Glossary
What is a badge exchange?
A badge exchange is a deal in which a directory lists your product, or makes its link to you dofollow, once you put the directory's badge on your site. The badge links back to the directory, so both sites end up linking to each other. It is a form of reciprocal linking.
Why directories ask for it
Small directories need links and traffic to grow. Asking every listed product to show a badge gives them hundreds of backlinks, often from new sites in the same niche. Some make the badge the only free route; others offer a paid listing for founders who don't want to show it.
Common versions
- Badge for listing: no badge, no listing (or a paid one).
- Badge for dofollow: the listing is free, but your link is nofollow until the badge is live.
- Badge for speed: badge holders skip the review queue.
- Badge for ranking: badge holders rank higher on the launch day.
Is it safe?
Google's spam policies list "excessive link exchanges" as link spam. One or two badges from relevant directories with real traffic are normal. A footer with twenty badges from tiny directories is the pattern the policy describes. Keep required badges on a single page, and skip directories that have no traffic. Our no-badge list shows the 216 directories that list you without one.
How to decide
Ask three questions before you agree to a badge exchange. Does the directory get real visits from people like your users? Is the link it gives you followed, and does the site have authority worth passing on? Would you be comfortable linking to this site if there were no deal? If the answers are yes, the badge is a fair trade. If the directory has no traffic and exists mainly to collect badges, skip it; the link it gives you is worth little and the link you give it can look like part of a scheme.
FAQ
Is a badge exchange a link scheme?
Not in small numbers with relevant sites. Google's policy targets excessive link exchanges done to manipulate rankings.
What happens if I remove the badge later?
Some directories recheck and downgrade your link or remove the listing. Most only check once.
Which directories need no badge?
216 of the 352 we checked, including most of the biggest ones such as Product Hunt and G2. See our no-badge list.