What is the fastest dofollow backlink I can get?

A WebProjectList listing takes about 5 minutes and gives you a permanent dofollow backlink from a high-DR directory. No waiting, no approval process. It is the fastest way to move from zero to having an indexed dofollow link.

How many dofollow links do I need to rank?

There is no fixed number. Quality and relevance matter more than quantity. For most competitive niches, 20-50 quality dofollow links from relevant sources are enough to compete for medium-difficulty keywords. Start with 10-15 strong links and build from there.

Are dofollow links the only ones that matter for SEO?

No. Nofollow links can drive traffic, build brand awareness, and lead to natural dofollow links from other sites. A healthy backlink profile includes both. But for direct ranking impact, dofollow links carry the weight.

Dofollow vs Nofollow: Practical Guide to Backlink Value in 2026

What Makes a Link Dofollow?

Every link on the web has a rel attribute. When that attribute is rel="nofollow", Google treats the link as a recommendation to ignore it for ranking purposes. When the attribute is absent or set to anything else, the link is dofollow by default, and Google counts it as a vote of confidence for the linked page.

This distinction matters because dofollow links are one of the three strongest ranking signals Google uses. The other two - content relevance and user engagement signals - you can control directly. Backlinks depend on other sites choosing to link to you. Understanding how to earn dofollow links from the right sources is a core SEO skill.

Not all dofollow links are equal. A link from a site in your niche with strong editorial standards carries more weight than a link from a generic directory. And a link from a high-DR site like WebProjectList passes more authority than a dozen links from low-quality sources.

How Google Evaluates Link Quality in 2026

Google's algorithm evaluates three factors when deciding how much weight to give a backlink:

Relevance. A dofollow link from a site in your niche is worth 10x more than one from an unrelated site. A SaaS product getting a link from a SaaS directory like WebProjectList carries strong topical relevance.
Authority of the linking domain. Higher-DR sites pass more authority. But a link from a DR 40 site in your niche often beats a link from a DR 80 site in a completely different industry.
Link placement. Links within the main content of a page carry more weight than links in footers, sidebars, or author bios. Editorial links - where someone chose to reference your content naturally - are the gold standard.

Understanding these factors helps you prioritize which dofollow links to pursue. A strategy that chases the highest DR without considering relevance will underperform one that targets relevant, mid-authority sites.

Tier 1: Quick Wins - Directory and Profile Links

These are the fastest dofollow links to secure. They require minimal effort and provide a foundation for your backlink profile. While they are not as powerful as editorial links, they are essential for new sites that need initial authority signals.

WebProjectList - Submit your project and get a permanent dofollow backlink from a high-DR directory. Create your listing in 5 minutes.
Crunchbase (DR 91) - Free company profile with a dofollow backlink.
GitHub (DR 97) - Create a repository for your project. Your profile and README files include dofollow links.
Indie Hackers (DR 73) - Free founder profile with a dofollow link. The community traffic is a bonus.
LinkedIn Company Page (DR 98) - Every company page includes a dofollow link to your website.

These five links take less than an hour to set up and give you a solid baseline. From there, you can focus on higher-value opportunities.

Tier 2: Authority Links - Review and Launch Platforms

These platforms require more effort but provide significantly stronger dofollow links. The key is that they are also sources of traffic and credibility, not just backlinks.

G2 (DR 92) and Capterra (DR 91) - Both provide dofollow backlinks from their product pages. The catch: you need reviews to maximize their value. Each review improves your ranking on the platform and compounds the SEO benefit.
SourceForge (DR 88) - Free listing with a dofollow link. 22.5 million monthly visitors make this a traffic source as well as a backlink.
Trustpilot (DR 93) - Your company profile includes a dofollow backlink. The trust signal for potential customers is arguably more valuable than the link itself.
Product Hunt (DA 90) - Your product page includes a backlink. It is nofollow, but the traffic and brand exposure from a successful launch are worth more than most dofollow links.

Tier 3: Editorial Links - Guest Posting and Outreach

These are the hardest to get and the most valuable. An editorial dofollow link from a respected blog in your niche signals to Google that your content is worth referencing. This is the type of link that moves rankings significantly.

Here is a process that works for small teams with limited time:

Identify 20 relevant blogs that accept guest posts. Focus on sites that publish content similar to what you would write and have linked to external resources in the past.
Prepare 5 topic pitches per blog. Each pitch should include a working title, a 2-3 sentence summary, and a note on why the topic fits their audience.
Write for the reader, not for the link. The best guest posts are genuinely useful. If the content is good enough, the link in your author bio is all you need.
Follow up once. A polite check-in after 5-7 days increases your response rate significantly. If you get no response after two attempts, move on to the next site.

Quality over quantity applies here more than anywhere. One editorial link from a relevant DR 50 blog is worth more than 50 directory links from unrelated sites.

How to Check If a Link Is Dofollow

Before investing time in a submission, verify that the link will be dofollow. Here is the quickest method:

Right-click the link on the page where it appears (or where you expect it to appear).
Select Inspect (or Inspect Element) from the menu.
Look at the <a> tag. If you see rel="nofollow", the link is nofollow. If the attribute is missing, the link is dofollow by default.
For a faster check, use the SEOquake browser extension, which highlights dofollow and nofollow links in different colors.

Building a Balanced Dofollow Strategy

A healthy backlink profile includes a mix of all three tiers. Here is a realistic monthly target for a small team or solo founder:

5 Tier 1 links - profile and directory submissions. Batch these in one hour.
2-3 Tier 2 links - review platform profiles and launch platform submissions.
1-2 Tier 3 links - guest posts or outreach placements. These take the most time but deliver the most value.

Over 12 months, this adds up to 60+ Tier 1, 30+ Tier 2, and 15+ Tier 3 links. Combined with strong content, that is enough to build meaningful authority for most niches.

Start with Tier 1. Submit your project to WebProjectList today for your first dofollow backlink, and build from there.