Can Free Startup Directory Backlinks Increase Ahrefs DR?
A practical answer for founders chasing free backlinks: what Ahrefs DR measures, how to inspect a directory link, and when a listing is worth your time.
The short answer: sometimes for DR, never as a ranking promise
A free startup-directory link can contribute to Ahrefs Domain Rating (DR) when Ahrefs discovers a followed link from a unique referring domain. The result depends on the source domain's backlink profile and how many other websites it links to. A listing can go live without changing the number you see, and no directory can promise a specific DR increase.
DR is an Ahrefs metric for comparing backlink profiles, not a score issued or used by Google. A link that affects a third-party DR metric does not prove that your Google rankings, traffic or sales will improve. Treat DR as one diagnostic, then judge a directory by the actual audience and visits it can send.
- Ahrefs: What Domain Rating meansAhrefs defines DR as a relative measure of a website's backlink profile.
- Ahrefs: Do search engines use DR as a ranking factor?Ahrefs explains that search engines do not use its DR score as a ranking factor.
Do not confuse a listing, a backlink and a DR increase
People often use “backlink” to mean three different outcomes. A live listing can create a page that introduces your product to people. A link on that page can be followed, qualified, redirected, or removed. Ahrefs may later discover and include some links in its own backlink data. Those outcomes do not happen together automatically.
Ahrefs says its DR calculation counts unique referring domains with at least one followed link. Nofollowed links do not improve its DR, and additional links from the same referring domain do not count as additional referring domains. The source's DR matters, but so does how many other domains it links to; a large DR number alone does not tell you what one listing will do.
| What you find | What it may do | What it does not prove |
|---|---|---|
| A public product listing | Give interested people another place to discover your product. | That the page is indexed or sends visitors. |
| A followed link from a distinct domain | May be counted in Ahrefs DR after its crawler discovers it. | A guaranteed DR jump or higher Google rankings. |
| A nofollow, UGC or sponsored link | Still provide a referral path and brand mention. | A contribution to Ahrefs DR under its documented method. |
| Many links from one directory domain | Add more places for visitors to click if they are useful. | More DR credit than the first followed referring domain link. |
- Ahrefs: How backlink metrics and DR are calculatedExplains unique referring domains, followed links, and the effect of a source's outbound links.
Inspect the actual product page before you submit
Do not rely only on a directory's marketing page or a spreadsheet marked “dofollow.” Open a real public product listing while signed out. Find the anchor that points to the product's own website, inspect its destination and rel attributes, and record what is present on that page today. A directory can change its template, badge rules, redirects or link attributes later.
Google recommends rel=sponsored for advertising and paid placements, rel=ugc for user-generated links, and rel=nofollow when you do not want to associate with or crawl a linked page. Ahrefs' documented DR calculation excludes nofollowed links. Read the actual link and keep those two systems distinct: Google relationship labels are not a third-party DR guarantee.
- Check the live listing URL, not only the submission confirmation or a preview.
- Confirm the outbound link points to your intended canonical product URL; note any tracking redirect.
- Read the link's rel attribute in the actual page HTML. Do not infer it from a directory's DR or from its marketing copy.
- Check whether the listing is public, stable and reachable through the directory's own navigation or sitemap.
- Read badge, payment and renewal terms before accepting a listing condition. A link attribute can change without notice.
<!-- Examples to distinguish when inspecting a real product listing -->
<a href="https://yourproduct.com">Visit website</a>
<a href="https://yourproduct.com" rel="nofollow">Visit website</a>
<a href="https://yourproduct.com" rel="sponsored nofollow">Visit website</a>- Google Search Central: qualify outbound linksGoogle's documentation for sponsored, UGC and nofollow link attributes.
A nofollow link can still be a useful listing
A nofollow or sponsored link may still put your product in front of a relevant audience, send a referral visit, or create a brand mention that someone later cites. If a directory has the right readers and a useful product page, those benefits can matter even when the link does not change Ahrefs DR.
Google describes these rel values as ways to explain the relationship between pages; it also says links marked with them will generally not be followed, while pages may still be discovered through other means. So do not reject every nofollow listing automatically, and do not count it as a DR-building link in Ahrefs' current method.
- Google Search Central: link attributes and crawlingThe same guide explains that qualified links may still be discovered by other means.
Skip the bulk-submission shortcut
Submitting to every site on a large list is not a substitute for checking relevance. Google lists low-quality directory or bookmark links, automated link creation, and excessive link exchanges among examples of link spam. That does not make every product directory submission spam; it means the directory should serve a real discovery purpose and the link should not be the only reason for participating.
Be especially careful when a paid listing promises a followed link for ranking credit, or a badge is offered only as a trade for a followed backlink. Google says paid placements should be qualified with sponsored or nofollow, and its spam policies call out buying links for ranking purposes and excessive link exchanges. Review the whole arrangement, not just the DR column.
- Google Search Essentials: link spam policyGoogle's examples include low-quality directories, automated link creation and ranking-focused exchanges.
Use a small tracking sheet and keep the listings that earn their place
Start with directories that fit your product category and audience. Record the live listing URL, date submitted, cost, review or badge condition, link attribute, and any redirect. After the page is public, check whether the listing remains live and whether it sends relevant sessions or sign-ups. In Ahrefs, watch for unique referring domains and the discovered backlink; in your own analytics, track referral traffic and meaningful actions.
There is no universal number of directory submissions that will move a new domain to a target DR. Ahrefs DR is relative and depends on its own crawl data and the wider link graph. Set a time budget, test a relevant shortlist, and move on to product documentation, useful content, customer stories and earned mentions instead of repeating submissions that produce no audience or evidence.
| Track | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Audience and category fit | Shows whether a real potential customer could plausibly find the product there. |
| Listing URL, status and link rel | Lets you recheck the actual page instead of trusting an old list entry. |
| Time, cost and reciprocal conditions | Makes the value of a “free” listing visible, including the time or badge it requires. |
| Referral sessions and sign-ups | Shows whether the listing contributed a useful visit, regardless of DR. |
| Unique referring domain in Ahrefs | Separates a newly discovered domain from several links on one directory. |
- Choose directories with a simple evidence scorecardCompare audience fit, activity, listing quality, terms and measurable outcomes.
- Prepare a product directory submissionA practical checklist for product copy, images, links and submission tracking.
What a Launcholio listing does—and does not—offer
Launcholio is an indie product directory, not a DR service. The Free plan includes one active product listing. You can fill in the form before signing in, but you must sign in to publish; a submitted listing is public immediately and may be removed later if it breaks the terms. No badge or reciprocal link is required to submit.
Link attributes depend on the listing state: an unverified Free listing uses nofollow; verifying the optional badge removes nofollow from the Free listing's outbound link, and the badge itself links back to Launcholio. Paid listing links are marked sponsored and nofollow. Consider the badge for its ownership signal and display value, not as a guaranteed DR trade. None of these options guarantees indexing, referral traffic, DR growth or Google rankings; check the current terms before publishing.
- Submit a product to LauncholioSee the live form and sign-in step.
- Compare current Launcholio plans and link termsReview listing limits, audit allowances and paid-link attributes.
Frequently asked questions
How many directory backlinks do I need? There is no fixed target. Choose listings for audience fit and real product discovery, then track what happens instead of optimizing for a round number.
Will a higher Ahrefs DR make Google rank my site higher? Ahrefs says its DR is not used by search engines as a ranking factor. A useful, relevant followed link may be one part of a broader link profile, but DR itself is not a ranking outcome.
Are nofollow links worthless? No. They do not improve Ahrefs DR under its documented calculation, but they can still send people to your product and create a visible brand mention.
Should I pay for a directory link? Pay for a real audience, product discovery or a clearly disclosed placement—not a promise to sell ranking credit. Check the link attributes and terms before paying.
- Ahrefs: DR is not a search-engine ranking factorA source-backed answer to the DR-versus-Google question.
Need a home for your indie product?
Launcholio is a directory for indie products, SaaS, AI apps and web tools. Review the free listing, sign-in, badge and link terms before you submit.
Review free listing rules