(guy who created LaunchDirectories)
Top 10 Dofollow Directories for SEO Backlinks
These 10 directories will give you dofollow backlinks that actually move the needle for your product's SEO. I've submitted to all of them - they're high-authority sites (DR 45+) that Google trusts and indexes fast.
Most directory lists are garbage, but these ones work. I've watched indie hackers go from page 3 to page 1 after getting listed on Product Hunt and Indie Hackers. Way cheaper than hiring an SEO agency or buying sketchy backlinks from Fiverr when you're bootstrapping your product.
Start with Product Hunt and Indie Hackers - those backlinks hit different. Then hit the AI directories if you're building AI tools. All free to submit, but some editors take their time. One solid backlink from these beats 50 random directory spam links.
Dofollow Directories for SEO
Product Hunt
Indie Hackers
BetaList
Future Tools
There's An AI For That
Peerlist
Uneed
Alternative.me
DevHunt
Open Alternative
Sources: Domain Rating scores from Ahrefs third-party tools (2025), traffic estimates from SimilarWeb, link types verified manually. Note: All directories listed provide genuine dofollow backlinks, not nofollow.
Submission Strategy by Product Type
AI Tools & Products
Developer Tools
★Universal Strategy (Any Product)
Week 1
- • Submit to Product Hunt
- • Apply to Indie Hackers
- • Add to Peerlist profile
Week 2
- • Submit to BetaList
- • Add to Alternative.me
- • Apply to Uneed
Week 3+
- • Category-specific directories
- • Monitor indexing progress
- • Track ranking changes
Dofollow Directory FAQ
Which product directories give the best dofollow backlinks for SEO?
Product Hunt (DR 92) and Indie Hackers (DR 75) are the gold standard for indie hackers. Both give dofollow backlinks that Google actually values. I've seen bootstrapped products jump from page 3 to page 1 just from these two backlinks alone. The key is creating detailed profiles, not just basic submissions.
For AI products, Future Tools (DR 60) and There's An AI For That (DR 55) are money. For dev tools, DevHunt (DR 48) works great. These aren't just random directories - they have real editorial standards and actual traffic.
How to get free backlinks for your product without paying SEO agencies?
Submit to these 10 directories - all free, all dofollow. Start with Product Hunt and Indie Hackers since they approve fast and have the highest domain authority. Then hit BetaList, Peerlist, and Uneed. Skip the sketchy Fiverr backlink packages - one backlink from Product Hunt beats 100 random directory spam links.
Real talk: This takes time. Each quality submission takes 15-30 minutes, but you're building actual domain authority instead of risking a Google penalty from buying fake backlinks. Way better ROI for bootstrapped founders.
Best directory submission strategy for indie hackers in 2025?
Week 1: Submit to Product Hunt, Indie Hackers, and Peerlist (highest DR, fastest approval). Week 2: Hit BetaList, Alternative.me, and Uneed. Week 3: Category-specific directories based on your product type. Don't blast all 10 at once - Google prefers gradual link building.
Pro tip: Create complete profiles with screenshots, detailed descriptions, and actual product demos. Half-assed submissions get rejected. These editors can spot lazy submissions from a mile away.
How long does it take to see SEO results from directory backlinks?
Product Hunt and Indie Hackers backlinks start showing SEO impact within 2-3 weeks - Google crawls these sites daily. Lower DR directories like Uneed or Open Alternative take 6-8 weeks. Don't expect overnight ranking jumps, but you should see gradual improvements in search visibility.
From my experience: One solid backlink from a DR 75+ directory is worth 6 months of blog posting. But you need multiple backlinks from different high-authority domains to really move the needle on competitive keywords.
Do these product directories actually approve indie products?
Yes, but they have standards. BetaList accepts early-stage products but rejects obvious clones or poorly designed apps. DevHunt only wants developer tools - don't submit consumer apps. Future Tools and There's An AI For That require actual AI functionality, not just ChatGPT wrappers with "AI" in the name.
Approval rates are around 60-70% if you follow their guidelines. The key is having a working product with real value, professional screenshots, and clear descriptions. These aren't link farms - they're legitimate businesses with editorial standards.
Are free directory backlinks as good as paid SEO services?
For bootstrapped indie hackers? Way better. A backlink from Product Hunt (DR 92) costs $0 and gives you more SEO juice than most $500/month SEO packages. Plus you get actual traffic and potential customers, not just link juice. SEO agencies charge thousands for what you can get free with some hustle.
The only "cost" is your time - maybe 3-4 hours total to submit to all 10 directories properly. Compare that to $2000-5000 for professional link building services that often use these same directories anyway.
How to track your Domain Rating progress after getting backlinks?
I personally love using FrogDR - it's free to start and sends you notifications when your DR changes. Perfect for indie hackers who want to track progress without paying for expensive tools. You can monitor multiple sites in one dashboard and even set goals.
If you have budget, Ahrefs is the gold standard for DR tracking and gives you detailed backlink analysis. But honestly, for most indie products, FrogDR does everything you need to see if these directory submissions are moving the needle on your domain authority.
Ready to Build High-Quality Backlinks?
Start with these dofollow directories and watch your SEO improve. Quality backlinks from established startup directories can boost your rankings faster than months of content marketing.