01Why links matter, especially for a new site
Google's SEO starter guide says the vast majority of new pages it finds every day are found through links from other pages. Links also signal that other people consider a page worth referencing. A new domain starts with none, which is why it ranks first for its own name and slowly for everything else.
Quality beats quantity. One link from a respected site in your field, a local newspaper or a well-known partner does more than hundreds from unrelated directories, and it brings real visitors too.
02Links you can get this week
These are not powerful individually, but they establish your site, help Google discover it and are entirely legitimate.
- Social profiles: LinkedIn, Instagram, X, YouTube, GitHub, wherever you are active.
- Google Business Profile and other map listings, with your website added.
- Industry directories and associations you are a member of.
- Suppliers, manufacturers and platforms you use that list customers or partners.
- Clients who would mention who built, supplied or helped them.
- Local chambers of commerce, business groups and event sponsors.
- Your own other properties: email signature, invoices, marketplace listings.
03Links you earn by publishing something worth citing
Editorial links come from writers, bloggers and journalists who link because your page helps their readers. They need a reason.
| What you publish | Who links | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Original data or a survey | Journalists, bloggers | "We analyzed 500 local restaurant websites" |
| A free tool or calculator | Resource pages, forums | A contrast checker or price calculator |
| The definitive guide to a narrow topic | Other sites explaining it briefly | Every tax deadline for freelancers |
| Templates and checklists | Communities, newsletters | A website launch checklist |
| Expert commentary | Reporters on deadline | Quotes for journalist request services |
04Outreach that works
Most outreach emails are ignored because they ask for a favor without offering anything. The ones that work are short and specific.
- 1Find pages that already link to similar resourcesSearch for lists, roundups and resource pages in your niche.
- 2Check the fit honestlyOnly reach out if your page is genuinely better or adds something missing.
- 3Fix something for themPoint out a broken link on their page and offer yours as a replacement.
- 4Ask for unlinked mentionsSearch for your brand name; sites that mention you without a link often add one when asked.
- 5Keep it to three sentencesWho you are, what you noticed, the link. No templates that start "I hope this finds you well".
05What to avoid
Google's spam policies list buying or selling links for ranking purposes, excessive link exchanges and partner pages built only for cross-linking as link spam. Paid placements are acceptable as advertising if marked with rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow". Private blog networks, automated comment links and "500 backlinks for $20" offers are the classic traps; at best they are ignored, at worst they lead to a manual action.
Be cautious with guest posting at scale. Writing one genuinely useful article for a respected site in your field is fine; churning out thin guest posts on unrelated blogs just to get links is what Google targets.
06How links fit the bigger plan
Links multiply the value of good pages; they do not replace them. Build pages that answer real questions first, link them together internally, then promote the best ones. SEO for a new website is the full plan and how long does SEO take? sets expectations. Internal links count too: every new page should link to related pages on your own site.
What people who tried it say
On Hacker News, the clearest lessons about links come from cases where the wrong site ranks: commenters repeatedly trace it back to a few links from high-authority publications.
- I'm losing the SEO battle for my own open source projectHacker News
Commenters say a copycat outranked the original because outlets like The Register and The New Stack linked to it, and advise asking those outlets to fix the links.
- Ask HN: How are you acquiring your first hundred users?Hacker News
Founders describe getting the first users through communities and outreach, which is also where many first links come from.
Looking for more first-hand opinions? Search Reddit for “how to get backlinks for a new website”. We link the live threads rather than summarizing them, so you read them in full.
Our take
a new site should aim for ten genuinely relevant links in its first months, not a thousand. Build one thing people want to cite, such as data, a tool or the best guide on a narrow topic, and promote that.
Where this falls short
Google does not say how much links weigh relative to other signals, and link tools estimate authority with their own formulas. Results from outreach vary widely by niche and by how useful the page really is.
Orlume can build a linkable asset page, such as a checklist, guide or calculator landing page, alongside your main site in minutes. The free plan includes 10 message credits.
Free to start · No card required · Live in one click
Sources
- 1.Spam policies for Google web search · Google Search Central
- 2.SEO starter guide · Google Search Central
- 3.Get your website on Google · Google Search Central
Researched and written by the Orlume team · Updated October 2026
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