A simple rule: if a backlink is easy to acquire, it usually has very little value.
Many low-quality links come from places like directory listings, profile pages, or user-generated content sites where anyone can drop a link. These aren’t necessarily harmful, but they rarely move the needle for SEO.
If you’re working with someone whose main link-building strategy revolves around submitting your site to hundreds of directories, you should fire that guy.
Profile pages on relevant directories can still play a small role in your off-page strategy, and they may even drive occasional referral traffic. But they’re nowhere near as impactful as earning a link from a reputable website in your industry — such as a well-known blog, media publication, or niche resource that your target audience already trusts.
I once worked on an account where the previous link builder relied heavily on tactics like publishing low-quality articles on platforms like Medium just to insert backlinks.
That approach doesn’t work.
In SEO, the hardest backlinks to earn are usually the most valuable. That’s why link building is arguably the hardest — and often the most expensive — part of SEO.