A brand-new website has no authority, no rankings, and no links. Everyone tells you to “build links”, but nobody tells you which ones first. Get the order wrong and you waste months — or worse, you buy the kind of links that get a young domain penalised before it ever had a chance.
We’ve launched link building for new sites more than once. Here’s the order we’d build the first 20 links in, from real launches.
First, the foundation nobody skips
Before a single outreach email, fix the basics. Your site needs pages worth linking to — a clear homepage, a real about page, and at least a few pieces of genuinely useful content. Nobody links to an empty site, and editors who check your domain before replying (they all do) will say no to a site with three thin pages.
Set up Google Search Console on day one. It’s free, it shows you which queries already bring impressions, and its Links report will become your record of every link you earn. Starting without it is flying blind.
Links 1–5: the free ones you’re already owed
The first links should cost nothing but time:
- Supplier, partner, and client pages. If you work with anyone who lists partners or clients, ask for a link. These are real, relevant, and editorial.
- Business profiles that actually matter. A handful of genuinely relevant directories — your industry association, a local chamber, a niche directory your customers use. Not 500 generic directories; five real ones.
- Unlinked brand mentions. Search your brand name. If anyone already mentions you without linking, a polite email usually turns it into a link. This is the easiest link in SEO and new sites skip it constantly.
- Your own profiles. Social profiles, a YouTube channel, a GitHub or Behance page if they fit — these are nofollow and low-power, but they’re legitimate and they make your brand look real.
That’s five links that establish you exist. They won’t rank you, but they give outreach targets something to see when they check you out.
Links 6–15: real guest posts on relevant blogs
This is where the real work starts. Pitch guest posts to blogs your customers actually read — not the highest DR you can find, the most relevant. For a new site, ten guest posts on relevant niche blogs beat fifty links from random generalist sites.
Start with smaller blogs. Big publications rarely link to unknown sites; mid-tier niche blogs do, and their audiences are often more engaged anyway. Write genuinely useful posts — a process, a mistake you fixed, a comparison — not thin content with a link shoved in. Editors remember who sent good content, and the second placement is always easier than the first.
If you’re in SaaS, our SaaS link building guide explains why relevance wins there specifically. And before you pay for any placement, run the site through our backlink quality checklist — the same vetting we use before accepting a link.
Links 16–20: journalist replies and one linkable asset
Two tactics that punch above their weight for new sites:
Journalist requests. Platforms like HARO (now Connectively) let you answer journalist questions and get quoted — often with a link — on real publications. One such link can outweigh ten directory links, and it costs nothing but a good answer sent fast.
One linkable asset. Build one thing on your site that other sites want to reference: a small original dataset, a genuinely useful comparison, a free template. Then tell the bloggers and journalists who cover your niche it exists. You don’t need ten assets. You need one good one.
What to avoid on a new domain
Three things that hurt new sites specifically. Cheap link packages — 100 links for $50 is spam, and a young domain has no authority buffer to absorb a penalty. PBNs — networks built to sell links are exactly what Google hunts, and new sites are the easiest targets. And exact-match anchor spam — if every early link uses your money keyword as anchor text, the pattern is visible from space. Use brand and natural anchors for most early links.
How long before it works?
Honestly: three to six months before meaningful movement on anything competitive. That’s not a sales line, it’s how link building works: links get indexed, authority builds gradually, and rankings follow. The first 20 links are a foundation, not a finish line. The sites that win are the ones still building link 50 with the same discipline they used on link 5.
If you launched a site recently, where did your first links come from — and what would you do differently? We read every comment.
FAQ
How many links does a new website need to start ranking?
There’s no magic number. Twenty relevant, real links beat a hundred spammy ones. For low-competition topics, even a handful of good links plus solid content can move you; competitive terms need far more, built over months.
How long does it take for new links to affect rankings?
Usually weeks to months. Links need to be discovered and indexed, then authority builds gradually. Expect visible movement in three to six months, not three to six days.
Do directory links still work for new websites?
A few relevant directories help — industry associations, local chambers, niche directories your customers use. Mass directory blasts don’t; they’re ignored at best and look like spam at worst.
Should a new website buy links?
Not at the start. Earn the first links through guest posts, partnerships, and journalist replies. Once you can vet a placement properly, paid editorial placements are a different conversation — but buying blind on a new domain is the riskiest move you can make.
What’s the single best first link for a new site?
A guest post on a respected blog in your niche. It’s relevant, editorial, and it puts your brand in front of the right audience — three things no directory link does.
About the author: Junaid Ashraf is the Founder & CEO of JD SEO Agency. He has published 50+ guest articles for a US agency’s orders and runs manual outreach campaigns every week for SaaS, iGaming, and eCommerce brands.