched | 1 |
| Total | 15 |
Fifteen relevant local links in a month, without spending money, all recorded so they can be checked later.
Are free directory links worth it?
A few relevant ones, yes. They help people find you and support local citations. Hundreds of generic directories, no.
How to get backlinks for free faster
Start with relationships you already have, since those convert fastest. Then publish one asset worth linking to and point outreach at it.
Free backlinks for a new website
New sites have no mentions or broken pages yet, so start with partners, directories, profiles and a couple of guest posts. Then create one strong resource and pitch it to sites that link to similar resources. Expect slow progress for the first few months.
How SEOENV handles this
SEOENV's free plan covers 20 links, which suits early link building. Add each free link, whether a partner page, directory listing or guest post, and SEOENV checks status and dofollow or nofollow. The Listing Backlinks module also records the account used for each directory, so you can update listings later.
Track your free backlinks for free
20 links on the free plan, with checks you can run anytime.
Free links take effort, but they're often more relevant and longer-lasting than paid ones. Keep a record and they'll keep working for you.
Related reading
- How to Get Backlinks: 15 Proven Ways That Work in 2026
- Directory Backlinks: Are They Still Worth It?
- Guest Blogging for SEO: How to Do It Without Risk in 2026
- Local Link Building: How Local Businesses Earn Local Backlinks
- Editorial Backlinks: What They Are and How to Earn Them
Sources
How we wrote this
The SEOENV Team wrote this guide from our day-to-day work tracking link exchanges, guest posts and paid placements, and checked the guidance against the sources listed above. Any numbers in worked examples are illustrative example data, not results from a real site or study. We review our guides when Google updates its documentation.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get backlinks for free?
Yes. Partner links, unlinked mentions, directories, guest posts and resource pages cost time, not money.
Are free backlink generators safe?
No. They create low-quality links that Google ignores or treats as spam.
What are the best free backlink sites?
There's no universal list. The best free links come from sites relevant to your business: partners, industry directories and real publications.
Do free directory links help SEO?
A few relevant directory links help visibility and local citations, but they carry limited ranking value.
How do I find free backlink opportunities?
Look at your partners, search for unlinked brand mentions and check competitors' backlinks for relevant sites.
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