Free links are one of the most effective tools for site promotion. Their use is a prerequisite for improving the position of the resource in the search engine, increasing its popularity and boosting traffic. With this kind of reference mass, you can achieve high authority, increase the confidence of the search engine and users. In this article, we will talk about the impact of backlinks on ranking, the peculiarities of their use, as well as platforms for free placement. 

How to build a base of sites for placing links

The first thing we recommend when looking for sites to place links is to research your competitors. There are various services for this purpose, the most popular of which are Linkpad and Ahrefs. The second, by the way, has a free-version -  Backlink Checker. Users can view the indicators of any domains or individual pages, check any resources, URLs, subdivisions, etc.

The resulting report will include the following data:

• how many referring domains there are;
• the number of backlinks used;
• what is the domain ranking;
• the position of the resource in Ahrefs Rank.

As for free direct links, it is important to choose the right donor sites to study. It is also necessary to conduct a thorough analysis of the resources on the list, check trust, sort the sites with the possibility of publishing white links. Complete copying of the link profile will not bring the proper result. Therefore, you should create a unique reference mass, pay attention not only to its quantity, but also to its quality, stability, uniformity of growth, etc.

What is important to consider when placing free links

Before registering on websites, it is recommended to conduct a preliminary check. Analyzing the resource, you should pay attention to the DR and UR indicators according to Ahrefs, and make sure that the page is open for indexing and scanning. It is important to assess how the link is formed: through redirects, the use of JavaScript and other methods. It is necessary to make sure that a search bot can pass through it without problems. It is also recommended to check the cache version of a similar page in the Google search engine. They are sometimes not indexed due to the use of the meta tag. 

Where to post a link to your site for free

1. Registration in catalogs

Many experts believe that the link mass from catalogs today does not have a significant impact. In some ways, this is true. However, there are really worthwhile site catalogs, although their number is limited. Moreover, such links can be used to diversify others leading to the site.

Company catalogs by industry are especially useful. If your web resource is related to a specific area, for example, building materials, sports shoes, furniture, etc., here you can get free thematic links to promote your own site.

To achieve the best results, it is important to conduct a scrupulous search for suitable company catalogs and include them in the content plan. It is recommended to perform 1-2 registrations weekly for maximum efficiency.

Also, you can place your links in the catalogs for free and without much effort. The registration process usually includes a business scope, a brief review, and an address. In some cases, verification is required, and the data entry process may take some time. It is necessary for a moderator to verify the information provided.

Attention! In some cases, you need to also insert a backlink to the catalog to place links to the website without payment. However, it can negatively affect your resource, especially in the early stages of promotion. You can place a link for a certain period and remove it after the moderator checks and enters your resource in the catalog. After all, as a rule, hyperlinks are not checked again.

It is not recommended to do an automatic run of the resource in the catalog, because it does not allow you to get links to the site for free, and the chances that these actions will lead to getting into the filters of search engines, almost one hundred percent.

Examples of popular catalogs in Ukraine:

• https://catalog.i.ua/ 
• https://catalog.online.ua/ 
• https://list.in.ua 
• http://spravkagoroda.com.ua/ 
• http://infoukr.com/ 
• https://www.cataloxy.com.ua/ 
• https://mylist.com.ua/ 

You can register on these resources, specify information about your company, contact information, etc. These are proven resources, the use of which has a positive effect on the seo-promotion of sites.

2. Forums

So, the second option, where to get free links - registration on forums. You need to find forums in your subject, register on them and interact by posting comments with the application of links. This method of promotion is an affordable and easy way to increase link activity, but it requires some effort.

They include:

• compiling a quality base of forums;
• search for appropriate thematic sections on the forums;
• creation and management of several accounts;
• actively participating in forum discussions to strengthen the status of the account;
• preparing informative posts or creating new topics.

Before becoming active, it is important to analyze forums based on the following criteria:

• a steady stream of attendance;
• regular activity of participants;
• balance between real users and link building specialists.

Before posting comments, it is important to study the rules of each forum. Some may prohibit posting links for free, others allow postings only to experienced members. Ignoring the rules can result in account blocking.

Instead of working on your own, you may also want to consider ordering crowd marketing. Crowd marketing experts conduct research to identify suitable forums by considering various factors. Then, they register, create accounts and start actively participating in discussions to establish authority. After building status, specialists build free backlinks into their comments.

3. Social media

Social media are leading among the platforms suitable for adding a link to a website for free. People here unite according to certain characteristics (place of residence, interests, age) to create thematic communities, groups and accounts. Users actively share a variety of content, which opens up the opportunity to work on the link profile.

Shared links from social networks are categorized into two types:

• Dofollow - direct readers to the resource and influence its link activity;
• Nofollow - do not affect the url weight.

Although the first are more effective for promotion, the second should not be underestimated, as they make up a significant part of the natural link mass.

To get external links to the site for free, it is recommended to:

• register an account and create a content posting plan (by yourself or engage a professional);
• pay attention to visual content, as photos and videos play an important role;
• analyze competitors` pages;
• build up the number of subscribers and customers.

You can start with a small number of publications per week. Use urls in bios, text content and comments.

Pinterest and Tumblr, well-known platforms with image-based content, welcome dofollow links, especially on photo posts, which encourages organic image rankings. YouTube, which is more lenient with links, provides several ways to place dofollow links, and also boosts rankings in Google video search.

With active audience engagement, Facebook, Twitter, VK and Instagram will organically complement link activity with nofollow links, attracting targeted traffic and boosting rendition for brand-related queries.

4. Sites with reviews of products and services

Using reviews is a great way to place links to a website. After all, they form the audience`s opinion of the company to the greatest extent. There are various resources where users share their impressions of the product/service. You can register on them, specify the company details, contacts, description, photos, etc. Then, your relatives and friends can start publishing reviews, which will naturally include the necessary urls.

The most popular sites for publishing reviews include:

• https://toneto.net/ 
• https://www.otzyvua.net/ 
• Otzovik
• IRecommend.ru

5. Wikipedia

Wikipedia provides an opportunity to promote links for free, but this process is quite complicated. Although everyone can create publications in the universal encyclopedia, it is necessary to make some edits before doing so.

How to work on this resource:

1. Creating an account (registration on Wikipedia).
2. Choosing a unique topic (writing an article on a topic that has not yet been disclosed).
3. Inserting urls to authoritative sources (using verified sources in the text).
4. Working with media material (creating unique images, charts and graphs).
5. Editing other material (adding links with organic fit into the text to avoid deletion).
6. Maintaining a consistent theme (sticking to one topic or writing about related industries).

Often, successful linking on a Wikipedia site requires contacting moderators or experienced professionals. In this case, some financial investment may be required.

6. Job sites

It is also possible to get links on resources with jobs for citizens. They provide several options for registration - paid and free of charge.

The most popular job search services are:

• www.work.ua 
• robota.ua
• ua.jooble.org
• jobs.ua
• rud.ua

To place a link to them, you need to register on behalf of the company or employer, then add information about the company and a link to go to your resource. Corporate email is usually enough for registration. However, you may additionally need proof of commercial activity.

7. Creating a free blog

Creating free blogs is useful for improving the visibility of your web resource and increasing your link mass.

Here are a few steps you can take:

• Choosing a free platform. This could be Blogger (Blogspot) from Google or WordPress.com. The former option allows you to create blogs for free and post dofollow links, while the latter provides free blogs but with nofollow links.
• Register on the platform. Create an account on the chosen platform. Fill out your profile and provide information about your blog.
• Create unique content. Fill your blog with interesting and unique content. Avoid copying articles from other sources.
• Incorporating keywords into content. Incorporate keywords organically into the text of the blog. It will help you improve your SEO metrics.
• Link placement. You can place a link to your website in articles or in the "About Blog" section. Keep it natural and relevant.
• Social engagement. Promote your blog through social media. It will help you attract audience and increase traffic.
• Adhere to the rules of the platform. Carefully read the rules of your chosen platform to avoid being blocked. Some platforms have restrictions on how many links you can place on your site.

Be aware of the quality of content and follow ethics in blogging to create a positive and professional image.

8. Link exchange

Nowadays, traditional link exchange has lost its effectiveness, giving way to the strategy of reciprocal PR (PR). In mutual PR, your contacts with partners and colleagues from adjacent companies related to your business niche provide an opportunity to ask for mentions or postings about your business. 

By offering in return to publish an article or comment about the partner company on your web resource, you create the conditions for mutual support. This way, you can leave a link to your project followed by a similar response. It is a common practice in modern business. However, with the development of search engine algorithms, this practice has become less effective, and in some cases can even lead to a decrease in the ranking of a website if you use it uncontrollably or in large volumes. Nowadays, natural backlinks obtained through quality content and organic promotion methods are considered more effective methods for successful optimization.

9. Outreach

The Outreach method is that you make direct arrangements with various venues. These arrangements may include publishing guest posts, interacting with content, etc. To place links on such sites, you need to pay attention to the preparation of expert articles where your links will be organically integrated. However, remember that the choice of resources should be approached as responsibly as possible. Since it will directly affect the successful promotion of your company in the network.

10. Product or service for review by the blogger

This method is quite simple, but effective. You need to choose a sample of your products (preferably high-quality and not too expensive) and send it to the blogger. You can also prepare a small TOR with your review wishes. Make sure that the sent product is of high value to the selected influencer. It will determine how vividly and sincerely the information will be presented. The blogger will be able to express his opinion, share with the audience information about your company, as well as place a link to the site.

11. Profiles on forums

By registering on all sorts of forums and resource catalogs, you can add links to your website to your profile, including fields for URLs, titles, descriptions, etc. However, be aware that not all profiles may allow the inclusion of urls and the indexing process may take some time. Nevertheless, it is a guaranteed way to get organic and free backlinks, as search engines take them into account when ranking. Therefore, this method is considered quite effective when you need to leave a link to your site.

12. Partnerships and sponsorships

This method is one of the most effective in terms of increasing the attendance of the resource. It consists in sponsoring an event, where product certificates can be used as prizes. The advantage of this method is the publication of announcements and reviews, where you can leave a link to your site. You can choose any event, even a small one. The main thing is that its theme at least indirectly echoed your own. The event can have the character of a conference, presentation, etc.

Conclusions

This article presents the most realistic and affordable ways to place a link on the Internet. It is important to note that while there are other methods available, many of them may be either more complicated or are not completely fee-free.

There is no payment involved in using:

• forums;
• social networks;
• catalogs;
• job sites;
• partnership in the organization of events, etc.

Now, you know how to find a linking site and increase your link mass. You can find even more useful articles on the Contenthub blog.