# LinkPing Answers Answers to 39 questions about directory submission, backlinks and AI visibility, backed by LinkPing's checked directory library (snapshot 2026-10-20). ## A. Choosing directories - [Which directories should I submit my SaaS to in 2026?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/best-directories-to-submit-saas) - [Which startup directories still give dofollow backlinks for free?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/free-dofollow-startup-directories) - [What are the best Product Hunt alternatives for a small launch?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/product-hunt-alternatives) - [Which AI tool directories accept free submissions without a badge?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/free-ai-directories-no-badge) - [Which directories require a backlink badge, and is that worth it?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/directories-requiring-backlink-badge) - [Which directories have shut down or switched to paid in 2026?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/directories-shut-down-or-paid-2026) - [How many directories should a new SaaS submit to?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/how-many-directories-to-submit) - [What's the difference between local citations and niche directory submission?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/local-citations-vs-niche-directories) - [Which directories get cited by ChatGPT and Perplexity most often?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/directories-cited-by-chatgpt-perplexity) ## B. Results and risk - [Do directory backlinks still help SEO in 2026?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/do-directory-backlinks-help-seo) - [How much does DR go up after submitting to 50 directories?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/dr-increase-after-50-directories) - [How long does it take for a directory backlink to be indexed by Google?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/index-directory-backlink-time) - [Can directory submissions hurt my site (toxic / spam links)?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/can-directory-submissions-hurt-my-site) - [Is backlink exchange against Google's guidelines?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/link-exchange-against-google-guidelines) - [Are paid directory listings worth it? Which ones pay back?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/paid-directory-listings-worth-it) - [What percentage of directory submissions actually get approved?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/directory-submission-approval-rate) - [Do nofollow directory links have any value for AI search?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/nofollow-directory-links-ai-search) ## C. How to do it - [How do I submit my website to ChatGPT?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/submit-website-to-chatgpt) - [How do I get my product recommended by ChatGPT?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/get-product-recommended-by-chatgpt) - [How do I write a directory description that AI engines quote?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/write-directory-description-ai-quotes) - [What should be in an llms.txt file for a SaaS?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/llms-txt-for-saas) - [How do I automate directory submissions with an AI agent (Claude Code / Cursor)?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/automate-directory-submissions-ai-agent) - [How do I avoid getting rejected by Product Hunt-style launch sites?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/avoid-rejection-launch-sites) - [How do I index backlinks fast without Search Console?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/index-backlinks-fast-without-search-console) - [How do I find link exchange partners in my niche safely?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/find-link-exchange-partners-safely) ## D. Comparing options and spend - [LinkPing vs ListingBott vs LaunchDirectories: which submission service fits?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/linkping-vs-listingbott-vs-launchdirectories) - [Manual vs automated directory submission: cost and time?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/manual-vs-automated-directory-submission) - [Link building agency vs DIY for an early-stage SaaS?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/link-building-agency-vs-diy) - [How much should a SaaS spend on backlinks in its first year?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/how-much-to-spend-on-backlinks) ## E. GEO: being found by AI engines - [What is GEO and how is it different from SEO and AEO?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/what-is-geo-vs-seo-aeo) - [Why do AI answers cite directories and listicles?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/why-ai-answers-cite-directories) - [How do I check if ChatGPT mentions my brand?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/how-to-check-chatgpt-mentions-brand) - [Does being listed on G2 / Capterra / SaaSHub change AI recommendations?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/saashub-g2-capterra-ai-recommendations) - [What signals make an AI engine trust a new SaaS?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/signals-ai-trusts-new-saas) ## F. Data only LinkPing has - [What share of "free" directories are actually free in 2026?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/free-directories-share-2026) - [What's the median DR of AI tool directories vs launch platforms?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/median-dr-ai-directories-vs-launch-platforms) - [How many directories died in the last 12 months?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/directories-died-last-12-months) - [Average review time per directory category?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/average-review-time-by-directory-category) - [Which directory categories give the best DR-per-hour?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/best-directory-categories-dr-per-hour) ## Keep exploring - [How to get your SaaS recommended by ChatGPT](https://getbacklinkai.com/blog/how-to-get-recommended-by-chatgpt) (Guide): How to get your SaaS recommended by ChatGPT: make it crawlable, get indexed in Bing, add llms.txt, and list on review sites and directories. Data from 410 directories. - [GEO vs SEO vs AEO: where directory listings fit](https://getbacklinkai.com/blog/geo-vs-seo-vs-aeo) (Guide): GEO vs SEO vs AEO explained: what each one optimises, what they share, and where directory and review-site listings help. Includes data from 410 directories. - [How do I get my product recommended by ChatGPT?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/get-product-recommended-by-chatgpt) (Answer): Get recommended by being clearly described, consistently listed and independently mentioned on the sources ChatGPT reads when it searches. LinkPing has not yet measured which actions raise recommendation rates, so the steps below are best practice, not proven lift; as of 2026-10-20 we track 410 directories where a consistent listing can start. - [llms.txt Generator and Validator (Free Checker)](https://getbacklinkai.com/tools/llms-txt) (Tool): Free llms.txt generator, checker and validator. Build a spec-compliant llms.txt for your site, or paste a file or URL and see every error and warning. - [SaaS directories: 99 sites checked (2026)](https://getbacklinkai.com/directories/saas) (List): SaaS review sites, startup directories and launch platforms worth listing a SaaS on. 99 sites, snapshot 2026-10-20. - [How do I submit my website to ChatGPT?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/submit-website-to-chatgpt) (Answer): You cannot submit a website to ChatGPT through a form; you make it findable by letting OpenAI's search crawler read it and by being present on the pages it draws from. The practical steps are to allow the crawler, get indexed in major search indexes, and be listed on the review sites and directories LinkPing tracks (410 as of 2026-10-20). - [Which directories get cited by ChatGPT and Perplexity most often?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/directories-cited-by-chatgpt-perplexity) (Answer): LinkPing has not yet measured which directories ChatGPT and Perplexity cite, so we do not publish a ranking of them. As of 2026-10-20 the library tracks 410 directories; the best signal we can honestly give today is which of them have high authority, shown below as candidates rather than as confirmed citations. - [Why do AI answers cite directories and listicles?](https://getbacklinkai.com/answers/why-ai-answers-cite-directories) (Answer): Directories and listicles answer the exact question people ask AI assistants, "which tools exist for X", in a structured, comparable form that a model can summarise. LinkPing has not measured citation frequency, but its library, checked 2026-10-20, has 404 live directories across 9 types, which is the kind of structured source such answers draw on.