# The page that earns links has to give something away > A plain essay on research assets, statistics hubs, custom graphics, relevant backlinks, and why good link earning starts before outreach. - Canonical HTML: https://growth.iangoh.com/blog/the-page-that-earns-links-has-to-give-something-away/ - Published: 2026-06-07 - Updated: 2026-06-07T06:53:34.000Z - Categories: link earning, SEO, research content - Niches: SaaS, AI products, B2B software, affiliate SEO, startup go-to-market ## On this page - Start with the thing people need to cite - Make outreach carry evidence - Aim authority at the pages that sell - Give the pitch a destination - Package the finding so it can travel - The practical test ## Start with these related tactics - [DemandSage statistics hub before affiliate pages](/growth-ideas/demandsage-statistics-hub-before-affiliate-pages/): Build the statistics hub people cite before trying to monetize the same audience with affiliate or partner pages. - [SaaS original research report before outreach sprint](/growth-ideas/saas-original-research-report-before-outreach-sprint/): Publish one original research report before scaling outreach, so every pitch has something worth linking to. - [B2B SaaS relevance links before volume backlinks](/growth-ideas/b2b-saas-relevance-links-before-volume-backlinks/): Build fewer links from highly relevant SaaS and tech sites before chasing large backlink counts. A link is not a favor if the page gives the linker something useful. That sounds obvious, but most link building still starts from the wrong place. The founder wants authority. The writer, journalist, partner, or operator wants a number, a chart, a tool, or a clean explanation they can use. ## Start with the thing people need to cite [DemandSage statistics hub before affiliate pages](/growth-ideas/demandsage-statistics-hub-before-affiliate-pages/) is the cleanest version of the idea. The site earned attention by becoming a source for statistics before routing that authority into affiliate and partner revenue. This is useful for founders in crowded categories. A commercial page asks the market to choose you. A statistics page helps the market do its own work first. ## Make outreach carry evidence [SaaS original research report before outreach sprint](/growth-ideas/saas-original-research-report-before-outreach-sprint/) is the BacklinkGrid lesson. The research report was slower than quick pitches, but it gave every pitch more weight. The mistake is treating outreach as the whole strategy. Outreach is distribution. The asset is the thing being distributed. ## Aim authority at the pages that sell [B2B SaaS relevance links before volume backlinks](/growth-ideas/b2b-saas-relevance-links-before-volume-backlinks/) and [Micro-SaaS intent rewrite before more backlinks](/growth-ideas/micro-saas-intent-rewrite-before-more-backlinks/) make the same point from two sizes of company. Links matter. But links pointed at vague pages do not become revenue by magic. Rewrite the page around the buyer’s job, connect the internal paths, then build the authority. ## Give the pitch a destination [BrandClickX linkable asset before HARO sprint](/growth-ideas/brandclickx-linkable-asset-before-haro-sprint/) is a useful operational reminder. A calculator, data study, or infographic can make journalist outreach less brittle because the site has something to point to besides a homepage. The best linkable asset does not feel like a brochure. It solves a small problem in public. ## Package the finding so it can travel [Stratabeat custom graphics before statistics outreach](/growth-ideas/stratabeat-custom-graphics-before-statistics-outreach/) is about making research portable. A chart with one sharp claim can move through a market faster than a paragraph buried halfway down a report. This fits Ian Goh's practical read because market entry is often a trust problem before it is a traffic problem. In a new region, category, or customer segment, the asset has to help the buyer and the ecosystem explain what is happening. ## The practical test Before asking for a backlink, ask what the other person gets to take away. A number? A benchmark? A calculator? A graphic? A cleaner explanation than the one they already have? If the answer is nothing, the outreach is just begging with nicer formatting. If you want help turning research, product data, and operator insight into pages people cite, Ian Goh works with founders through [Ian Goh advisory](https://iangoh.com/advisory). ## Related GrowthDex tactics - [DemandSage statistics hub before affiliate pages](/growth-ideas/demandsage-statistics-hub-before-affiliate-pages/) - SEO, Digital PR, Affiliate - [SaaS original research report before outreach sprint](/growth-ideas/saas-original-research-report-before-outreach-sprint/) - Digital PR, SEO, Content - [B2B SaaS relevance links before volume backlinks](/growth-ideas/b2b-saas-relevance-links-before-volume-backlinks/) - SEO, Link Building, Conversion - [Micro-SaaS intent rewrite before more backlinks](/growth-ideas/micro-saas-intent-rewrite-before-more-backlinks/) - SEO, Content, Micro-SaaS - [BrandClickX linkable asset before HARO sprint](/growth-ideas/brandclickx-linkable-asset-before-haro-sprint/) - Digital PR, SEO, Free Tools - [Stratabeat custom graphics before statistics outreach](/growth-ideas/stratabeat-custom-graphics-before-statistics-outreach/) - SEO, Digital PR, Content ## Essay chronology - [Newer essay: The help page is a sales page when the buyer is stuck](/blog/the-help-page-is-a-sales-page-when-the-buyer-is-stuck/) - support SEO, documentation, bottom-funnel content - [Older essay: Programmatic SEO only works when the page has a reason](/blog/programmatic-seo-only-works-when-the-page-has-a-reason/) - programmatic SEO, search growth, content systems ## Keep reading - [The answer should be easy to quote before you chase the mention](/blog/the-answer-should-be-easy-to-quote-before-you-chase-the-mention/) - AI visibility, SEO, content strategy - [The Shopify app page should win the search result before the install](/blog/the-shopify-app-page-should-win-the-search-result-before-the-install/) - marketplaces, SEO, brand trust - [The AI visibility report should point to a page that can win](/blog/the-ai-visibility-report-should-point-to-a-page-that-can-win/) - AI visibility, SEO, brand trust ## Continue through the blog - [SaaS](/blog/#path-saas) - 3 essays in this path - [AI products](/blog/#path-ai-products) - 3 essays in this path ## Sources - [MyDigital: DemandSage case study](https://mydigital.io/case-study/demandsage/) · [GrowthDex source hub](/sources/mydigital-demandsage-case-study-mydigital-io/) - [BacklinkGrid: SaaS link building case study](https://backlinkgrid.com/blog/link-building-case-study-saas) · [GrowthDex source hub](/sources/backlinkgrid-saas-link-building-case-study-backlinkgrid-com/) - [Reddit r/SaaS: Relevant links and intent rewrite SEO case](https://www.reddit.com/r/SaaS/comments/1ny1skc/how_we_grew_a_saas_companys_organic_traffic_50/) · [GrowthDex source hub](/sources/reddit-r-saas-relevant-links-and-intent-rewrite-seo-case-reddit-com/) - [Reddit r/microsaas: Micro-SaaS organic traffic case](https://www.reddit.com/r/microsaas/comments/1r91mpd/how_a_microsaas_grew_organic_traffic_141_in_12/) · [GrowthDex source hub](/sources/reddit-r-microsaas-micro-saas-organic-traffic-case-reddit-com/) - [BrandClickX: 157K traffic link building case study](https://brandclickx.com/link-building-case-study-how-brandclickx-grew-to-157k-traffic/) · [GrowthDex source hub](/sources/brandclickx-157k-traffic-link-building-case-study-brandclickx-com/) - [Stratabeat and CMO Huddles: 2024 B2B SaaS SEO Performance Report](https://stratabeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/b2b-saas-seo-study-stratabeat-cmo-huddles-33d-2024.pdf) · [GrowthDex source hub](/sources/stratabeat-and-cmo-huddles-2024-b2b-saas-seo-performance-report-stratabe/) ## Editing notes - Kept the essay skeptical about link building instead of turning it into a generic SEO pep talk. - Used each sourced case for one practical lesson and avoided sweeping claims about guaranteed rankings. - Grounded Ian’s Ian's growth experience in trust and market entry without inventing a personal anecdote. - Cut promotional phrasing from the CTA and kept the ending blunt and useful. ## Advisory If you want help turning this into a growth system, Ian Goh offers advisory at https://iangoh.com/advisory.