Dofollow backlinks from launch sites: what they are and what they are worth
George · 4 min read
Almost every launch site now mentions a backlink. Some promise a dofollow link, some quote a domain rating, and some only give one if your launch gets enough votes. If you are new to SEO, it is hard to tell what any of that is worth.
This guide explains the terms in plain language and sets realistic expectations. A single link will not put a new product on the first page of search results. It can still be a useful first step, especially when it comes with real visitors.
What makes a link dofollow
A link is an ordinary HTML anchor pointing at your website. A site can add a rel attribute to describe the link. The common values are nofollow, sponsored for paid placements, and ugc for user-generated content like comments.
A link with none of these values is usually called dofollow. There is no actual "dofollow" attribute; the word just means the site is not asking search engines to discount the link.
Google describes these attributes in its guide to qualifying outbound links. Since 2019 Google has treated them as hints rather than strict rules, so even a nofollow link is not completely invisible. In practice, a followed link from a relevant page is still the kind most site owners want.
What a launch page link can do
For a brand new domain, the first job is simply being found. A link from a page that search engines already crawl helps them discover your site sooner. It also adds a little context: your product appears next to a description, categories, and other products in the same space.
A launch page link also sends people. Visitors who click from a launch board are curious about new products, and some of them are exactly the early users you want. Treat that traffic as the main benefit and the SEO value as a bonus.
What it will not do on its own is rank you for competitive keywords. Search engines weigh many signals, including how useful your pages are and how many different relevant sites mention you over time.
What about domain rating?
Domain Rating (DR) is a score from Ahrefs, and Domain Authority comes from Moz. They estimate the strength of a site's link profile on a scale from 0 to 100. Google does not use either number.
A high score can be a sign that a site is well linked, but it says nothing about whether the page linking to you is relevant or whether anyone will click. A link from a smaller site in your niche can be worth more to you than one from a big general directory. Use DR to compare options, not as a promise of results.
How to get more from a launch backlink
- Write a clear product description. The text around a link tells readers and search engines what your product is. Use the words your users would search for.
- Choose accurate categories. Category and tag pages are often linked from many places on a launch site. Being listed in the right one adds relevant context.
- Make your landing page ready first. Fix titles, headings, and the first screen before you launch. A link to a page that does not explain the product wastes the visit.
- Share your launch page, not only your site. Upvotes and comments make the launch page more visible on the board, which brings more people to your link.
- Earn the next links. A launch is one mention. Guest posts, integrations, comparison pages, and genuinely useful free tools are how a link profile grows.
Questions to ask any launch site
Before you submit, check a few things on an existing launch page:
- Is the link to the product's website followed, or does it carry nofollow or sponsored?
- Does the launch page stay online after launch day, or does it disappear?
- Is the link conditional on votes, payment, or a badge on your site?
- Does the page have real content about the product, or only a logo and a link?
- Do people actually browse the site, or is it only a list of submissions?
You can check the first question yourself: open the launch page, right-click the website link, and choose Inspect. Look for a rel attribute on the anchor.
How ShipDesk.dev handles it
Every launch on ShipDesk.dev gets a permanent launch page with a followed link to your website, on the free plan too. There is no vote threshold for keeping it. Launches are grouped into weekly boards, so your page has a full week on the board instead of a single day, and it stays online afterwards in the list of every launch.
A badge for your own site is optional. It shows your live upvotes and links back to your launch page, which is useful if you want visitors to see where you launched, but your link does not depend on it.
The short version
A dofollow link from a launch site is a small, real benefit for a new product: it helps discovery, adds context, and can bring curious visitors. It is not a ranking strategy by itself. Launch where the page is useful and the link is honest, then keep building the kind of product and content people link to without being asked.