SEO
How Directory Listings Build Backlinks and Domain Authority
Every directory listing creates a backlink. Over 50 to 100 listings, your domain authority rises measurably and your search rankings improve across all keywords.
Domain authority (or domain rating, depending on the tool) measures how likely Google is to rank your website based on the strength of sites linking to it. For new startups, building domain authority is one of the most important early SEO tasks — and directory listings are one of the fastest ways to do it without manual link-building outreach.
How backlinks from directories work
When a directory like Product Hunt (DR 91), G2 (DR 90), or Crunchbase (DR 88) links to your website, Google treats that as a vote of authority. Each high-quality link transfers some of that authority to your domain. After 20 to 30 high-authority directory listings, your domain authority typically increases enough to start ranking for low-to-medium competition keywords.
Dofollow vs. nofollow links
Some directories use "dofollow" links, which pass authority directly. Others use "nofollow" or "ugc" attributes, which signal to Google that the link should not pass authority. Even nofollow links have value: they drive traffic and create brand mentions that Google increasingly treats as trust signals even without the explicit authority transfer.
UpStart's platform database includes the link type for each platform — so you can prioritize dofollow-heavy directories when domain authority is your primary goal.
Prioritizing for maximum authority gain
- Submit first to the 10 highest domain-rank directories in your niche (G2, Capterra, Product Hunt, Crunchbase, etc.).
- Then work through mid-authority directories (DR 40 to 70) systematically over weeks 2 to 6.
- Avoid low-quality or spammy directories — they can actually harm your rankings.
- Use Ahrefs or Moz to track your domain authority monthly and correlate it with new listings.
Start building backlinks from high-authority directories
UpStart identifies the highest domain-rank directories relevant to your product and surfaces them at the top of your recommendation list.