DEV Community: Basit Chingisi

Do Follow Backlinks: Free Link Building Strategies for 2026

Basit Chingisi — Sun, 11 Oct 2026 08:15:16 +0000

Backlinks remain an important part of SEO. They can help search engines discover your website, understand its relevance, and evaluate its authority.

However, building backlinks is not as simple as submitting your website to hundreds of directories. The quality, relevance, and context of each link matter.

If you're a developer, blogger, startup founder, or website owner, this guide will help you understand dofollow backlinks, find free link-building opportunities, and learn how to check whether a link passes SEO value.

What Are Do Follow Backlinks?

A dofollow backlink is a link from another website to your website that does not have a link attribute such as rel="nofollow" that asks search engines not to follow or associate with the link in the usual way.

For example, imagine you publish a useful online tool. Another website writes an article about similar tools and links to your website. That link can help people discover your product and may contribute to your search visibility.

A typical HTML link looks like this:

<a href="https://example.com/">Visit Example</a>

There is no special dofollow attribute in this example. Links are generally treated as ordinary links unless other attributes or circumstances indicate otherwise.

Important: A dofollow link does not guarantee higher rankings. Google considers many signals when ranking pages, and no single backlink guarantees a particular result.

Dofollow vs. Nofollow Backlinks

Understanding link attributes is essential before you start building backlinks.

Link type	HTML example	What it indicates
Dofollow	`<a href="https://example.com/">Visit</a>`	An ordinary link without a qualifying `rel` attribute
Nofollow	`rel="nofollow"`	A hint that the destination should not be endorsed in the usual way
Sponsored	`rel="sponsored"`	Identifies links created as part of advertisements or sponsorships
UGC	`rel="ugc"`	Identifies links in user-generated content, such as comments or forum posts

Google treats these attributes as hints when processing links. A nofollow link may still bring referral traffic, expose your website to a new audience, and help people discover your content.

The goal should not be to reject every nofollow link. Instead, focus on earning links that make sense for your audience and business.

Why Do Follow Backlinks Matter for SEO

Relevant backlinks can support your SEO strategy in several ways.

1. They can help search engines discover your pages

Search engines can discover URLs through links from other websites. This can be useful when you publish a new article, landing page, or online tool.

2. They can support your site's authority

Links from relevant and trustworthy websites can provide useful signals about your content. However, third-party metrics such as Domain Authority (DA) and Domain Rating (DR) are not Google ranking scores.

3. They can bring referral traffic

A backlink can send visitors directly to your website. These visitors may become readers, customers, subscribers, or users of your product.

4. They can build credibility

When respected websites reference your work, people may be more willing to explore your website. Relevant mentions can also help your brand become more recognizable in your niche.

Where to Find Free Dofollow Backlinks

You do not need a large budget to begin building backlinks. Many platforms let you publish content, create a profile, submit a product, or contribute useful resources.

However, not every platform provides a dofollow link in every situation. Link attributes and publishing rules can change, so check each link before counting it as a dofollow backlink.

1. Developer and publishing platforms

Publishing useful technical content can help you reach people who may naturally reference your website.

Explore platforms such as:

DEV Community
Medium
Hashnode Write tutorials, explain a technical problem, or share lessons from a project you built. Add a contextual link only when it genuinely helps readers.

Do not publish thin articles solely to insert backlinks. Focus on useful information that can stand on its own.

2. Startup and product directories

If you have launched a SaaS product, developer tool, or online service, product directories can help you reach a relevant audience.

Consider exploring:

Product Hunt
Peerlist
AlternativeTo
GitHub Before submitting your product, check whether the platform accepts your category, whether your listing will be publicly accessible, and what kind of links it provides.

Some platforms use nofollow attributes, redirect links, or other restrictions. A listing can still be worthwhile for exposure and referral traffic even if it does not provide a dofollow backlink.

3. Professional profiles

Create complete profiles on relevant professional and industry platforms.

Depending on their policies, you may be able to include your website in your profile, portfolio, or project description.

Make sure each profile accurately represents you or your business. Avoid creating dozens of empty profiles just to increase your backlink count.

4. Relevant business directories

Local businesses and niche websites may benefit from legitimate business directories.

Choose directories that are relevant to your location, industry, or audience. Check that the directory is maintained, has useful listings, and offers genuine value to visitors.

Avoid low-quality directories that accept every website without review.

5. Resource pages and curated lists

Some websites publish collections of useful tools, tutorials, blogs, and resources.

Search for pages relevant to your niche using queries such as:

"web development tools" + resources
"SEO tools" + useful links
"submit your tool"
"best tools for developers"
"resources for WordPress developers"

Review the results and look for websites that accept genuine suggestions. Contact the site owner with a short, personalized message explaining why your resource fits the page.

Never assume a website will add your link. Editors decide which resources deserve inclusion.

10 Practical Link-Building Strategies

Finding backlink opportunities is only the first step. You also need a reason for other websites to link to you.

1. Publish original research

Share useful data, survey results, benchmarks, or experiments. Original findings give other writers something specific to reference.

2. Create free tools

A free calculator, converter, checker, or generator can attract links when it solves a real problem.

For example, developers may reference a useful formatting tool or an SEO professional may recommend a reliable website checker.

3. Write detailed tutorials

Explain how to solve a common problem step by step. Include code examples, screenshots when useful, and solutions to common errors.

Helpful tutorials can attract links from blogs, documentation pages, and community discussions.

4. Contribute to relevant communities

Participate in developer communities, forums, and industry discussions. Answer questions with practical information rather than dropping links into unrelated conversations.

Only share your website when it adds genuine value and follows the community's rules.

5. Fix broken links

Find relevant pages that link to outdated or unavailable resources. If you have a suitable replacement, politely suggest it to the website owner.

Your replacement should serve the same purpose as the original resource. Do not recommend an unrelated page just to obtain a backlink.

6. Write guest articles

Offer useful, original articles to reputable websites in your niche. Follow their editorial guidelines and disclose relevant relationships.

Guest contributions should reach the right audience, not serve as a way to publish large numbers of keyword-rich links.

7. Build relationships with other creators

Connect with developers, bloggers, product makers, and website owners who work in related fields.

Genuine professional relationships can lead to collaborations, interviews, references, and relevant mentions over time.

8. Turn brand mentions into links

Sometimes a website mentions your product or brand without linking to it.

When the mention is relevant, contact the publisher and politely ask whether they would consider linking to your official website.

Make the request helpful and respectful. They are not obligated to add the link.

9. Publish useful case studies

Document a real project, including the problem, your approach, and the results you can verify.

Case studies can be useful references for people researching similar problems. Be transparent about your methods and avoid exaggerating outcomes.

10. Keep your existing content useful

Update outdated information, repair broken links, improve examples, and add new insights to important pages.

Useful content gives people a stronger reason to cite your website and can improve the experience for visitors who arrive through existing backlinks.

How to Check If a Backlink Is Dofollow

You can inspect a link's HTML directly in your browser.

Method 1: Inspect the link

Open the page containing your backlink.
Right-click the link.
Select Inspect.
Find the corresponding <a> element.
Check its rel attribute. An ordinary link may look like this:

<a href="https://example.com/">Example</a>

A nofollow link may look like this:

<a href="https://example.com/" rel="nofollow">Example</a>

A sponsored link may look like this:

<a href="https://example.com/" rel="sponsored">Example</a>

If a link has multiple rel values, check all of them. Also remember that the absence of nofollow does not guarantee that Google will count the link or that it will improve your rankings.

Method 2: Use an SEO tool

Backlink analysis tools can help you review links pointing to your website, discover referring domains, and investigate link attributes.

Examples include:

Ahrefs
Semrush
Moz
SEOptimer Features and free usage limits vary. Some tools may classify links differently or may not have discovered every backlink.

For your own website, also use Google Search Console to review the links Google reports. Search Console does not provide a simple guarantee that each reported link passes ranking value.

How to Evaluate Backlink Quality

A large backlink count can look impressive, but the number alone tells you very little.

Before pursuing a backlink, ask these questions:

Relevance: Does the linking page relate to your website or audience?
Editorial value: Is the link included because it helps readers?
Website quality: Does the site publish useful, trustworthy content?
Real audience: Could the link send relevant visitors to your website?
Placement: Is the link part of meaningful content or hidden in an unrelated section?
Link attributes: Is it an ordinary link, nofollow, sponsored, or UGC?
Spam signals: Does the site exist mainly to sell links or manipulate search rankings? Metrics such as DA and DR can help you compare websites, but they are third-party estimates. A lower-metric website with a highly relevant audience may be more useful than an unrelated website with a higher score.

How Many Backlinks Should You Build Per Day?

There is no universal safe number of backlinks to build each day.

A website can naturally earn several links in a short period when a project becomes popular. Another website may earn only a few links over several weeks.

What matters is how those links are acquired and whether they comply with search engine spam policies.

Avoid automated link creation, paid links intended to manipulate rankings, mass directory submissions, and repetitive keyword-rich anchor text.

Build links through useful content, relevant outreach, genuine recommendations, and legitimate business listings. Do not chase an arbitrary daily quota.

Common Backlink Mistakes to Avoid

Buying links that pass ranking credit

Paying for links intended to manipulate search rankings can violate Google's spam policies. Paid placements should be qualified appropriately, such as with rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow".

Using automated backlink software

Tools that automatically create large numbers of links can produce spam and low-quality placements. A bigger backlink count does not necessarily mean better SEO.

Posting links in unrelated comments

Dropping your URL into blog comments, forums, or community discussions without contributing anything useful can look like spam and may damage your reputation.

Focusing only on DA and DR

Third-party authority metrics are not official Google ranking factors. Evaluate the actual website, its relevance, and the usefulness of the link.

Expecting instant rankings

Backlinks do not guarantee immediate ranking improvements. Search engines need to discover and process links, and ranking changes depend on many factors.

How to Track Your Link-Building Results

A backlink campaign should have clear goals. Instead of tracking only the total number of links, monitor a few meaningful indicators.

Referring domains: How many different websites link to you?
Relevant backlinks: Are the links coming from sites related to your niche?
Referral traffic: Are visitors clicking those links?
Search impressions and clicks: Is your organic search visibility changing?
Target-page performance: Are the pages you want to rank gaining relevant impressions and clicks?
Conversions: Are visitors signing up, using your tools, or contacting your business? Use Google Search Console to monitor search performance and a suitable analytics tool to measure referral traffic and conversions.

Review results over time. Do not assume that a ranking change was caused by a single backlink without considering other changes to your website and the search results.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are dofollow backlinks?

Dofollow backlinks are ordinary links without qualifying attributes such as nofollow. They may help search engines discover pages and can contribute to the signals used to evaluate pages, but they do not guarantee better rankings.

Are free dofollow backlinks good for SEO?

They can be useful when they come from relevant, trustworthy websites and are earned naturally. Free links from spammy or irrelevant sites are not automatically valuable.

How can I get dofollow backlinks for free?

Publish useful content, create helpful tools, contribute to relevant communities, submit legitimate product listings, contact resource-page editors, and build relationships with publishers in your niche.

Always check the platform's current linking policies and the actual HTML of your links.

Are nofollow backlinks useless?

No. Nofollow links can bring referral traffic, exposure, and new visitors. Google treats link attributes as hints, so their impact is not always as simple as a strict dofollow-versus-nofollow distinction.

How long does it take for backlinks to improve SEO?

There is no fixed timeline. Search engines must discover and process links, and any ranking change depends on the page, competition, content quality, and many other signals.

Should I focus on backlink quantity or quality?

Prioritize relevance, trust, and genuine value. A small number of useful links may be more beneficial than hundreds of links from unrelated or low-quality websites.

Key Takeaways

Dofollow backlinks can support your SEO strategy, but building them should not become a numbers game.

Start by publishing useful content, creating resources worth referencing, and finding websites that genuinely serve your audience. Check link attributes, evaluate the quality of each opportunity, and track results using reliable SEO tools.

Most importantly, do not rely on backlinks alone. Strong technical SEO, helpful content, a good user experience, and a clear website structure all matter.

If you're building a website or launching a new product, focus on earning links that make sense for real people. That is a more sustainable approach than chasing hundreds of backlinks simply because they are free.

Read the extended guide on Medium: Do Follow Backlinks: 100% Free Link Building Strategies and How to Find Quality Backlinks in 2026

What backlink-building strategies have worked best for your website? Share your experience in the comments.

How I Stopped Waiting for Ideas and Started Collecting Problems

Basit Chingisi — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 07:14:28 +0000

For a long time, I thought I needed to come up with ideas before I could build anything.

I’d sit down to make a tool, write an article, or plan a project and wait for inspiration. Most of the time, nothing came.

The problem wasn’t that I had no ambition. I was expecting ideas to appear from nowhere.

What helped was a small shift: I stopped trying to invent ideas and started collecting problems.

Ideas often start as friction

I used to imagine good ideas arriving like lightning: one sudden spark that changed everything.

But the things I’ve actually wanted to build usually began with a smaller feeling:

A task taking more steps than it should.
A tool missing the one feature I needed.
The same question coming up again and again.
An explanation that made a simple thing harder to understand.

Those moments are easy to dismiss. I used to shrug and move on.

Now I treat them as clues.

Keep a list of annoyances

When something feels unnecessarily difficult, I write it down.

I don’t try to design the solution right away. I just describe the friction:

“This takes longer than it should.”
“I keep doing this manually.”
“I wish there were a simpler way to do this.”
“I’ve explained this same thing several times.”

That’s the whole system. One note, one line at a time.

When I’m ready to start a project or write something new, I look through the list. Instead of facing a blank page, I have real problems I’ve already noticed.

Why this helps more than brainstorming

A brainstorming session can produce ideas that sound exciting but don’t connect to a problem you care about.

A friction list starts with something you’ve already experienced. You know what made the task frustrating, because you were the one dealing with it.

That doesn’t mean every annoyance needs an app, a tool, or a project. Some problems are too small, too specific, or not worth solving. But writing them down gives you something concrete to evaluate instead of asking yourself to invent a perfect idea on demand.

Try it for a week

Keep a note open on your phone or computer. For one week, whenever something feels more difficult than it needs to be, write it down.

Don’t judge the idea yet. Don’t plan the solution. Just capture the problem.

At the end of the week, read through your list. You may find a project worth building, a topic worth writing about, or a small improvement you can make right away.

I still don’t get ideas on command. I just don’t rely on a blank page to give them to me anymore.

You Don't Choose Where You Start. You Choose What You Build.

Basit Chingisi — Sun, 12 Jul 2026 09:55:02 +0000

From Quetta to WordPress: How I Became a Web Developer

I want to share how I got into web development, because it wasn't a straight line, and where I started from shaped how I build.

Where I'm From

I grew up in Quetta, Pakistan, in the Hazara Town and Mariabad neighbourhoods. It's not a place most developers you'll meet online have heard of, and for good reason: it's home to the Hazara community, which has faced targeted violence for over two decades. Growing up, safety wasn't something I could take for granted the way a lot of people can.

I'm not bringing this up for sympathy. I'm bringing it up because it's part of why I approach building things the way I do: carefully, deliberately, and with a lot of drive to make something real out of limited resources.

Getting Into Dev Work

I got my start at Icon Pro Solutions Inc., where I was thrown straight into WordPress development. Not just theming, but the full picture: site structure, SEO, how design and function need to work together, and how content and writing tie it all together.

Alongside development, I picked up Figma and started thinking more seriously about UI/UX, not just how to build a page but why it should be built a certain way. Right now I'm pushing further into building custom WordPress plugins from scratch instead of just working inside existing ones.

Writing Alongside Code

I also write, mostly about AI tools, prompts, and the same design instincts that carry over from building websites to writing clear sentences. It turns out structuring a good blog post and structuring a good page aren't that different: think clearly, organize it well, ship it.

What I've Built

Everything from that first job eventually pushed me to build my own thing. That's Slaytic, a web dev and design studio, and alongside it, Slaytic Converter (tools.slaytic.com), a free browser-based toolkit with 230+ tools for PDF, image, video, and file conversion.

The whole thing runs client-side. No server uploads, no third-party file handling. It started because I wanted a real answer to "why do I have to upload my file to some random site to convert it," and it grew from there into a full multi-tool platform built on Next.js 14, TypeScript, and Tailwind, deployed for free on Vercel.

Why I'm Writing This

I'm posting this partly to introduce myself to the Dev.to community, and partly as a reminder to myself: where you start doesn't decide where you end up. You learn what you can, take the opportunities you get, and keep shipping.

Still building. Just getting started.

I spent months building a browser-based toolkit with 238 utilities. Looking for technical feedback.

Basit Chingisi — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 20:19:37 +0000

Hi everyone,

I've been working on a solo project that's grown into a collection of 238 browser-based utilities.

The idea was to build a place where people can complete common tasks without installing software, while keeping privacy in mind by processing data locally whenever possible.

The toolkit currently includes:

PDF utilities
Image tools
AI tools
JSON, XML, CSV, and developer utilities
SEO tools
Text and writing tools
Color and design tools
Converters and calculators
Security and encoding tools
And several other categories

I'm not posting this to market it. I'm looking for feedback from other developers.

I'd appreciate any thoughts on:

Performance and load times
UI/UX
Mobile responsiveness
Browser compatibility
Accessibility
Bugs or edge cases
Features that should be added or improved

The project is available here:
https://tools.slaytic.com/

I'd really appreciate constructive criticism. If you spot something that could be built better, please let me know. I'm continuously improving the project and would rather hear honest feedback than compliments.

Thanks for taking a look!

Building a Free Online PDF Converter with Next.js: What I Learned

Basit Chingisi — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 07:28:13 +0000

PDF files are everywhere. Developers, students, businesses, and creators use them every day for documents, reports, invoices, and forms.

However, working with PDFs on the web is not always simple. Many users still need to download software just to convert a file from PDF to Word, JPG, or another format.

I wanted to solve this problem by building a free online PDF converter that works directly in the browser.

The goal was simple:

Create a fast, easy-to-use Slaytic Converter where users can upload a PDF, convert it, and download the result without installing anything.

Why Build a Browser-Based PDF Tool?

Traditional PDF software often comes with problems:

Requires installation
Takes up storage space
Can be slow on older devices
Some tools require paid subscriptions

A web-based solution removes these barriers.

With modern web technologies, developers can now build powerful file processing tools that run smoothly in the browser.

I wanted to solve this problem by building a free online PDF converter that works directly in the browser.

The tool is available on Slaytic Converter:

The Technology Stack

For this project, I used a modern web stack:

Next.js for the application framework
React for the user interface
JavaScript for functionality
Browser APIs for file handling
Server-side processing where needed

Next.js makes it easier to create fast pages, manage routing, and optimize performance.

Handling PDF Files on the Web

PDF conversion is challenging because PDFs are not just simple text files.

A PDF can contain:

Text
Images
Fonts
Layout information
Metadata
Embedded objects

A good converter needs to preserve the original structure as much as possible.

The workflow usually looks like this:

User uploads a PDF file
The application validates the file
The conversion process starts
The converted file is generated
The user downloads the result

Keeping this process simple improves the user experience.

Important Performance Considerations

File tools need to feel fast.

Some improvements that matter:

Client-Side Processing

Whenever possible, processing files directly in the browser reduces server load and improves privacy.

Users feel more comfortable when their files are not unnecessarily uploaded.

File Size Limits

Large files can slow down browsers and servers.

Adding clear file size limits helps prevent performance problems.

Loading States

Users should always know what is happening.

A progress indicator or loading message helps avoid confusion during conversion.

Security Considerations

File upload tools need proper security practices.

Important things to consider:

Validate uploaded file types
Limit file sizes
Remove temporary files after processing
Prevent malicious uploads
Avoid storing user files unnecessarily

Security is especially important when handling private documents.

Making the Tool User-Friendly

A good tool is not only about technology.

The user experience matters.

A simple flow works best:

Upload file
Choose conversion type
Convert
Download

No complicated settings. No unnecessary steps.

SEO and Discoverability for Tool Websites

Building the tool is only one part.

People need to find it.

For a PDF converter, useful content can include:

How to convert PDF to Word
How to reduce PDF size
Best free PDF tools
PDF tips and tutorials

Helpful content allows search engines and AI systems to better understand what the tool does.

What I Learned Building a PDF Tool

Creating online tools looks simple from the outside, but there are many small details involved.

The biggest lessons:

Performance matters
Simplicity improves conversions
Security cannot be ignored
Good content helps users discover the product

A useful tool solves a real problem.

That is the main reason I built Slaytic Tools, a collection of free online utilities designed to make everyday tasks easier.

If you are building a web-based tool, focus on solving one clear problem and make the experience as simple as possible.

webdevelopment #nextjs #javascript #pdf #opensource

Frontend Basics: Mastering HTML and CSS

Basit Chingisi — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 07:13:12 +0000

HTML, short for HyperText Markup Language, is the foundation of every website. It structures and organizes the layout of a webpage, acting as the building block for all web creations. On the other hand, CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) focuses on styling, making web pages look attractive and visually appealing. While they serve different purposes, HTML and CSS work closely together and are often used hand-in-hand.

Think of it like this: HTML builds the skeleton of a webpage, while CSS adds the flesh, giving it life and beauty. HTML handles the structure and content, while CSS takes care of the design and layout. However, HTML can be a bit rigid when it comes to making changes, whereas CSS allows for more flexibility, making it easier to tweak and adjust styles.

Because of their interdependence, mastering both HTML and CSS is essential for creating great websites. However, as web development evolves, many programmers are moving towards more dynamic tools like React JS. React is a modern frontend framework that allows for advanced structuring and interactive designs. While it still incorporates some HTML elements, it’s not as reliant on HTML as CSS is.

Having worked on projects using only HTML, CSS, and a bit of JavaScript, I’m excited about transitioning to React JS. I look forward to exploring its capabilities further during HNG’s internship 11!