Your product isn’t live yet—should you start building backlinks? The answer: it depends.
Your product is still in development, expected to launch in about two months. You have free time and want to “do some SEO preparation early.” But the backlinks would point to a “Coming Soon” page—does that make sense?
📅 September 21, 2026 · ⏱️ About 5 minutes read · 📂 Backlink · Timing · Strategy
I’ve been asked this many times: “My product isn’t live yet—does it make sense to do backlinks now?”
The answer depends on your specific situation. In some cases it’s worth doing early; in others it’s a waste of time.
Situation 1: Worth doing it early
You already have an accessible website (even if it’s just a landing page)
Even if your product isn’t live yet, if you have a landing page that describes what your product is and what problem it solves—you can start submitting to directories.
Why it’s worth it:
- Directory listings take time to be indexed by Google. Submitting early = indexed by the time you launch.
- Domain Rating (DR) starts from zero. By the time you launch, you’ll already have some foundational backlinks.
- Some directories have a 2‑4‑week review process. Submitting early = the listing is approved by launch.
What to do specifically:
- Submit to 10‑15 high‑DR directories (Crunchbase, BetaList, Indie Hackers, etc.).
- Create social media brand pages (LinkedIn, Twitter).
- Submit to Product Hunt (you can register now and launch when you go live).
Time investment: 5‑8 hours, done in one go.
Situation 2: Not worth doing it early
Your site isn’t accessible yet (only a “Coming Soon” page with no substantive content)
If your landing page is just a line that says “Coming Soon, sign up for updates”—no product description, no value proposition, no screenshots—doing backlinks early isn’t very meaningful.
Why it’s not worth it:
- Most directories require product description, screenshots, category info, etc. You don’t have those assets yet.
- Users clicking your backlink will see a blank Coming Soon page—no value for you.
- Google won’t rank a Coming Soon page well.
What to do:
- First, build a proper landing page (product description, value proposition, screenshots, CTA).
- Then start building backlinks.
Situation 3: Conditionally worth it
You’re building in public while the product is still in development
If you’re already sharing your development process on Twitter, Indie Hackers, etc., you’re already “building backlinks,” just in a different way.
Building in public doesn’t directly generate backlinks, but it creates brand presence and community awareness. When you launch, there will already be a group of people who know you.
What to do:
- Continue building in public.
- Prepare the landing page during product development.
- Start formal backlink building (directory submissions, etc.) 1‑2 weeks before launch.
3 benefits of doing it early
Benefit 1: Save time after launch
After launch you’ll be busy—handling user feedback, fixing bugs, iterating on the product. If you’ve already completed the basic backlink setup before launch, you can spend your post‑launch time on more important tasks.
Benefit 2: Have an SEO foundation at launch
Directory listings need time to be indexed. If you start submitting on launch day, it may take 2‑4 weeks to be indexed. If you submit a month early, you’ll already be indexed at launch.
Benefit 3: Competitors haven’t acted yet
If your competitors are also in development, you building backlinks first gives you an SEO advantage. It’s a time window.
5 concrete actions to take early
If you decide to do it early, here are five actions worth spending time on:
| Action | Time | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Create Crunchbase profile | 20 minutes | 1 high‑DR backlink |
| Create LinkedIn company page | 15 minutes | 1 high‑DR backlink |
| Submit to BetaList | 15 minutes | 1 backlink + waitlist exposure |
| Submit to Indie Hackers | 20 minutes | 1 backlink + community presence |
| Submit to 5‑10 industry directories | 1‑2 hours | 5‑10 backlinks |
Total: 2‑3 hours. One‑off effort, and you’ll have 8‑13 backlinks at launch.
Post‑launch backlink cadence
If you’ve built 8‑13 backlinks early, continue like this after launch:
| Time | Action | New backlinks |
|---|---|---|
| Launch week | Product Hunt launch + directory submissions (10) | 12‑15 |
| Week 2 | Community promotion + resource page outreach | 5‑8 |
| Weeks 3‑4 | Guest article pitches + partner pages | 5‑8 |
| Month 2 | Data reports + ongoing community engagement | 8‑12 |
Total backlinks after 2 months post‑launch: 30‑43 (plus the 8‑13 done early = 38‑56 total).
This is a solid starting point for a new site.
Finally
Product isn’t live yet—should you start building backlinks?
- If you have a landing page → it’s worth doing 5‑10 core directory submissions early.
- If you only have a Coming Soon page → finish a proper landing page first.
- If you’re building in public → keep sharing, and start formal backlink building 1‑2 weeks before launch.
Don’t start too early, and don’t wait until launch.
Start the most important directory submissions 2‑4 weeks early—this is the optimal window.
BackLinkSubmit Team — Product not live yet? Submit the 10 core directories first. Your backlink foundation will be ready at launch. Learn more →
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