Resource Page Link Building: How to Find, Vet and Pitch Curated Pages

Resource page link building means finding pages where someone curates useful links on a topic, checking that the page is real and maintained, and asking the curator to consider your resource. It works when you have something genuinely worth listing and pitch pages that exist for readers, not for selling links. This guide gives you the search operators, a vetting checklist, an outreach template and a simple tracking sheet.

Published: 2026-10-16 · 10 min read · Satelo

What counts as a resource page (and what does not)

A resource page is a page whose main job is to point readers to useful material elsewhere. A librarian's guide to genealogy research, a running club's list of training plans, a university department's page of free statistics tools, a city's page of help for new small businesses: these are resource pages. Someone chose each link because it helps the people who visit.

That is what makes them worth your time. The curator already wants to link out; your job is to show that your page deserves a spot. It is also what separates them from pages that only look similar:

• "Link partners" or "friends" pages full of unrelated sites, usually built for link swaps.
• Directories that charge for a listing or accept anything submitted.
• Auto-generated "best resources" pages with hundreds of links, no descriptions and no visible author.

Google's spam policies name "partner pages exclusively for the sake of cross-linking" and low-quality directory links as examples of link spam. A listing on that kind of page is not a win, so the vetting step below matters as much as the search.

Step 1: Have something a curator would actually list

Most failed resource page outreach fails before the first email: the pitched page is a product page or a thin blog post. Curators list things that help their readers do something. Before you search, pick one page on your site that fits:

A quick test: would the page still be useful if your brand name were removed from it? If the answer is no, improve the page first. A homepage or a sales page almost never gets listed.

Step 2: Find resource pages with search operators

Search operators narrow Google results to pages that look like curated lists. Google's own help page on refining searches documents only a few of them, including quotation marks, site:, the minus sign and filetype:. The intitle: and inurl: operators still work in practice but are not on that page, so treat them as useful and occasionally inconsistent. Google also notes that site: results are not always exhaustive, so run several variations rather than trusting one query.

Replace gardening with your topic:

• gardening intitle:resources
• gardening inurl:resources
• gardening intitle:"useful links"
• gardening intitle:"helpful resources"
• gardening "recommended sites"
• gardening inurl:links intitle:links
• gardening intitle:resources site:.edu
• gardening intitle:resources site:.gov
• gardening intitle:resources site:.org
• gardening intitle:resources -inurl:pdf -"submit your site"

The last query shows the most useful habit: exclude what you don't want. Adding -"submit your site", -"add your link" or -"paid listing" filters out many directories before you ever open them.

Three other ways to find them

1. Search for a similar resource. If a well-known free tool in your niche exists, search its exact URL or name in quotes with intitle:resources. Pages that list it may list yours too.
2. Look at who links to competing resources. Free tiers of backlink tools show a sample of linking pages; sort them by URL and look for words like "resources", "links" or "tools".
3. Browse local and community sites. Libraries, chambers of commerce, schools and clubs often keep resource pages that never rank well but are maintained by real people.

Collect candidates in a sheet as you go (the format is in Step 6). Don't email anyone yet.

Step 3: Vet every page before you pitch

This is where most guides stop at "check the domain authority". A score alone won't tell you whether a page is a living list kept by a real person or a link farm dressed up as one. Run each candidate through the checklist below. It takes a few minutes per page and saves you from links you would later want to disown.

Resource page vetting checklist

1. Is it on topic? Most links on the page should relate to one subject. A "resources" page linking to casinos, loans and garden tools at once is a red flag.
2. Does a human curate it? Look for short descriptions under links, an author or department name, an "updated" date, or a contact line.
3. Is it maintained? Click a handful of links. A few dead ones are normal (and give you an opening, see Step 5); a page where most links are dead is probably abandoned.
4. Is the page reachable from the site's navigation? A real resource page is usually linked from a menu, footer or section page, not orphaned.
5. Does it ask for money? "Sponsored listing", "featured placement for $X" or "submit with fee" means it is a paid directory. Skip it or treat any listing as paid (see Step 5).
6. Does the site have a real audience? A popularity signal such as the Tranco list or visible community activity (comments, events, newsletters) helps; our guide to Tranco rank explains how to read it. Small sites can be perfectly real, so this is a supporting signal, not a cut-off.
7. How old is it and has it changed hands? Open the page in the Wayback Machine. A list that has grown slowly over years is a good sign; a domain that was a bakery until last year and is now a "resources" hub is not.
8. Any network footprints? Same theme, same author bio and same outbound links across many unrelated sites suggests a private blog network. Our guide on how to spot PBN sites lists the patterns.

Notice what is not on the list: whether existing links are "dofollow". Many good resource pages, especially on institutional sites, qualify outbound links with nofollow or similar attributes. A listing there still sends interested readers and puts your name next to trusted sources. If the attributes are unfamiliar, see nofollow vs sponsored vs UGC.

Green flags vs. red flags at a glance

For a longer pre-deal process that also covers traffic and indexing, use our guide to checking a site before a deal. It applies just as well to a site you only want a mention from.

Step 4: Find the right person

A pitch sent to a generic "info@" address of a large university rarely reaches the person who edits one department page. Look in this order:

• A name or email on the resource page itself ("Maintained by…", "Suggest a resource").
• The department, library or committee page the resource page belongs to.
• The site's contact form, with the exact page URL in the first line so it can be forwarded.

If the page has its own "suggest a link" form, use it. That is the curator telling you how they want to receive suggestions.

Step 5: Pitch the curator

Good resource page outreach is short, specific and easy to say yes to. The curator should be able to decide in under a minute whether your page fits. Three rules:

• Show you read the page. Name the section where your resource fits.
• Lead with their readers, not your site. Say what the resource helps people do.
• Give something first if you can. A dead link you found on their page is a genuinely useful tip, whether or not they add you.

Outreach email template

This is a template. Replace every bracketed part, and delete any line that isn't true for your situation.

Subject: A resource for your [page name] page

Hi [first name],

I was reading your [page name] page while looking for [topic] material, and found the [section name] section especially useful. [One specific sentence about a link you liked.]

While clicking through, I noticed the link to [resource name] in [section] now returns an error. You may want to remove or replace it.

I recently published [your resource title]: [URL]. It [what it helps readers do, in one sentence], and it's free with no signup. If you think it would help your readers, it might fit in [section]. If not, no problem at all.

Thanks for keeping the page up to date,
[Your name]
[Your site, role]

Follow-up template

Send at most one follow-up, about a week later, in the same thread. Also a template:

Hi [first name], just bringing this to the top of your inbox in case it got buried. Happy to send a short description for the listing if that's easier. Either way, thanks for maintaining the page. [Your name]

Pitching a full guest article instead of a listing is a different email; our guest post outreach email templates cover that case. Keep this one for curated pages.

If you promote a commercial product, US anti-spam rules may apply to these emails too. The FTC's CAN-SPAM compliance guide says there is no exception for business-to-business email and requires, among other things, an accurate subject line, a postal address and a working way to opt out. One personal note with no follow-up spam is the safest pattern.

When the reply asks for money or a link back

Sometimes the answer is "we can add you for $50" or "only if you link to us too". Google's spam policies list exchanging money, goods or services for links, and excessive link exchanges, as link spam when done to manipulate rankings. They also say a paid link is not a violation when it is qualified with rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow". So you have two honest options: decline politely, or accept only if the link is marked sponsored and you value it for the readers alone. Don't agree to a hidden paid link.

Step 6: Track it in a simple sheet

Resource page outreach is a numbers-light, patience-heavy process. A spreadsheet stops you from emailing the same curator twice and shows which kinds of pages respond. Columns that are enough:

After a few dozen rows, look at the "Outcome" column by page type. If community and library pages respond and big .edu pages don't, spend your time accordingly.

Realistic expectations

Many curators never reply, some pages are updated once a year, and a listing may take weeks to appear. That's normal. Resource page link building is slow because it is selective, which is also why the links you earn this way tend to be ones you would be happy to show anyone.

Nobody can promise that a listing will move your rankings, and you shouldn't value it that way. Value it for the readers it sends and the company it puts you in. It works best as one tactic among several; our roundup of free link building strategies covers the others.

What to do next

1. Pick or improve one asset from Step 1.
2. Run five of the operator queries from Step 2 and collect 20 candidates.
3. Vet them with the checklist and keep only the ones that pass.
4. Send personalized pitches to the top ten using the template, with one follow-up each.

The slowest part of vetting is judging the site behind each page. Satelo's free site check gives you a Quality Score built mostly from open data, including domain age, Tranco rank and Common Crawl presence, with the evidence behind each number, in about 30 seconds and without signing up. Paste in a candidate's domain before you write the email.

FAQ

What is resource page link building?

It is the practice of finding pages that curate helpful links on a topic, checking that they are genuine and maintained, and asking the curator to consider adding a useful page from your site.

How do I find resource pages?

Combine your topic with search operators such as intitle:resources, inurl:resources, intitle:"useful links" or site:.edu and site:.gov, and exclude directories with terms like -"submit your site". You can also look at pages that link to similar resources and at local library or community sites.

Are resource page backlinks still worth it?

They can be, when the page is curated for readers and your resource genuinely helps them. Value the listing for the visitors and credibility it brings rather than for any promised ranking effect, which nobody can guarantee.

Should I pay to be listed on a resource page?

Google's spam policies treat paying for links meant to manipulate rankings as link spam, while paid links qualified with rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow" are not a violation. If a page charges for a listing, either decline or accept only a clearly marked sponsored link that you value for its readers.

What content works best for resource page outreach?

Free tools, in-depth guides and checklists, reference glossaries, original data and local guides. Product pages and homepages are rarely listed because they don't help the curator's readers do anything.

How many follow-up emails should I send?

One, about a week after the first email, in the same thread. More than that tends to annoy curators, and for commercial emails US law requires a working opt-out.

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