FrontStatLinks that count: which listings help you rank
Two listings can look the same and be worth very different amounts. What matters is whether the listing page shows up in Google at all, and whether Google counts its link to you.
What we check
For each listing, FrontStat opens the page and checks two things. Is the page hidden from search by a noindex tag? Then nothing on it counts. Is the link to you marked nofollow, ugc or sponsored, labels that tell Google not to count it? If not, it is a link Google counts.
A link from a bigger site weighs more, with size measured by the site's public traffic rank. This check makes up a quarter of your FrontStat score.
Why it matters
Google documents these labels. nofollow says you do not vouch for the page you link to, sponsored marks paid links, and ugc marks links posted by users. Google treats them as hints, so a nofollow link is not worthless, but a plain link is the one that reliably counts.
noindex is stronger: it removes the page from search results. A page that is not in Google cannot pass anything on, whatever its link says.
What to do
Read each launch site's rules before you rely on it. Some only give a link Google counts to listings that pay or reach a certain rank; others give it to everyone. Your report shows which of your listings count, so you can see the pattern.
Do not buy links or swap them in bulk. Google treats that as spam and can push a site down for it, which costs far more than it gains.
Read next: What is AI visibility? · How to improve it · The October 2026 report