seo
Domain rating, badges, and honest proof
Why MakerHunt does not invent DR numbers, how the proof bar works, and what badges actually prove.
5 min read
Indie launch sites love big domain-rating claims. We do not. This companion to domain rating badge explains the posture so you can talk about MakerHunt without lying to your customers or your future self.
Proof on the internet is either measurable by a named third party, earned on our vote rules, or paid chrome you disclose. Mixing those buckets is how directories get a reputation for fake DR. MakerHunt opts out.
What we will not claim
- A fake Ahrefs / Moz DR on pricing or the homepage
- Guaranteed backlink value from a free Featured-on badge
- Traffic numbers we have not earned
- “Buy Featured, get DR” or “sponsor for authority”
If a third-party widget appears on the home proof bar, it is labeled as that product’s measurement of makerhunt.space, not a promise about your domain. We do not invent a number when the widget is missing.
What badges actually prove
| Badge / chrome | Proof | Not proof of |
|---|---|---|
| Featured-on MakerHunt | You participated in the free attribution path (crawl) | High DR, paid Featured SKU |
| PotD / PotW / PotM | You ranked on our vote rules for that window | Purchased placement |
| Premium / Featured pills | You paid for those launch entitlements | PotD or traffic guarantee |
| SEO article (when fulfilled) | Operator queued review content on our site | Instant publish or your DR |
Featured-on (free crawl) ≠ paid Featured (€19). Say both words every time. Details: Featured-on guide, add badge, legal/badges, pricing explained.
Decision tree: what to put on your marketing site
- You completed free crawl and launched? Use Featured-on embed. Copy: “Featured on MakerHunt.”
- You paid Featured or SEO? You may show paid chrome and still use Featured-on if you earned it. Do not imply PotD.
- You placed PotD 1–3? Use the ranking badge for that window only. Link winners if you want third parties to verify.
- You are a sidebar sponsor? That is advertiser rails (sponsors), not a launch badge. Do not dress it as PotD.
- You want a DR claim? Cite a third-party tool for your domain, or say nothing. Do not attribute a number to MakerHunt that we did not publish.
How to talk about MakerHunt (good vs bad)
Good
- “Featured on MakerHunt” with the real embed from legal/badges
- “Product of the Day on MakerHunt, [date]” with PotD art you earned
- “We launched on MakerHunt; here’s the [project URL]”
Bad
- “#1 tool directory with DR70” attributed to us
- “Guaranteed backlinks from MakerHunt badge”
- “Paid Featured = we were selected as best product”
For embed rules see Featured-on guide and legal/badges. Ranking truth: PotD votes, votes overview.
Buyer mistakes around “SEO value”
- Buying SEO Growth (€39) expecting an instant
/reviews/[slug]the second Stripe succeeds. Fulfill is a queued operator article (pricing explained). - Assuming Free badge crawl equals a dofollow fortune. Crawl proves attribution for launch eligibility; it is not a DR product.
- Putting fake metrics next to our badge on your homepage. That stains both brands.
- Confusing sponsor sidebar with an SEO launch entitlement.
SEO that actually compounds (operator view)
No invented charts. The boring stack that works for indie sites:
- Keep a stable product URL on MakerHunt after launch so links and screenshots age well
- Earn a review when the SEO tier fulfills or when operator review exists
- Show up under honest alternatives categories with accurate positioning
- Write useful posts (you are reading one); start from blog and how to launch
- Ship on a real UTC day and leave a comment trail (UTC playbook, comments prep)
- Watch trending for language that resonates; steal phrasing, not socks
Honesty checklist before you publish a claim
- Is the claim about your product or about MakerHunt’s DR? Split them.
- Can a stranger verify PotD on winners or the project page?
- Does badge art match legal/badges?
- Did you avoid promising traffic numbers we never published?
- If you mention pricing, does it match pricing (Free crawl, Premium €7, Featured €19, SEO €39, Sponsor €29/mo)?
FAQ-shaped edges
“Will Free help my Ahrefs?”
Maybe eventually, maybe not. We do not sell that outcome. See FAQ for product mechanics; see this post for claim hygiene.
“Can I buy PotD for a case study?”
No. PotD is not for sale. Rank on votes rules, then cite winners.
“Home proof bar shows a score. Can I reuse it as my DR?”
No. That widget is about makerhunt.space when present.
“Does Premium or Featured change the proof story?”
Premium (€7) and Featured (€19) skip crawl and add paid pills / strip entitlements. They do not mint a domain-rating number. SEO (€39) queues an article. Sponsor (€29/mo) is rails only. Full map: pricing explained, sponsor vs Featured.
“Can I screenshot Trending as social proof?”
Yes if the shot is dated and real. Link trending?filter=today in the caption. Do not photoshop rank.
Operator note on launch-day proof
On go-live (~09:00 UTC), proof is the project page plus your comment thread, not a DR badge you pasted overnight (UTC playbook, comments prep). If crawl fails on Free, fix the homepage badge before you invent metrics to compensate.
Next step
Launch with clean proof: how to launch → submit. Money map: pricing. Badge law: legal/badges.