Links from free platforms like Blogger and WordPress.com operate on subdomains (e.g., https://www.google.com/search?q=yoursite.blogspot.com). While these subdomains may inherit some authority from the main domain (blogspot.com or wordpress.com), the SEO value they pass is often minimal. Here’s a breakdown of why:
- Low Perceived Authority: Search engines are savvy. They recognize that these platforms are often used for personal blogs, hobby sites, and, in some cases, spammy link-building tactics. Because of this, a link from a generic-looking free blog won’t carry the same weight as a link from a professionally-designed, custom-domain website.
- Risk of Spam: These platforms are notorious for a practice called “Web 2.0 spam,” where people create low-quality, content-stuffed blogs with the sole purpose of dropping a backlink. Google’s algorithms are trained to devalue or even ignore these kinds of links, and a high volume of them pointing to your site could even be seen as a negative signal.
- Limited Control: On free platforms, you don’t own your blog. The hosting provider (Google or WordPress) has the right to shut it down at any time if you violate their terms of service. This means your backlink could disappear without warning. On the other hand, a self-hosted WordPress.org site gives you full control and ownership.
When a Free Blog Backlink Can Actually Help
While the general rule is to prioritize high-quality links from custom domains, there are scenarios where a link from a free blog can be beneficial:
- Relevance: A link from a free blog that is highly relevant to your niche can still provide a small SEO benefit. If the blog has a dedicated, engaged audience and the link is placed naturally within a well-written, useful article, it can drive targeted referral traffic to your site.
- A Natural Link Profile: In the eyes of a search engine, a healthy backlink profile is diverse. It’s a mix of do-follow and no-follow links from a variety of sources. Having a few links from these platforms as part of a larger, more strategic link-building campaign can make your profile look more natural and less like it was artificially created.
- Direct Traffic: A backlink isn’t just about SEO. If a blog post on one of these platforms has a decent readership and you get a link, it can send valuable, human visitors to your site. This referral traffic is often a much more tangible benefit than any potential SEO “juice.”
The Verdict: How to Approach Free Blog Links
In the world of SEO, quality over quantity is the golden rule. Instead of spending time building hundreds of low-value links on free blog platforms, you’re much better off focusing on a few high-quality, relevant backlinks from authoritative, custom-domain websites.
For most businesses and serious bloggers, the time and effort required to acquire links from free blog platforms are better spent on other, more impactful strategies like:
- Guest Posting on reputable blogs in your industry.
- Creating linkable assets such as in-depth guides, original research, or infographics.
- Building relationships with other website owners and content creators in your niche.
So, is it worth getting links from .blogspot.com and .wordpress.com? As a primary link-building strategy, no. The risks and limited returns make it a poor use of your resources. However, as a small, natural part of a much broader and more sophisticated link-building effort, they can still provide some value, particularly in the form of direct referral traffic.
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