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Backlinks for SaaS Companies: a free link building plan

Pick your product category. Get a ranked plan of the review sites, launch platforms, integration marketplaces and listicles that link to SaaS products, with the searches and emails to land them.

1Product category

24 link sources, ranked for software.

The full list

Your 24 best backlink sources for SaaS companies

Ranked by impact, effort and cost for software. Tick each one off as you go; your progress stays in this browser.

24 sources11 quick wins23 free or earned0 done
  1. #1

    G2

    g2.com
    Quick winAuthority 89Review siteFree, paid upgradesEffort low · Impact high

    The biggest software review site. A free product profile links to your site and ranks for "software" comparison searches.

    How to get this link
    1. Claim your free product profile and pick the right category.
    2. Ask happy customers for reviews right after a success moment, not in a newsletter blast.
    3. Category grids and comparison pages need enough reviews before you show up.
    Visit g2.com
  2. #2

    Capterra

    capterra.com
    Quick winAuthority 86Review siteFree, paid upgradesEffort low · Impact high

    A major software directory. Your vendor listing is shared with GetApp and Software Advice, which are run by the same company.

    How to get this link
    1. Create your free vendor listing; it powers the GetApp and Software Advice listings too.
    2. Paid placements are pay-per-click advertising. Judge them on signups, not SEO.
    Visit capterra.com
  3. #3

    Product Hunt

    producthunt.com
    Authority 87DirectoryFreeEffort medium · Impact high

    A launch on Product Hunt gives you a permanent product page, and good launches get picked up by newsletters and roundup posts.

    How to get this link
    1. Prepare a clear tagline, a short demo video and a first comment explaining why you built it.
    2. Launch on a weekday and be present all day to answer comments.
    3. Relaunch major new versions; each launch is a new page.
    Visit producthunt.com
  4. #4

    Crunchbase

    crunchbase.com
    Quick winAuthority 84DirectoryFreeEffort low · Impact medium

    A company profile journalists and investors check. It links to your website.

    How to get this link
    1. Create or claim your company profile and keep founders, funding and description current.
    Visit crunchbase.com
  5. #5

    GetApp

    getapp.com
    Quick winAuthority 81Review siteFree, paid upgradesEffort low · Impact medium

    Comes with your Capterra vendor listing. Check that your profile and category are right.

    How to get this link
    1. Review the GetApp version of your listing after setting up Capterra.
    Visit getapp.com
  6. #6

    Software Advice

    softwareadvice.com
    Quick winAuthority 80Review siteFree, paid upgradesEffort low · Impact medium

    Also powered by the Capterra listing, with an advisory service aimed at smaller buyers.

    How to get this link
    1. Confirm your category and screenshots are current.
    Visit softwareadvice.com
  7. #7

    Category roundups and listicles

    ContentFreeEffort medium · Impact high

    Roundups ranking for "best software" drive both links and buyers. AI assistants also lean on them when they recommend tools.

    How to get this link
    1. Search for the roundups that rank for your category and note the ones that are updated yearly.
    2. Offer the author a free account and one clear sentence on what makes you different.
    3. Follow up when you ship something worth adding.

    intitle:"best software" 2026

    Find these on Google
  8. #8

    Integration partner pages

    PartnershipFreeEffort medium · Impact high

    Every tool you integrate with has an integrations or partners page. Most will list you if you ask with a clear description and logo.

    How to get this link
    1. List every integration you have shipped.
    2. Send each partner a short description, logo and a link to your integration docs.
    3. Offer a co-marketing post or a joint webinar in return.

    "software" "integrations" "partners" -jobs

    Find these on Google
  9. #9

    Shopify App Store

    apps.shopify.com
    Authority 88PartnershipPaidEffort high · Impact high

    For ecommerce tools, a Shopify App Store listing is both a distribution channel and a strong link. Listing requires a one-time $19 Partner registration fee.

    How to get this link
    1. Build to Shopify’s app requirements and invest in your listing copy and reviews.
    Visit apps.shopify.com
  10. #10

    SaaSHub

    saashub.com
    Quick winAuthority 79DirectoryFree, paid upgradesEffort low · Impact medium

    A software directory and alternatives site with free listings.

    How to get this link
    1. Submit your product and connect it to the competitors you replace.
    Visit saashub.com
  11. #11

    Zapier app directory

    zapier.com
    Authority 76PartnershipFreeEffort high · Impact high

    A public Zapier integration gets your app a directory page, plus integration pages pairing it with popular apps, which rank for "connect X to Y" searches.

    How to get this link
    1. Build a public integration with the triggers and actions customers ask for most.
    2. Publish Zap templates and clear trigger and action descriptions; they fill your integration pages.
    Visit zapier.com
  12. #12

    HubSpot App Marketplace

    ecosystem.hubspot.com
    Authority 74PartnershipFreeEffort high · Impact high

    Marketing and sales tools that integrate with HubSpot can list in its marketplace.

    How to get this link
    1. Build the integration, meet the listing requirements and ask early users for marketplace reviews.
    Visit ecosystem.hubspot.com
  13. #13

    TrustRadius

    trustradius.com
    Quick winAuthority 74Review siteFree, paid upgradesEffort low · Impact medium

    A B2B review site known for long, detailed reviews from verified users.

    How to get this link
    1. Claim your profile and invite a handful of power users to write detailed reviews.
    Visit trustradius.com
  14. #14

    AlternativeTo

    alternativeto.net
    Quick winAuthority 71DirectoryFreeEffort low · Impact medium

    People search it for alternatives to the big tools in your category. List yourself as one.

    How to get this link
    1. Add your product and mark it as an alternative to the two or three leaders you compete with.
    Visit alternativeto.net
  15. #15

    StackShare

    stackshare.io
    Quick winAuthority 58DirectoryFreeEffort low · Impact medium

    Developers browse it to see which tools companies use. List your tool and its integrations.

    How to get this link
    1. Claim your tool page and ask customers to add it to their public stacks.
    Visit stackshare.io
  16. #16

    A free tool

    ContentFreeEffort high · Impact high

    A free calculator, checker or generator related to your product earns links from resource pages and ranks for its own keywords. This page is one.

    How to get this link
    1. Pick a job your buyers do manually today and build the smallest useful version of it.
  17. #17

    An original data study

    ContentFreeEffort high · Impact high

    Anonymized, aggregated data from your product is something nobody else can publish. Journalists and bloggers cite statistics.

    How to get this link
    1. Pick one question your data can answer that people in your market argue about.
    2. Publish the method and charts, then pitch the headline number to reporters and newsletters.
  18. #18

    Customer "tools we use" pages

    Quick winPartnershipFreeEffort low · Impact medium

    Agencies, consultants and startups publish the tools they use and recommend. Ask your happiest customers.

    How to get this link
    1. Email customers who already love the product and ask whether they have a resources or stack page.

    "tools we use" OR "our stack" "software"

    Find these on Google
  19. #19

    Slack App Directory

    slack.com
    Authority 88PartnershipFreeEffort high · Impact medium

    If your product sends notifications or works inside conversations, a listed Slack app links to your site.

    How to get this link
    1. Build a Slack app that solves a real workflow and submit it for directory review.
    Visit slack.com
  20. #20

    Featured.com

    featured.com
    Authority 62Press & PRFree, paid upgradesEffort medium · Impact medium

    Answer expert questions that get published on business and marketing sites with a link to you.

    How to get this link
    1. Answer only questions where you have specific experience and a concrete example.
    Visit featured.com
  21. #21

    Qwoted

    qwoted.com
    Authority 61Press & PRFree, paid upgradesEffort medium · Impact medium

    Reporters looking for expert sources in tech, business and software post requests here.

    How to get this link
    1. Have a founder or domain expert answer two or three relevant requests a week, fast.
    Visit qwoted.com
  22. #22

    Founder podcast interviews

    Press & PRFreeEffort medium · Impact medium

    Startup, SaaS and industry podcasts link to their guests in show notes.

    How to get this link
    1. Pitch a specific story with numbers, not a product tour.

    "software" podcast "be a guest" OR "guest application"

    Find these on Google
  23. #23

    BetaList

    betalist.com
    Quick winAuthority 67DirectoryFree, paid upgradesEffort low · Impact low

    A directory of early-stage startups. Best before or right after launch.

    How to get this link
    1. Submit while you are still pre-launch or in beta. There is a free queue and a paid fast lane.
    Visit betalist.com
  24. #24

    Indie Hackers

    indiehackers.com
    Authority 72CommunityFreeEffort medium · Impact low

    A founder community where product pages and honest build-in-public posts get read and linked.

    How to get this link
    1. Create a product page and share real numbers and lessons, not announcements.
    Visit indiehackers.com

Authority = Domain Rank by DataForSEO, on a 0 to 100 scale, October 2026. Costs and policies change; check each site before you sign up.

Outreach emails

Write the email that gets the link

Pick who you are contacting and get a short, honest email you can send today. Personalize it with AI in one click.

Roundups ranking for "best software" drive both links and buyers. AI assistants also lean on them when they recommend tools.

Fill in the [brackets], then send it from your own inbox. We never send anything for you.

Template

Add your business above for a more specific AI draft.

Find more

Google searches that find backlinks for SaaS companies

Each search surfaces pages that already link to SaaS companies like you. Open one, pick the five most relevant results, and add them to your list.

  • "Best software" roundups

    Roundups to pitch for inclusion.

    intitle:"best software" 2026
    Search Google

  • Competitor alternatives posts

    Posts listing alternatives to the leaders you compete with.

    intitle:"alternatives" "software"
    Search Google

  • Integration directories

    Marketplaces where integrations get their own page.

    "software" "integrations directory" OR "app marketplace"
    Search Google

  • Stats roundups to get cited in

    Statistics posts that cite original data. Pitch your study.

    intitle:"software statistics" 2026
    Search Google

  • Industry blogs that accept articles

    Blogs that publish expert contributions in your space.

    "software" "write for us"
    Search Google

Guide

How SaaS companies build backlinks

SaaS link building has a different shape from local businesses. Your best links come from places buyers already compare software: review sites, listicles, integration marketplaces and the data you can publish. Here is the order that usually works.

1. Own your category pages on review sites

G2, Capterra and TrustRadius are where buyers shortlist software, and their pages rank for "best [category]" and "[competitor] alternatives" searches. A free profile gets you a link; reviews get you seen. One Capterra listing also powers GetApp and Software Advice.

2. Turn every integration into a link

Integration marketplaces like Zapier, HubSpot, Slack and Shopify give each listed app its own page, and Zapier creates pages for every app pairing. Partners you integrate with almost always have an integrations page. These links are relevant, permanent and come with real distribution.

3. Get into the listicles buyers and AI assistants read

Roundups ranking for "best [your category]" shape both Google results and the answers ChatGPT and Perplexity give. Getting added is mostly outreach: offer the author access and a one-line reason you belong.

4. Publish data only you have

Anonymized, aggregated product data turns into statistics that journalists, bloggers and other SaaS companies cite. One good study can earn more links than a year of blog posts. Free tools work the same way: build something useful and resource pages link to it.

5. What to skip

Mass directory submissions, paid guest posts on unrelated blogs and link exchanges with random SaaS sites are what Google calls link schemes. They rarely move rankings for competitive SaaS terms and can hold a site back.

Already have backlinks? Check they are still live, dofollow and indexable with the free backlink monitor.

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FAQ

Backlinks for SaaS companies: FAQ

Straight answers before you send your first email.

What are the best ways for SaaS companies to generate backlinks?
In order: claim review site profiles (G2, Capterra, TrustRadius), list every integration in partner marketplaces and partner pages, get included in "best [category]" listicles, launch on Product Hunt, publish original data and build free tools. The first three are mostly setup and outreach; the last two earn links on their own.
What makes a backlink high quality for a SaaS company?
Relevance and real traffic. A link from an integration partner, a review site category page or a respected industry blog that buyers read beats a link from a high-authority site in an unrelated niche.
Do G2 and Capterra links help SEO?
Your profile links help a little, but the bigger value is visibility: those sites rank for comparison searches, and AI assistants often cite them when recommending software. Reviews are what get you seen on them.
Is a Product Hunt launch worth it for backlinks?
Yes, if you prepare. The product page is a permanent link, and good launches get picked up by newsletters and roundup posts, which are the links that matter more.
How do backlinks affect AI search visibility for SaaS?
AI assistants mostly recommend tools that already appear in search results and in comparison articles. Links raise your authority in Google, and inclusion in listicles and review sites puts your name in the sources AI answers draw from.
Is this tool free?
Yes. The plan, searches, progress tracking and email templates are free with no signup. The optional AI email writer has a fair hourly limit per visitor.

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