4 Free SEO Hacks for Your Prelaunch Landing Page
You built a beautiful waitlist page. Now what?
Most founders go straight to paid ads. Facebook, Google Ads, maybe some influencer outreach. And that works — if you have the budget.
But what if you don’t?
When I launched Woolet eyewear, I had one landing page targeting a niche I’d discovered through keyword research: 374,000 monthly searches for wide-face glasses frames (155mm+). The demand was there. But Google had no idea my page existed.
Here are 4 things I did — all free, all under 2 hours total — that helped me get 120+ sign-ups before manufacturing a single frame.
1. Google Stacking
This is a link-building technique that uses Google’s own products.
How it works:
- Create a public folder on Google Drive
- Inside, add: Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides, Google Sites
- In each file, include your target keywords and a link back to your prelaunch page
- Make everything public
Why this works: Google indexes its own products quickly and treats them as high-authority domains. You’re essentially getting backlinks from Google itself.
Time: ~30 minutes Cost: $0
2. Do-Follow Backlinks from Platforms You Should Already Be On
Three platforms give you do-follow backlinks when you create a profile and publish content:
- Substack — Start a simple newsletter about your niche. Even one post counts. Bonus: you’re building an audience at the same time.
- Medium — Repurpose your landing page copy or founding story into an article. Medium has strong domain authority.
- Crunchbase — Create your startup profile. It’s where investors and journalists look anyway.
Time: ~15 minutes total Cost: $0
3. Guest Posting (The “Write for Us” Hack)
Open Google and search:
intitle:"write for us" [your industry]
For example: intitle:"write for us" eyewear or intitle:"write for us" startup tools
You’ll find dozens of blogs actively looking for guest contributors. Pick 5. Send a short pitch:
“Hi, I’m the founder of [Your Startup]. I’d like to share insights on [Specific Topic] with your readers. Here’s my angle: [one sentence]. Happy to follow your editorial guidelines.”
You get a backlink from their site plus exposure to their audience. This is how you build authority and audience simultaneously — which is exactly what the MVA Framework is about.
Time: ~1 hour (research + 5 pitches) Cost: $0
4. Bing Webmaster Tools (The 2-Minute Win)
Everyone forgets about Bing. That’s your advantage.
- Go to Bing Webmaster Tools
- Sign in with your Google account
- Import your site directly from Google Search Console
Bing indexes new sites faster than Google and has significantly less competition for most keywords. For a brand-new prelaunch page, this is the quickest win you’ll ever get.
Time: 2 minutes Cost: $0
The Bottom Line
Total time for all 4 hacks: under 2 hours. Total cost: $0.
Most founders skip organic SEO for their prelaunch pages because it feels slow and unglamorous. They want the dopamine hit of running ads on day one.
But here’s what I’ve learned after launching 5+ products: the founders who build a base of organic traffic before they launch always have a smoother ride. Paid ads amplify what’s already working. They don’t fix what’s broken.
Start with these 4 hacks. Then layer ads on top.
Your waitlist will thank you.
This post is part of the Jay23 MVA Framework — a 90-day program for founders who want to build 1,000 true fans before they launch.
