Over the years, I’ve tested every backlinking method under the sun—from guest posts and HARO: Help a Reporter Out (RIP) to digital PR and niche edits. But one tactic that still surprises people is profile linking.
It’s simple, often overlooked, and still very much alive in 2025 if you know how to use it right. Let’s break it down.
What is Profile Linking?
Profile linking is when you create a backlink to your website by filling out your personal or business profile on another website. Think of places like forums, business directories, author bios, Q&A sites, social platforms, and SaaS tools—anywhere that allows you to add a website URL in your profile section.
Usually, these are nofollow links. And because of that, some folks brush them off. But in my experience, profile links can still play a strategic role in building a natural link profile and sending relevance signals to Google. Profile links will only be one small part of your backlink profile, but they are still worth doing.
Why is Profile Linking Important?
It’s not the most powerful link type out there, but profile links do matter, especially for brand building and diversification. Here’s why I still use them:
- They are free and easy! No fancy link building services or platforms needed, just a bit of elbow grease.
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They build trust signals. When Google sees your brand or name consistently linked across multiple legit platforms, it builds topical authority and can help boost organic traffic.
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They help with indexing. New pages and sites often get indexed faster when profile links point to them from known domains.
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They support branded SEO. Profile links reinforce your brand name and help with reputation management, especially if someone Googles you or your company.
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They add link diversity. A natural backlink profile shouldn’t just be guest posts and homepage links. Profile links balance it out.
In 2025, Google is all about E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness). Profile links help support that narrative, especially when they appear on sites that already have topical relevance or high authority in your niche. So, profile link building should be part of any good link building checklist.
6 Ways to Get Profile Links Easily
You don’t need to overthink this. There are some super easy ways to build links using online profiles right now:
1. Your Own Personal and Professional Profiles
This is the first place I start for any client or new domain.
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LinkedIn: Add your website to your contact info section.
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Twitter/X: Drop your link in the bio (yes, it still counts). Other social media platforms, too.
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Medium, Reddit, Quora, Indie Hackers: These all let you build a public profile with a link back to your site.
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About.me, Gravatar, Crunchbase, AngelList: Great for startups, founders, and service providers.
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SaaS tools: If you’re using platforms like Canva, Trello, GitHub, Notion, or Figma publicly, fill out that profile and drop your link.
The key here is consistency, use the same name, brand, and image across all platforms to reinforce trust.
2. Starting an Affiliate Program
This is a bit of a hidden gem. If you run an affiliate program, your partners often create profiles on affiliate forums, networks, or even their own blogs, and many of them link back to your site (sometimes without even asking).
Here’s what I’ve seen work:
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List your affiliate program on forums like Warrior Forum, AffLift, or AffiliateFix. You’ll get a profile + thread link.
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Use platforms like ShareASale, Impact, or PartnerStack, as these often generate public profiles that link back to your main domain or affiliate page.
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Encourage your affiliates to mention your brand with a trackable link (bonus: this helps with conversions too).
3. Join Niche Communities and Forums
Look for industry-specific forums or communities where people in your niche hang out. These platforms almost always let you create a profile with a link.
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SEO → BlackHatWorld, Builder Society
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Marketing → Traffic Think Tank, GrowthHackers
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Health → MyFitnessPal forums, Patient.info
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Tech → Stack Overflow, Dev.to
Just make sure the site has a good backlink profile (you can check with Ahrefs or similar tools) and that your profile is public and indexed by Google.
4. Register on Business Directories
Old-school but still works,especially for local SEO or small businesses. Think of:
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Yelp, YellowPages, Manta, BBB
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Industry-specific directories like Clutch (for agencies), Houzz (for home services), or Avvo (for legal)
You usually get a profile page with a dofollow or nofollow link; either way, it’s a legit citation and trust signal.
5. Sign Up for SaaS Tools or Marketplaces
If you offer a product, plugin, or service, be sure to get listed on marketplaces. These often give you a public profile.
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Shopify App Store, Chrome Web Store, WordPress.org (for plugins/themes), Product Hunt, G2, Capterra
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Freelance platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer also let you create profiles with links
Even if the link is nofollow, these are high-trust domains. They build credibility and diversify your profile.
6. Become a Contributor (Even Without Writing)
You don’t always have to write full blog posts to get a profile link. Some sites allow you to sign up as a contributor or commenter and create a profile with a bio link.
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Commenting on blogs (Disqus-powered ones in particular)
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Q&A sites like Quora, Stack Exchange
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Medium contributor networks
Just set up your bio right, and boom: there’s your backlink.
7 Types of Links for SEO
Links are one of the most important signals search engines use to assess the authority and relevance of your website. But not all links are created equal. Understanding the different types of backlinks (from high-quality backlinks to potentially spammy ones) can help you build a healthy link profile and support a stronger link building strategy.
Here are some common types of backlinks to know:
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Inbound Links: Also known as backlinks, these are links from other websites that point to your content. Earning inbound links from high-authority sites can significantly boost your domain authority.
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Anchor Text Links: These are hyperlinks where the clickable text (or anchor text) gives context about the linked page. Relevant, descriptive anchor text improves SEO and signals topical relevance.
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External Links: An external link comes from a domain other than your own. Earning relevant external links is critical for showing that your content is trustworthy and worth referencing.
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High-Quality Backlinks: These come from reputable, high-authority sites with strong editorial standards. A few high-quality backlinks are far more valuable than dozens of weak ones.
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Low-Quality Links: Links from spammy, irrelevant, or low-authority sources can hurt your SEO. It’s best to disavow these using Google’s Disavow Tool to prevent them from impacting your site.
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Hyperlinked Brand Mentions: When other linking websites mention your brand and include a hyperlink back to your site, it’s a valuable trust signal, especially when it comes from relevant links placed naturally in content.
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Contextual Links: Backlinks placed within the body of relevant content are more effective than those in sidebars or footers. These high-quality links pass more authority and tend to come from editorial sources.
By targeting the right types of backlinks and avoiding harmful ones, you can strengthen your link building strategy and grow your search visibility in a sustainable, strategic way.
Profile Linking FAQ
Here are some questions people also ask me about profile linking, how to get started link building, and backlink building strategy more generally:
What role do SEO basics play in shaping a link building strategy?
SEO basics lay the groundwork for an effective link building strategy. Understanding how a search engine processes content and evaluates search engine optimization signals (especially through its algorithms) helps you build links that actually improve rankings. Whether you’re creating guest posts or acquiring profile links, aligning with core SEO principles ensures your link profile appears natural, relevant, and trustworthy to search engines, increasing the impact of every backlink you earn.
Why are SEO performance metrics important for tracking link building success?
To measure the success of your link building efforts, it’s crucial to monitor search engine rankings, search engine results, and other performance indicators like higher rankings or visibility shifts. These metrics help assess whether your backlink efforts, including profile links and outreach campaigns, are driving real SEO impact. Tools that calculate pagerank and other metrics tied to authority and relevance give valuable insight into how well your link profile is supporting your SEO goals.
What tools help evaluate link building performance through search engine interfaces?
Using reliable SEO tools can help you analyze your backlink profile and the effectiveness of your link building tactics, including profile links. These tools give visibility into how your site performs in the SERP (Search Engine Results Pages), allowing you to track keyword improvements and backlink quality. A consistent review of this data helps you refine your strategy and make smarter decisions about where to earn or place future links.
How does content quality affect link building and profile link authority?
High-quality, relevant content increases your chances of earning strong backlinks and authoritative profile links. Search engines prefer links from high-quality content and quality sites, and penalize strategies that rely on low-quality or irrelevant sources. Creating high-quality content not only attracts natural links but also encourages reputable websites to link back to you, boosting the authority of your link profile and overall SEO performance.
What Next?
Profile linking is just one piece of the puzzle. If you’re serious about ranking in 2025 and beyond, your backlink strategy needs to go deeper. Here are the next three steps I always recommend after the easy wins like profile links:
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Build Out Your Branded Foundation
Secure consistent links across social profiles, directories, and relevant forums. This builds your brand’s credibility in Google’s eyes. Think of it like your SEO “business card.” Keep your name, image, and links aligned everywhere. -
Level Up with Authority Links
Once your base is solid, start earning backlinks from real content, like guest posts, niche edits, podcast features, and interviews. These links carry weight and move the needle. This is where link building services and platforms can really help scale your outreach without doing everything manually. -
Keep It Natural and Consistent
Google favors brands that grow gradually and naturally. Don’t spam. Don’t buy 100 backlinks overnight. Instead, set a monthly goal and keep adding links from diverse sources, profiles, content, partnerships, mentions, and citations.
Stick to these steps, and you’ll not only rank better; you’ll build a long-term SEO asset that lasts.
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