I got tired of tracking backlink prospects in a spreadsheet

I have shipped numerous small sites, but the most challenging period always came after launch when the product functioned yet few could discover it. Compelling content and a concise page title contributed to visibility. Still, the key to gaining traction for a newly established domain was through a link from an established site with an audience.

Locating such opportunities seemed laborious. Directories required a profile, forums demanded a genuine account, and 'write for us' pages necessitated a draft, bio, and waiting period. Unfortunately, many of the lists obtained were inactive, fraudulent, or non-following, as the sellers often overlooked to inform. Initially, I maintained the valuable ones in a spreadsheet; however, as I managed multiple sites, the spreadsheet transformed into a complex matrix I did not wish to sustain.

Thus, I developed LinkTRX, a shared catalog of platforms where one could publish a link, including directories, profiles, communities, and blogs. Each entry provided information on the site, submission process, associated costs, and a sample link, if available. Users did not purchase a bulk of links; instead, they unlocked a write-up, completed the work themselves - such as registration, form filling, comment posting, or email sending.

Once completed, they inserted the URL of the live page that now pointed back to their site. The purpose was to maintain a record that could be completed, skipped, or revisited. The exchange was 1 for 1; unlocking a backlink record cost 1 credit, and submitting a record that passed review earned 1 credit. Registered users also received one free record daily.

By sharing a platform they frequently utilized, users could access a place someone else had discovered. Inviting friends resulted in credits for both parties. Users could also purchase credits if they preferred not to contribute, but the system was designed to function without this option. I found this setup more favorable than a paid list prone to becoming outdated.

The community using the catalog actively restocked it with new opportunities. The workbench function was the most utilized feature. Users added their owned sites and saved preferred resources. The workbench cross-referenced both lists, providing a task for each pair. For instance, three sites and twenty resources led to sixty tasks.

This approach seemed more efficient than relying on a spreadsheet. Each task could be completed in three ways: publishing the link and pasting the URL of the live link, marking it skipped with a reason when the site was inactive, paid, or unsuitable, or temporarily skipping it to clear easy tasks first and return later. The header on the page displayed the arithmetic purposefully.

The total did not serve as a vanity metric; it represented the product of my sites multiplied by the resources saved. A Chrome extension facilitated the repetitive forms, although it was optional. The workbench sufficed if one preferred to click through the process manually. Discover trends was a separate page offering rising search phrases, including a Chinese translation when available, to help draft a post targeting new audiences.

This feature was optional and aimed at the same goal: getting a new site in front of individuals already searching for related content. If interested, one could access linktrx.com, sign in using Google, claim a daily free record or submit one they trusted, and add their site to the workbench to save resources. By reviewing tasks and publishing on the easiest opportunity, users could paste the URL back.

If a record was incorrect, skipping it and providing a reason proved more beneficial than a silent failure. The system did not claim to replace writing or guarantee that directory links would bolster a thin site. Instead, it aimed to prevent users from wasting the one afternoon dedicated to distribution, typically the one they were least inclined to invest.

Maintaining one's own list of platforms accepting links would be preferable if one already possessed such a list, but contributing it to the catalog would be advantageous for others facing an empty launch week.