# Building backlinks from top authority sites (/docs/off-page-seo/backlinks-from-authority-sites)

---
type: Document
title: Building backlinks from top authority sites
description: A strategy for earning backlinks from the internet's highest-authority platforms — YouTube, Instagram, Reddit, GitHub, and similar — by participating genuinely rather than spamming.
status: stable
order: 32
generated: { by: human:ahmedraza, at: 2026-09-15T11:37:20Z }
ksor:
  audience: [public]
  owner: human:ahmedraza
  approval: { by: human:ahmedraza, at: 2026-09-15T11:37:20Z }
sources:
  - id: iskills-course-notes
    title: iSkills — course notes
    resource: "iSkills SEO course notes, compiled 2025"
trust_tier: unverified
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---

## The idea

Backlinks are votes of trust — the more quality votes from strong websites, the
more powerful your own site becomes. This strategy targets backlinks from the
top 50,000 websites in the world: even 200 backlinks from sites at that level
meaningfully changes a site's ranking trajectory.[^iskills-course-notes]

## Why target the biggest platforms

These sites already carry millions of visitors and huge authority — even a
plain, unstyled ("naked") URL link from one of them is powerful. Examples:
YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Reddit, Wikipedia, Facebook, Pinterest, TikTok,
GitHub.

## Step 1: identify the target sites

Use SimilarWeb, Ahrefs, SEMrush, or free published lists to find the top
50,000, favouring sites trending upward with real organic traffic.

## Step 2: build backlinks per platform

- **YouTube** — create a channel, upload videos, and add your site link in
  video descriptions and the channel bio. Even a naked link here carries
  value.
- **Instagram** — create a profile with your site in the bio; mention it via
  stories, posts, and reels with "link in bio".
- **Facebook** — add your link in the About section, and mention it
  naturally in posts and pages.
- **Reddit** — never spam. Participate in real discussions first, and only
  share your link as part of a genuinely useful answer (e.g. "I found this
  resource helpful: [your link]").
- **Developer/community forums** — join discussions and include your link as
  a reference inside a genuinely helpful answer.
- **Pinterest** — upload niche-relevant images/pins with your site in the
  description.
- **TikTok** — add your link in the bio, and drive attention with engaging
  short videos.
- **Canva** — publish free templates with your link in the description.
- **X (Twitter)** — add your site to the profile bio, and tweet with the
  link occasionally, without spamming.
- **Adobe, Spotify, Walmart, high-authority government sites** — many allow
  profile creation or contribution; add your link where permitted.
- **GitHub** — create a project/repo and add your site to the `README.md`.
- **App stores** — if you have an app, add your website to its store
  description.
- **Country-specific platforms** — if targeting a specific country (e.g.
  Brazil), get backlinks from that country's own authority platforms for
  extra local relevance.

## Important tips

- Your site's own UI/UX must be clean and trustworthy — a backlink only
  helps if the destination earns the click.
- Results are not instant; SEO from this method compounds with patience.
- Even free backlinks from top-tier sites are very powerful.
- Participate in communities genuinely — spam gets accounts banned and wastes
  the opportunity.
- Favour naked URLs and branded anchors on these platforms.

## Summary

Getting roughly 200 backlinks from the top 50,000 sites in the world is
treated as a meaningful SEO milestone. Use the platforms above consistently,
always participating naturally rather than spamming — even a single naked
link from a top-tier site is a real achievement, because quality and source
authority matter more than raw link count.

[^iskills-course-notes]: iSkills SEO course notes, compiled 2025.