Podcast Backlinks vs Profile Backlinks: Which Is Better for SEO?

Podcast backlinks and profile backlinks are two of the most popular “foundation” link types — both are fast to build, low-risk and come from high-authority domains. But they are not the same thing, and they do different jobs in your link profile. Here is a clear comparison so you can decide which one you need (or whether you need both).

On this page

1. What are profile backlinks?
2. What are podcast backlinks?
3. Podcast backlinks vs profile backlinks: side-by-side
4. Which one should you choose?
5. Cost: podcast vs profile backlinks
6. How to build them yourself
7. How to check if a profile or podcast page is indexed
8. The quality rule for both: indexable or nothing
9. Common mistakes with both link types
10. Get started

What are profile backlinks?

Profile backlinks are links placed in user profiles on high-authority websites — for example business directories, forums, community platforms, developer sites and social networks. You create a profile for your brand, fill in the bio, and add your website URL.

Typical profile platforms include Medium, Pinterest, Docker Hub, Sketchfab, Google Sites, Wakelet, Beacons and Mixcloud. Of the 67 profile sites I currently use, 32 give dofollow links and 35 give nofollow links — and all 67 have indexable profile pages. That last number matters more than any DA score.

What are podcast backlinks?

Podcast backlinks are links from podcast platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podchaser and iHeart. A show is created for your brand, an episode is published, and the show is distributed to directories — each one creates a profile page and episode pages that link to your site. (Full explanation: what are podcast backlinks?)

Podcast backlinks vs profile backlinks: side-by-side

	Podcast backlinks	Profile backlinks
Where the link lives	Podcast show profiles and episode show notes	User/business profiles on various websites
Typical authority	Very high — major podcast platforms, DR up to 97	Varies widely — from DA 30 to DA 90+
Context	Brand + episode content around the link	Usually a short bio next to the link
Number of sites available	Limited (roughly 20–40 good platforms)	Very large (hundreds of sites)
Link types	Mix of dofollow and nofollow	Mix of dofollow and nofollow
Main benefit	Strong trust & brand signals from famous domains	Volume, diversity and brand consistency across the web
Risk level	Low	Low — if sites are indexable and not spammy
Best for	Brand authority, new sites, E-E-A-T signals	Link diversity, branded searches, supporting other links

Which one should you choose?

Both types mostly use branded and URL anchors, which makes them a safe way to balance a keyword-heavy profile — check yours with the anchor text ratio checker. Starting from zero? See the best backlinks for new websites.

Choose podcast backlinks if…

• You want links from famous, instantly trusted brands like Apple, Spotify and Amazon.
• You have a new website and want a safe authority foundation.
• You want links surrounded by real content (show notes) about your brand.

Choose profile backlinks if…

• You want to diversify your link profile with many different domains.
• You want your brand name and website to appear consistently across the web.
• You are already building guest posts and want natural-looking supporting links.

Use both if…

You want the strongest foundation. Podcast backlinks give you a handful of very high-trust links; profile backlinks add breadth and variety. Together they make your link profile look natural — which makes your higher-value links (guest posts, editorial links) work better.

Cost: podcast vs profile backlinks

Both are among the most affordable link types per referring domain. Here is how my current packages compare:

Package	Links	Price	Cost per link
Profile — Starter	20 profile sites	$39	≈ $2
Profile — Standard	40 profile sites	$69	≈ $1.70
Profile — Complete	60+ profile sites	$99	≈ $1.60
Podcast — Brand Signal	8 podcast platforms	$119	≈ $15
Podcast — Brand Leadership	28 podcast platforms	$299	≈ $11

Profile links are cheaper because there are many more sites and each link carries less weight. Podcast links cost more per link because they come from a small group of very well-known platforms. For contextual links, compare prices with the backlink cost calculator.

How to build them yourself

Profile backlinks

1. Pick sites that are relevant to your business or audience and where profile pages are public and indexable.
2. Create the account with your exact brand name and a complete, unique bio — not the same copy-pasted text everywhere.
3. Add your website URL in the official website field, and a logo or photo.
4. Add some real activity where possible (a post, a project, a board) so the profile is not empty.
5. Check the profile page is indexed after a few weeks.

Podcast backlinks

Create a show for your brand, publish a genuine first episode, and submit the RSS feed to podcast platforms one by one. The full process is in what are podcast backlinks, and the platform list is in the podcast directories list.

How to check if a profile or podcast page is indexed

• Search Google for the exact profile URL. If it appears, it is indexed.
• Look at the page source for noindex in a robots meta tag — if it is there, the page will never count.
• Right-click your link → Inspect to see whether it has rel="nofollow", ugc or sponsored.
• After a few weeks, check the new referring domains in your Google Search Console Links report.

The quality rule for both: indexable or nothing

Whichever you choose, the most important check is index status. A profile or podcast page that Google does not index passes little to no value. Many cheap sellers pad their packages with noindex pages. Always ask for the platform list with index status before you buy — I show mine openly on every package.

Comparing these with guest posts? The free backlink cost calculator shows what a fair price looks like for a given DR, traffic level and niche.

Common mistakes with both link types

• Empty or duplicate profiles — the same one-line bio on 100 sites looks automated.
• Keyword anchors in bios — use your brand name; keyword-stuffed bios look spammy.
• Noindex platforms — profiles Google never indexes pass nothing.
• Thousands of links overnight — foundation links still need a natural pace.
• Using them as your only strategy — they support content and editorial links, they don’t replace them.

FAQ

Are profile backlinks still worth it in 2026?

Yes, as cheap, safe foundation links that add referring domains and consistent brand information — as long as the profile pages are indexable. They are not a substitute for editorial links.

Which is better, podcast or profile backlinks?

Podcast backlinks give fewer but more trusted links from famous platforms; profile backlinks give more domains and breadth. For a new site, using both gives the strongest foundation.

Are profile backlinks dofollow?

Some are and some aren’t. In my current list of 67 sites, 32 are dofollow and 35 are nofollow. A mix looks natural.

How many profile backlinks should I build?

For most sites, 20–60 quality, indexable profiles is plenty. After that, extra profiles add little compared with content and editorial links.

Get started

See my podcast backlinks packages (every platform, DA/DR and link type listed), or my profile backlinks packages — manual links from indexable, high-quality sites only.