Is Build in Public an SEO Strategy? My Data Says Yes
I “built in public” on Twitter for six months, sharing product data, growth numbers, and the pitfalls I encountered every week. After six months I checked—my site had gained 89 backlinks, 67 of which I never actively pursued. Build in Public isn’t just marketing; it’s the best “passive link‑building” strategy.
📅 September 30 2026 · ⏱️ ~7 minutes read · 📂 SEO · Build in Public · Growth
First, some background.
In October 2025 I started doing one thing on Twitter: publicly sharing my product’s growth data every week.
User registrations, MRR, churn rate, feature‑usage metrics—everything. Good and bad. No polishing, no hiding.
I also shared my decision‑making process: why I cut a feature, why I changed pricing, why I switched tech stacks.
I wasn’t doing this for SEO. I saw many indie developers building in public on Twitter, thought it was interesting, and wanted to try it.
Unexpected findings after six months:
| Metric | Change |
|---|---|
| Twitter followers | 0 → 3,200 |
| Site backlinks | 23 → 112 (+89) |
| Actively acquired backlinks | 22 (directory submissions) |
| Passively acquired backlinks | 67 |
| DR (Domain Rating) | 11 → 24 |
| Organic traffic | 15 / day → 180 / day |
Of the 89 new backlinks, 67 (75 %) were never actively pursued by me. They came from other blogs, news‑aggregation sites, newsletters, and social‑media archive pages.
People cited me not because I contacted them or asked for a link, but because they saw my tweets, found them valuable, and wrote articles or mentioned me in their own content.
Why Build in Public Generates Backlinks
Let’s break down how these passive backlinks appeared.
Source 1: Blog citations
Some bloggers used my data as a case study in their posts. For example:
“An indie developer publicly shared six months of growth data. MRR grew from $0 to $2,400. Here are his key decisions…”
They then linked to my tweet or my site.
In six months, 11 different blog posts cited my data.
Source 2: Newsletter citations
A few industry newsletters featured my share as “This week’s noteworthy indie‑developer story.”
In six months, five newsletters cited my content. Three of them have a web archive page that contains a backlink.
Source 3: News‑aggregation sites
My data‑share tweets got decent engagement and were picked up by bots or editors on Indie Hackers, Hacker News, etc., and were automatically or manually added to their sites.
In six months, there were eight such backlinks.
Source 4: Other developers’ “build‑in‑public retrospectives”
When other developers write retrospectives on their own build‑in‑public journeys, they sometimes reference others’ data. I was referenced six times.
Source 5: Social‑media archive pages
Popular tweets get archived by various sites. These backlinks have low DR but are numerous. In six months, there were 37 of this type.
Why Build in Public Is More Effective Than Traditional Link‑Building
Traditional link‑building logic: You actively acquire backlinks.
Build in Public logic: You create value, and others link to you voluntarily.
The differences:
| Traditional link‑building | Build in Public | |
|---|---|---|
| What you do | Outreach, pitch, submit | Share real data and experiences |
| What others do | Passively receive your request | Actively discover and cite you |
| Backlink quality | Medium (depends on platform) | High (from people who truly find value) |
| Sustainability | One‑off effort | Ongoing sharing = ongoing acquisition |
| Google’s stance | Legal but limited value | Most recognized backlink type |
| Extra benefits | Only backlinks | Brand + users + network + feedback |
The core advantage of Build in Public is that it creates a “passive backlink” flywheel.
You share → someone finds it valuable → they cite you → more people see you → more people cite you → ……
Once the flywheel spins, you don’t need any active link‑building; backlinks keep growing automatically.
How to Do Build in Public
It’s not just posting a few tweets. Effective Build in Public follows several key principles.
1. Share concrete data, not vague feelings
❌ Bad: “Product growth is good lately, feeling happy.”
✅ Good: “October data: users 340 → 520 (+53 %). MRR $800 → $1,200 (+50 %). Key variable: changed onboarding flow, 7‑day retention rose from 18 % to 34 %.”
Only concrete numbers get cited. Vague feelings don’t.
2. Share failures and lessons, not just successes
My most‑cited post wasn’t the one about “MRR breaking $1,000,” but the one about “I spent three months building a feature no one used—here’s my reflection.”
Failures and lessons resonate more and provide learning value. People prefer to share “what we learned” rather than “another success.”
3. Share the decision‑making process, not just the result
❌ Bad: “We raised prices.”
✅ Good: “We raised from $9/mo to $15/mo. Reasons: 1) ARPU was too low to cover acquisition cost; 2) competitors average $19; 3) user research showed 70 % would accept $15. After the first month, churn rose from 8 % to 12 % but MRR grew 40 %. Net effect is positive.”
The process is more valuable than the outcome because it helps others make similar decisions.
4. Stay consistent
Build in Public isn’t a one‑off post. It requires continuity.
Recommended rhythm: 2–3 data/experience posts per week. They don’t have to be long—an simple “weekly data update” is enough.
Consistency is key because people usually need to see you several times before citing you. One post may be ignored, but ten weeks of data sharing makes you “worth citing.”
5. Use the #buildinpublic tag
There’s an active community around this tag on Twitter. Posts with it are easier for like‑minded developers to discover.
Don’t post only #buildinpublic content. Mix in product updates, industry opinions, technical shares, personal reflections. This prevents your account from looking one‑dimensional.
Build in Public + Directory Submissions = A Complete Backlink Strategy
Build in Public and directory submissions complement each other rather than replace each other:
| Directory submissions | Build in Public | |
|---|---|---|
| Speed of acquisition | Fast (effects in 1–2 weeks) | Slow (needs 2–3 months to accumulate) |
| Backlink quality | Medium | High |
| Controllability | High (you decide where to submit) | Low (you can’t control who cites you) |
| Extra benefits | Brand visibility | Brand + users + network + feedback |
| Suitable stage | Any | After the product has some traction |
Ideal strategy:
Month 1: Do directory submissions to build a backlink foundation.
Starting month 2: Begin Build in Public while continuing to share data and experiences.
Ongoing: Use directory submissions as a supplement; let Build in Public be the primary source of passive backlinks.
A Real Flywheel in Action
Here’s how the Build in Public flywheel kicked in for me:
Month 1: 12 posts, average 30 likes, no backlinks.
Month 2: 10 posts, average 80 likes, 1 blog cited me.
Month 3: 12 posts, average 150 likes, 3 blogs + 1 newsletter cited me.
Month 4: 10 posts, average 300 likes, 5 blogs + 2 newsletters + 2 aggregation sites cited me.
Month 5: 12 posts, average 500 likes, 8 blogs + 3 newsletters + 4 aggregation sites cited me.
Month 6: 10 posts, average 800 likes, 11 blogs + 5 newsletters + 8 aggregation sites cited me.
Notice? The number of backlinks accelerates each month. That’s the flywheel effect—higher visibility leads to more citations, which in turn boosts visibility further.
Bottom Line
Build in Public isn’t an “SEO strategy.” It’s a way of working.
Its side effect—passively acquired high‑quality backlinks—may be the best SEO investment you can make.
Because you don’t have to “get” backlinks. You only need to do one thing: sincerely share your entrepreneurial journey.
Backlinks will come on their own.
BackLinkSubmit Team — Build in Public helps you acquire passive backlinks; we help you acquire active ones. Combined, the effect is doubled. Learn more →
Share Article
