Most off-page SEO submission sites no longer help rankings. Google's spam policies name "low-quality directory or bookmark site links" as link spam, and most profile, PDF and press release links are nofollow. Only a short list still pays off: Google Business Profile, a few real industry directories and profiles on platforms your customers use.
You probably found this while looking for a list: "500 high DA submission sites 2026", sorted by Domain Authority, with a promise that each one is a free backlink. You submit to 30 of them over a weekend, and three months later nothing has moved and half the listings never got indexed. That isn't bad luck. Those lists describe a tactic Google stopped rewarding years ago.
Why don't submission site lists work any more?
Because links that anyone can place on themselves tell Google nothing about quality, and Google has said so in writing. Its spam policies list "low-quality directory or bookmark site links", "forum comments with optimized links in the post or signature" and "using automated programs or services to create links" as examples of link spam.
Google also stopped relying on penalties to deal with them. Announcing the December 2022 link spam update on 14 December 2022, it said SpamBrain would "neutralize the impact of unnatural links", detecting "sites used for the purpose of passing outgoing links". A neutralised link isn't usually a penalty. It just counts for nothing, which is why a weekend of submissions often changes nothing at all.
Which submission site types still help, and which don't?
Judge each type by one question: would a real person use this site to find a business like yours? Here is the verdict for each common type.
Business directories
Mostly skip. A handful pass the test (your trade association, a chamber of commerce, a curated directory in your industry); bulk "free directory submission" lists don't. Our guide to whether business directory listings are still worth it has a four-question test.
Local citation sites
Worth it if you serve a local area. Google Business Profile comes first, then the major map and review platforms in your country. Google's local ranking guidance says prominence is based partly on links and reviews. See what local citations are.
Social bookmarking sites
Skip. They are named in Google's spam policies, the links are usually nofollow, and almost no one browses them any more.
Profile creation sites
Do the dozen you would use anyway (GitHub, Crunchbase, your industry's community) for discovery and brand searches, not for link value. Most profile links are nofollow; best profile backlink sites lists the ones worth an hour.
Article and web 2.0 submission sites
Skip. Spinning one article onto many free blogs is the pattern Google's policies describe as low-value content made to manipulate links. More in do web 2.0 backlinks still work.
PDF and document sharing sites
Skip for SEO. Upload a document if people really read it on that platform; the link inside rarely counts. See do links in PDFs count as backlinks.
Press release distribution
Skip for links. Google's policies name "links with optimized anchor text in articles, guest posts, or press releases distributed on other sites". Pitch news to a journalist instead.
Forum and Q&A posting
Only as genuine participation. Answering questions where your customers ask them can bring visitors and brand searches; dropping links in signatures is named as spam.
Submission site types at a glance
| Type | Helps rankings? | Worth doing? |
|---|---|---|
| Google Business Profile and major map apps | Yes, for local | Yes |
| Real industry or trade directories | A little | A few |
| Bulk free directories | No | No |
| Social bookmarking | No | No |
| Profiles on platforms you use | Indirectly | Yes, for discovery |
| Article and web 2.0 submissions | No | No |
| PDF sharing | Rarely | Only for readers |
| Press release wires | No | Not for links |
| Forum signatures | No | No |
What should I do instead of submission sites?
Put the same hours into links someone else chooses to give you. One relevant in-content link from a site in your niche is worth more than any number of self-placed listings. The routes that work are outreach to sites covering your topic, partner and supplier pages, expert quotes and original data. Our step-by-step guide to how to do off-page SEO puts them in order.
Relevant link swaps are another option if they stay moderate. On Backlinkster, the link you offer must be an article URL on your own domain, and each swap is verified by API.
A worked comparison
Take one weekend, about 10 hours. Spent on submissions, that might be 40 listings, most neutralised or unindexed. Spent on outreach, it might be 40 personalised emails to relevant sites; at the 8.5% reply rate Backlinko found across 12 million outreach emails, that's about 3 replies and perhaps 1 or 2 real links. Fewer links, but ones that count. These numbers are an illustration, not a forecast.
Frequently asked questions
Are submission sites good for SEO in 2026?
Mostly no. Google's spam policies name low-quality directory and bookmark links, and SpamBrain neutralises unnatural links. Google Business Profile and a few real industry directories are the exceptions.
Can submission sites hurt my site?
Usually they are just ignored, since Google says it neutralises unnatural links. A large, obvious pattern of self-made links can still lead to a manual action, so don't build one.
Are social bookmarking sites still useful?
Not for rankings. Google's spam policies list bookmark site links as link spam, and the links are usually nofollow. Share content where people actually read it instead.
What is the difference between a citation and a submission site?
A citation is a mention of your business name, address and phone number, mainly for local search. A submission site is any site where you place your own link. Some local citations are worth having; most submission sites are not.
Should I disavow old submission site links?
Usually not. Google already ignores most of them. Consider a disavow only if you have a manual action or a large pattern of paid or spammy links you can't get removed.
Related: Are business directory listings worth it? · Link exchange vs directory submissions · How to do off-page SEO step by step