Getting your first backlinks as a new startup is one of the hardest parts of early-stage growth. Without domain authority, your content does not rank. Without rankings, you do not get traffic. And without traffic, no one knows you exist.
Most founders try to solve this by submitting to directories one by one or cold emailing blogs for link exchanges. Both can work, but they are slow and unpredictable. RankInPublic takes a different approach by turning the launch process into a recurring weekly tournament where top-performing products can earn dofollow backlinks.
This guide explains how RankInPublic works and how to use it as part of your startup growth strategy.
What Is RankInPublic?
RankInPublic (https://rankinpublic.xyz) is a tournament-style launch platform for SaaS founders and indie makers. Every week, products compete head to head in a bracket format. The community votes on matchups, and products earn visibility through their product profile, tournament placement, and category listings.
Unlike Product Hunt, where you get one launch day and then quickly disappear, RankInPublic gives you recurring weekly exposure. Your product stays listed permanently and can enter new tournaments each week.
How Backlinks Work on RankInPublic
Every product listed on RankInPublic gets a permanent product profile page on the rankinpublic.xyz domain. That profile links back to your website, but not all backlinks are equal.
Here’s how it works:
• Free entries get a permanent listing with a backlink, but it is nofollow by default.
• Top 3 finishers in the weekly tournament earn a dofollow backlink. Once your placement is verified through the platform’s badge system, your link is upgraded to dofollow.
• Premium entries get a dofollow backlink immediately, regardless of tournament placement.
Beyond your profile page, RankInPublic also creates comparison pages, alternative pages, and category listings that can mention your product and increase its visibility across the site.
Why Dofollow Backlinks Matter for Startups
Domain Rating is one of the signals people often use to measure how much authority a site has built through backlinks. A new site starts with little to no authority and usually needs links from trusted domains to build momentum.
Dofollow backlinks can pass link equity from the linking site to yours. That is what makes them valuable for SEO. Nofollow links can still help with referral traffic, discovery, and brand visibility, but founders usually chase dofollow links because they are more likely to influence rankings over time.
The problem is that most high-authority sites do not link to unknown startups. To get those links, you usually need to earn them through content, outreach, or platforms that reward quality products with stronger backlink placement.
Step by Step: How to Use RankInPublic
Step 1: Create an account and list your product
Go to https://rankinpublic.xyz and submit your product. You’ll typically need your product URL, a short description, a long description, an icon, and a screenshot.
Step 2: Enter the weekly tournament
Once your product is live, you can enter the current weekly tournament. Free entries are available every week. Your product joins the qualifying round, where the community votes on matchups.
Step 3: Compete for a Top 3 finish
Share your matchup link with your audience, on social media, and in communities where your target users already hang out. Products with more votes advance through the bracket. The top 3 finishers earn dofollow backlinks, which is one of the main SEO incentives.
Step 4: Share your results
At the end of the launch week you will get a personalized card you can share to showcase your performance!
How to Combine RankInPublic with Other Launch Strategies
RankInPublic works best when it is part of a broader launch strategy rather than your only source of traffic and backlinks.
A simple rollout might look like this:
Week 1: Launch on Product Hunt for the initial traffic spike, then enter RankInPublic for ongoing weekly visibility.
Week 2: Submit to 10 to 15 startup directories to build more backlinks. Platforms like NxgnTools can also help with discovery:
https://www.nxgntools.com
Week 3: Start content marketing. Publish blog posts targeting long-tail keywords in your niche.
Week 4 and beyond: Keep entering weekly RankInPublic tournaments, submit to more directories, and begin outreach for guest posts and link exchanges.
This is where compounding starts to happen. A single backlink rarely changes much. But dozens of decent backlinks over a couple of months can start moving your site in the right direction.
If you do not want to handle submissions manually, RankInPublic also offers a done-for-you directory submission service:
https://rankinpublic.xyz/directory-submission-service
That service is designed for founders who want help getting listed on curated directories without spending hours filling out forms.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Relying on a single launch day
Product Hunt can create a short spike of attention, but that attention fades quickly. Recurring platforms like RankInPublic help you stay visible over time.
Ignoring SEO while chasing social media traffic
Social traffic can be useful, but it often disappears fast. Backlinks and content can keep working for months.
Submitting to low-quality directories
Not every directory is worth your time. It is usually better to focus on quality and relevance instead of submitting everywhere.
Not tracking progress
Check your domain authority and backlink profile regularly. If nothing is improving after a couple of months, your strategy probably needs adjustment.
Who Should Use RankInPublic?
RankInPublic is a strong fit for SaaS founders, indie makers, and bootstrapped startups that need more visibility and backlinks without a large marketing budget.
If you are launching a new product and want a repeatable way to build awareness and potentially earn stronger backlinks, the weekly tournament format gives you a structured system instead of a one-day launch gamble.
The platform is free to join. Premium entries are available for founders who want a dofollow backlink immediately and do not want to rely on tournament placement.
Final Thoughts
Building authority as a new startup takes time, but it is much easier when you use platforms that give you repeated opportunities to get seen.
RankInPublic offers a recurring way to compete for visibility and earn dofollow backlinks through weekly tournaments, instead of putting all your hopes into a single launch day.
Used alongside directory submissions, content marketing, and community promotion, it can become part of a growth engine that compounds over time.
To list your product and enter this week’s tournament, visit:
https://rankinpublic.xyz