315+ Web 2.0 Backlinks List: Killing Strategy or Website killer?

I remember the day when I first learned about web 2.0 backlinks. The first thing I thought about was how I could build hundreds and thousands of backlinks!

Darcy DiNucci used the term "web 2.0" for the first time in 1999 in an article titled "Fragmented Future."

At that time, neither she nor anyone else knew that this was going to be a key factor in how Google would rank websites.

A good web 2.0 backlinks strategy used to do wonders back in the day!

Although Google rolled out updates like the Florida Update in 2003 and the Jagger Update in 2005, this wasn’t enough to stop people from spamming.

The Penguin Update in 2012 was the first serious action Google took to prevent spam, and since then, there has been a series of Google updates on link spam.

The ideal purpose of web 2.0 is to promote more user-generated content. Here’s my quote on this:

“When there’s content, there’s an opportunity for links” – Hamza Khan

I am writing this article to discuss web 2.0 backlinks, web 2.0 sites for link building, and the positive and negative impacts.

This will be a comprehensive guide for you to find out if web 2.0 sites for link building are part of a killer SEO strategy or a killer for your website.

Without further ado, let's jump right in.

Reason behind Web 2.0

Back in the day, it was difficult for a single person to have a full-fledged website.

So, many larger websites enabled users to create web 2.0 sites on their platform.

This move opened the gates for free web 2.0 sites for backlinks and SEOs were ready for this.

For instance, WordPress, Weebly, Tumblr, Blogger, and many others allow a user to simply sign up, create a simple website, and start publishing content.

A user did not have to pay anything on many websites to create a simple website and start publishing.

This was the first time websites encouraged users to create user-generated content.

Almost all of the larger websites are those on which users generate content. For instance:

• YouTube: They do not create and publish videos; instead, people publish such content by themselves.
• Instagram: It is people who share images and videos by themselves.
• Pinterest: Users tend to share interesting ideas in the form of pins.

Almost all of the larger websites are those on which users are creating content. These platforms provide them with a place or an ecosystem and manage the content created by the users.

So, if WordPress allowed me to simply sign up and create a website, they were doing it on purpose.

You have to scale your blog or website whenever it starts performing. For this, you will be buying some premium features from WordPress. 

Using Web 2.0 for backlinks

While the main purpose of web 2.0 was to create content, SEOs used it for backlinks.

Everybody saw an opportunity there and just like blog comments, they started building links.

This is how it used to work:

A person like me would look for web 2.0 submission sites and create an account.

After that, I would create a simple website from a free template relevant to my niche.

I would publish a few articles and give backlinks to my other website/websites.

Back in the day, people used to have hundreds of web 2.0 accounts and a high number of backlinks pointing to their domain.

This was a time when there was still little competition in almost all niches, and these backlinks worked very well for SEOs.

Google’s love towards contextual backlinks within content

Google loves contextual backlinks more than any other backlink type.

This is another reason why forum backlinks were so popular back in the day.

A contextual backlink is when it comes from a relevant website within content that has relevant anchor text and a URL.

Since web 2.0 sites were part of different domains, and you had to create a website and publish a few posts, such links carried a lot of weight because they were "do follow" in nature and contextual within the content.

Oftentimes, a good top-ranking website used to have around 50-70% of its backlinks coming from web 2.0 submission sites.

This stat is enough for you to understand how crucial web 2.0 backlinks sites were.

SEOs used to have a proper web 2.0 backlinks strategy.

Althought things have changed now but, it was crucial for an overall SEO strategy.

Here are some High-Authority, DoFollow Web 2.0 Sites List 

I will share web 2.0 websites from the past which used to work.

Remember, most of these websites are not working now. This list is for you to understand the options an SEO person used to have.

In order to use or avoid web 2.0 blog backlinks, read this post until the very end.

Here’s a list of high-authority free web 2.0 sites that used to work in the past. 

TABLE HERE

These are some of the main web 2.0 sites for link building. But we are in 2024, and using web 2.0 for backlinks can be problematic for your website.

If you’re using web 2.0 backlinks as your go-to off-page SEO strategy, there’s a problem for you.

Google’s response to Web 2.0 backlinks

Google has clear guidelines and takes action against spammy or low-quality backlinks.

Google’s Penguin Update in April 2012 was the first serious core update targeting manipulative link-building practices.

If we talk about Web 2.0 backlinks, they are created solely to manipulate search rankings.

Pro Tip: Quality backlinks are super hard to build, make sure you do a monthly audit to find broken backlinks. Try to make those links live again.

Should we ignore web 2.0 sites for link building?

Google wants your links to be natural, contextual, and of high quality. They reward a website that follows best practices for SEO.

You should definitely avoid building low-quality backlinks to manipulate search rankings.

We at repute post recommend webmasters to build relevant backlinks.

That’s why our marketplace includes 87,000+ websites for individual SEOs and agency owners.

High quality backlinks not only increase your ranking but it minimizes the chances of your website to go down in an algorithmic update.

A lot of web 2.0 websites are already flagged by Google.

It means that building links on them will only create further complications for your website’s online growth.

Instead of ignoring web 2.0 altogether, ask yourself these questions:

1. Is the content I'm creating for these Web 2.0 properties valuable, original, and relevant to my target audience?
2. Are the Web 2.0 platforms I'm using relevant to my niche or industry?
3. Am I encouraging user interaction, comments, and shares on the Web 2.0 platforms, or is it just a one-way content dump?
4. Am I building links from a diverse range of web 2.0 blogs for backlinks, or am I over-relying on a few platforms?
5. Am I varying my anchor text naturally, or am I over-optimizing with exact-match keywords?
6. Am I building these links at a natural pace, or am I generating them too quickly, which might raise red flags?
7. Are the Web 2.0 platforms I'm using well-regarded, or do they have a reputation for spammy content?
8. Am I maintaining a healthy balance of follow and no-follow links to create a more natural backlink profile?
9. Are my Web 2.0 accounts well-rounded with complete profiles, bio sections, and consistent activity, or do they look like link farms?
10. Am I thinking about the long-term impact of these backlinks on my site’s SEO, or am I focusing only on quick wins?
11. Do I have a plan to monitor the backlinks over time to ensure they continue to provide value and don't turn into spam sources?
12. How will I handle it if a Web 2.0 site becomes flagged for spam? Do I have a strategy for disavowing or replacing these links?

These questions will help guide whether or not you should use web 2.0 websites for backlinks.

Remember, your focus should be to build a more sustainable and effective backlink strategy.

If you’ve analyzed a web 2.0 platform and found out it will be good for you to use, you can include it in your backlinks strategy.

But, here’s a hard truth. A web2.0 backlink will still be not as effective as a niche edit or quality guest post.

What makes web 2.0 killer for your website’s organic growth?

It is the use of web 2.0 platforms that makes a link positive or negative for your website’s organic growth. Here are some key things that make web 2.0 backlinks low quality:

1. Web 2.0 links often have low domain ratings and authority.
2. Search engines tend to ignore user-created backlinks.
3. Quality control is poor on free web 2.0 sites.
4. Risk of content being deleted without notice.
5. Overuse leads to a shallow backlink profile.
6. Little to no editorial oversight for quality.
7. Links may pass minimal link equity or value.
8. Web 2.0 links are frequently used in link schemes.
9. Lack of contextual relevance harms overall SEO.
10. Creates a footprint that’s easily traceable by algorithms.
11. Often flagged by search engines as manipulative.
12. Easy targets for penalties and de-indexing.
13. Limited scalability for high-quality backlinking.
14. Content often lacks real engagement metrics.
15. Web 2.0 links offer inconsistent SEO value.
16. High maintenance to keep profiles active.
17. Cannot build trust for authoritative rankings.
18. Potential for linking from duplicate content.
19. Limited control over platform longevity.
20. Competes with user-generated spam and bots.
21. Can harm site reputation in the long term.
22. Minimal impact compared to authoritative links.
23. Risk of violating search engine guidelines.
24. Doesn't boost organic growth or brand trust.
25. Requires constant monitoring for devaluation.

After reading all these points, you should have a clear understanding of why many top SEOs don't recommend using web 2.0 backlinks anymore.

As search engines are becoming more efficient, you should not leave any footprints. The focus should be on building high-quality backlinks by following the right practices.

Now, there’s an interesting part for you regarding web 2.0 backlinks. Instead of totally ignoring them, there’s a way through which you can use web 2.0 effectively for building links.

Note: If you’re an agency owner, we offer white label link building services so that you can ensure high rankings for clients.

How to build quality web 2.0 backlinks?

Building high-quality backlinks on web 2.0 has become almost impossible for many. This is why a higher percentage of SEO specialists don’t recommend this strategy.

Building quality web 2.0 backlinks requires much more time and effort. But, here’s some good information for you.

I am going to list steps that you can follow to maximize the impact of web 2.0 backlinks. If you manage to implement these steps, you can build quality backlinks on web 2.0 websites.

Step #1: Understand web 2.0

This is the first and most crucial step for SEOs who want to use web 2.0 sites. You have to understand why you will be building backlinks on web 2.0.

Brainstorm the impact your web 2.0 backlinks will create. If your backlinks from web 2.0 are not passing any link equity, skip this right away.

Step #2: Filter web 2.0 sites list and choose only quality

This is another crucial step you need to take if you want to build high-authority web 2.0 do-follow backlinks. You need to filter the relevant and quality websites from the above list and pick only those that are working.

A lot of web 2.0 platforms are blacklisted by Google due to spam. You should avoid picking them and focus on relevant platforms.

Here’s how you can filter the web 2.0 sites list and choose quality:

• Check the domain authority or domain rating. High authority indicates the site's strength and ranking potential.
• Evaluate the site's relevance to your niche because relevant sites boost contextual SEO value and organic visibility.
• Verify consistent content quality on the platform. High-quality content ensures your links are placed in credible environments.
• Analyze traffic volume and user engagement because engaged audiences signal a healthy, active platform with SEO benefits.
• Ensure the platform is not flagged for spam. You need to avoid platforms with penalties that could harm your backlink profile.
• Look for editorial control and content oversight, as it ensures better content standards and fewer spammy links.
• Assess the site's backlink profile for authority. Strong backlink profiles improve the platform's credibility and trustworthiness.
• Check the age and longevity of the platform. Older, established sites tend to have more SEO authority and stability.
• Review user-generated content for authenticity because authentic content signals a well-maintained site, not just a link farm.
• Evaluate potential for long-term SEO value. You need to focus on sites offering sustainable SEO benefits over short-term gains.

Step #3: Create a plan

Create a plan after you have filtered relevant and quality web 2.0 websites for backlinks. Your plan should include your process, content, and publishing schedule.

Step #4: Create an account and build a website

Create an account on the platform once your planning is complete. You can pick the default templates or customize one as per your choice.

Note: If your main website is related to fitness, your web 2.0 should be a nutrition-related website.

Step #5: Create content for your web 2.0 website

Make sure you are creating genuine and high-quality content for your web 2.0 website. Do some keyword research and create content.

You can use AI tools for content creation, but make sure the content is helpful and not 100% AI-written.

Step #6: Publish your website and create blog posts

Once your website is live, start working on blog posts. Remember, your new web 2.0 website should be a bit different from your original website.

Create 4-5 blog posts with unique and interesting content and include your website’s link as well. Make sure this isn’t the only backlink in your blog post.

Step #7: Connect your website with Google Search Console

A lot of websites like Blogger allow you to connect your web 2.0 with Google Search Console. After connecting, request indexing!

Google Search Console indexing requests are really useful for indexing the content and pages on your new website.

Generally, web 2.0 sites do not crawl, and search engines do not index them. This step can help Google find your website and index its content.

Step #8: Don’t abandon your new web 2.0 website

After you’ve managed to get your website indexed, don’t sleep on it. Instead, keep working on this website and add more content.

This will work in two ways:

1. You will have another website that is growing, meaning you can build more links from it.
2. You can manage to rank that website, which means the link impact will further increase.

Step #9: Include your backlinks in your new articles for link building

Link building is a continuous process. If you want your web 2.0 backlink to pass higher page rank, include its link in your next guest posts or other web 2.0 backlinks.

The more referring domains a link has, the better its authority becomes. It passes more link value, page equity, or link juice.

Remember, before you start focusing on guest posts entirely, learn what Google says about guest posts.

These are the 9 essential steps that can help you build quality web 2.0 backlinks easily.

Wrapping up

I discussed web 2.0 and using such websites for building links. My detailed guide is helpful for all those who want to learn about web 2.0 link building, find web 2.0 site lists, and want to find out if they still work.

While many SEO specialists don’t recommend including web 2.0 backlinks as a main off-page tactic, it still has something for everyone. We just have to find the relevant opportunities that can help us build high-authority backlinks.

These high-authority backlinks improve the search ranking and organic growth of a website. Instead of creating accounts on random websites and building links, filter them to find the best ones.

Do the right work in the right place. This will be enough for you to build solid backlinks that pass page rank and improve your website.

Before I end this, please comment and share your views regarding this post. In case I missed something, do let me know in the comments section.