SaaS Link Building
How to Get Backlinks From SaaS Awards: Gartner, Deloitte, G2, and Industry Recognition
SaaS awards can earn backlinks, but only some do, and rarely from the badge alone. The links come from the award's own listing page, press coverage of the win, and partners or customers who mention it. Pick awards that publish winner pages with links, then build the coverage around the win yourself.
Do SaaS awards actually give you backlinks?
Yes, some do. A backlink is a link from another site to yours (see our backlink definition for the basics). An award produces one when the organizer links to winners, when media report on the results, or when you publish the win and others cite it. Many awards produce none.
The value varies. A link from an organizer's winner page on an established brand is a real referring domain. A link from a thin "top 50" site that exists to sell trophies is noise at best. Because referring domains matter more than raw backlink counts, one editorial mention from a trade publication usually beats ten directory-style listings.
Treat awards as a supporting tactic. They add trust signals and a few good links, but they will not carry a SaaS backlink strategy alone.
Which SaaS awards are worth pursuing for links?
The awards worth pursuing are those with a recognized organizer, a public selection process, and a winners page that names and links to companies. Check those three things before you spend time on an application.
Common categories include:
- Analyst and research recognition: Gartner and similar firms.
- Growth rankings: Deloitte's Technology Fast programs and comparable lists of fast-growing companies.
- Review-platform badges: G2 and other software review sites.
- Trade publication awards: Awards run by SaaS or vertical-specific media.
- Regional and startup awards: Local business or accelerator programs.
A useful decision rule: if you cannot name a journalist, analyst or buyer who respects the award, skip it. Also check how much the entry costs against what the winner page offers. Confirm current entry fees and eligibility on each program's official page before you decide.
How do Gartner, Deloitte, and G2 compare for backlinks?
Gartner, Deloitte and G2 produce different kinds of link value. G2 gives you a badge and profile you control, Deloitte gives you a ranking that attracts press, and Gartner gives you credibility that others cite. None guarantees a followed link, so check each one.
| Program | What you get | Link potential | Main caveat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gartner (analyst research, Peer Insights) | Credibility; vendor listings in reports and review pages | Mostly indirect: press and partner mentions of your inclusion | Reports are paywalled and usage rules for citing them are strict |
| Deloitte Technology Fast programs | Growth ranking and winner recognition | Winner listings and regional press coverage | Eligibility depends on revenue growth thresholds, so check Deloitte's official program pages for current criteria |
| G2 | Badges, category reports, review profile | Profile link to your site; badge embeds | Badge embed links may not be followed, so inspect the embed code you receive |
Gartner does not run an application contest in the way a trade award does, so you generally cannot "enter" for a link. Inclusion in its research or customer-review programs follows its own criteria. Read Gartner's usage guidelines for vendors referencing its research and Peer Insights recognitions before you publish any claim.
G2 is the most accessible. Strong review volume and ratings put you into category reports and badges. The badge helps conversion on your own pages, but the link value usually comes from your profile and any press about the report.
How do you turn an award win into backlinks?
An award win becomes backlinks when you publish it, pitch it and make it easy to cite. The badge on your homepage earns nothing by itself. The links come from pages other people write about you.
- Confirm the listing link. Check whether the organizer's winner page links to your domain. If it names you without a link, ask politely for one.
- Claim and complete your profile. Add your URL, description and logo on any award or review profile.
- Publish a news post. Write a page on your site with the award name, the category, what it measured and a quote from your team. This is the page others will link to.
- Pitch the story. Send it to trade outlets, your investors, integration partners and customers who are named in your case studies.
- Ask for mentions. Partners often list your recognition on their integration pages. A short, specific request works better than a mass email.
- Track results. Note which mentions became links. Our guide to backlink monitoring explains which changes need action.
Pitching is outreach, so the same discipline applies: personalize, lead with what is useful to the outlet's readers, and handle replies promptly.
How do you spot pay-to-play awards?
A pay-to-play award sells the trophy rather than judging entrants, and its links offer little or no value. Warning signs are visible before you pay anything.
- Everyone who applies wins, or winners are announced almost immediately.
- The site has no named judges or published criteria.
- You are asked to buy a trophy, plaque or "media package" to be listed.
- The organizer's own site has little traffic, no editorial content and a spammy outbound link pattern.
- Winners are mostly unrelated to software.
Paid placements that exist mainly to pass links can also conflict with Google's spam policies on link schemes. Our white hat link building test is a quick way to judge any tactic.
Before you invest, apply the checks in our guide to evaluating backlink quality.
What should you do before and after applying?
Prepare your evidence first, because most awards ask for growth numbers, customer proof and a clear story. Then plan what you will do with a win before you submit, so the announcement is ready on the day.
Before applying:
- Collect revenue or user growth figures you are allowed to share.
- Line up two or three customer quotes or case studies.
- Set up a landing page where the announcement will live.
- Decide who will pitch the news and to which outlets.
After a win or a shortlist:
- Publish within a day or two while attention is highest.
- Add the recognition to relevant product, about and comparison pages.
- Review your new links and check them with the approach in how to index backlinks, accepting what you can and cannot control.
If you want to estimate whether an award's effort is justified, the backlink value calculator can help you compare it with other tactics.
Frequently asked questions
It depends on the provider and how the badge is embedded. Many badges are image embeds or scripts that may carry nofollow attributes or no link at all. Inspect the embed code and rendered HTML, and do not count on badge links for SEO value.
You can pay entry fees, but you should not pay to guarantee a link. Entry fees for legitimate awards cover judging and administration. Paying for a placement whose purpose is to pass a link can break Google's link spam policies and often produces low-value links.
Expect a small number, often a handful of links from the organizer, a few trade outlets and some partners. The exact count varies by award and by how actively you promote it. For context on realistic volumes, see how many backlinks a SaaS company needs.
G2 is easier to act on because you can influence your review volume and complete your profile. Gartner recognition carries more weight with enterprise buyers but offers fewer direct link opportunities. Many SaaS teams pursue G2 first and treat analyst recognition as a longer-term goal.
No. Small teams often get better returns from linkable assets, resource pages or partner content. Choose an award only when it fits your market and you can promote it. Otherwise your time is better spent on other tactics.
If you would rather have specialists plan this alongside the rest of your link building, the team at SaaS Link Building Agency can help you decide which awards fit your product and which tactics deserve the budget first.