From the time search engine optimizers first realized the important role backlinks play in search rankings, it wasn’t long before an enterprising soul came up with the idea of selling links.
Of course, like almost every other ranking hack in SEO, it didn’t take long for the bad guys to start exploiting it. And Google, like Google, started cracking down on the process.
There’s not much in the way of gray areas regarding Google’s position on this issue.
The first bullet point in Google’s Webmaster’s Guide to Link Schemes states that buying and selling links that pass PageRank negatively impacts your site’s ranking. This includes “exchanging money for a link or a post containing a link, exchanging goods or services for a link, or giving someone a ‘free’ product in exchange for including the link and writing about it. includes “send”.
Of course, like white hat SEO, no one would dream of doing that. Except many sites still do. Although not openly debated in our field, the practice is still alive.
Of course, this raises some questions. So what are the benefits of paying for links, and is it worth the risk?
This article will answer these questions and take a closer look at buying and selling links.
Disclaimer: Authors and search engine journals in no way promote, condone and/or endorse the purchase of links. This post is for informational purposes only, and if you do so, you do so at your own risk.
What are Paid Links?
Before we begin, let’s talk to the elephant in the room: What exactly is a paid link?
This is the most frequently asked question when we start talking about building paid links.
Google’s definition is clear. Exchange of money, goods, and/or services for linking is prohibited.
In other words, sponsored guest posts and paid reviews are paid links. These are standard practices, but Google cracks down on them every day.
As you read this article, be aware that even “safer” paid link building strategies are considered part of the linking scheme and risk violating Google’s Terms of Service.
Why are some experts still buying links?
Now you may be wondering. For the same reason people drive their cars faster – some believe it’s faster and worth the risk.
It reduces the workload required to build links (creating quality content, finding linking opportunities, building relationships, etc.) and significantly reduces the time to results.
With this in mind, many SEO professionals are willing to take chances. Believe it or not, paying for links isn’t necessarily frowned upon.
In the early 2000s, buying and selling links was considered good business, not just a fad. Directories that let you pay for reviews and service companies that let you buy or “rent” links sprouted like dandelions in your lawn.
Then Google announced Weed Wacker, a feature that allows users to report paid links. This forced link buyers and sellers to become more sophisticated or change their tactics.
Over the last 20 years, buying links has become increasingly dangerous as Google’s ability to find and destroy the SEO value of paid links has become incredibly accurate. That’s a serious risk.
It’s entirely possible that even if you pay for the link, the algorithm will silently ignore it. I don’t know if they just threw money down the hole.
Google isn’t foolproof, though. Some companies still rely on paid link building. The reason is that it is easier, is sufficient, or is standard practice in the industry.
Today, with the rise of organic link building and content marketing, the need to buy links is more or less eliminated across the SEO industry. But that doesn’t mean the convention is gone.
The Reality of Link Buying
So here’s the problem, 100% you shouldn’t be giving a website owner $500 to link to your site. But there is a correct way to buy links.
One way is to outsource your links to a reputable agency that can get you links (keyword: EARN). If done correctly, this will not be paid for links defined by Google.
Paying for the work of creating resources, conducting outreach, and building relationships does not violate our guidelines.
There is a big difference between paying someone to create a link for you and participating in a link scheme. If you choose the latter, be careful. There are many low quality link sellers. And Google usually knows about them.
With that said, there are some links that are totally worth buying. You must pay a fee to be listed. These can be great additions to your public relations strategy. Don’t expect it to help you improve your search engine rankings.
Malicious link buying practices include those that Google has worked diligently to combat over the last few decades.
These include link farms and PBNs (private blog networks). Be careful if your paid links generate a lot of poor quality links. There is a significant risk of penalties.
Some recommendations:
- Don’t buy site-wide linksSite-wide links (e.g. links in sidebars, footers, navs, etc.) shout “spam” to Google.
- Avoid link selling services or those who sell “backlink packages”.Paying someone for a backlink package on Fiverr or signing up for a link selling service (such as Sape) is a quick way to waste money. And what if the site openly advertises that it sells links? Run!
- Avoid “red light” websites. Any website that has been previously penalized, repurposed into a link/article farm, and generally relying on ad-rich, content-thin pages should issue an internal warning.
- Always disclose paid links and ensure they are properly tagged with rel=nofollow or rel=sponsored. Don’t buy links for SEO. Buy well-linked sponsored packages if it makes sense for your brand.
- Did we already mention that you shouldn’t buy links for SEO?
As with building organic links, it’s always essential to monitor the health of your backlink profile. We use link tracking software to measure the impact of your links and eliminate low quality links that can negatively impact your site.
If you have purchased links in the past, you should be very careful. Please review your link profile and consider disavowing any dangerous links. Yes, even if you paid for it. Manual action is unlikely to be taken against some paid links, but it is a real risk when these tactics are used collectively.
Do Paid Links Work?
In fact, you can improve your search engine rankings by paying for backlinks. If it’s not worth the risk, no one will do it.
But hiding paid links is getting harder and harder.
Backlinks help establish your site’s reputation and relevance in the eyes of Google.
But it’s not strictly a numbers game. earn income some links from Related websites whose links provide a good user experience Better than dozens of incoming links from poor quality sites.
it is most correct to say Paid links work until they stop workingSome people are fine with a business model that relies on temporary tactics with high churn.
Should I buy links?
Now that you know more about buying and selling backlinks, it’s time to answer the $10,000 question.
If you ask me or anyone at SEJ, I’ll give you a firm answer. No. At least not for SEO.
But you are an adult and make your own decisions. It’s entirely up to you to decide if the potential benefits outweigh the risks.
Are you willing to accept the risk? Is his website on “churn and burn” and you don’t mind losing a ton of traffic overnight?If so, you might decide it’s worth taking a chance.
Please note that paying for links in the long run is a waste of money.
The time and resources spent on buying links are much more useful in doing advanced SEO work.
Purchased links get a quick boost, but at some point, probably a lot sooner than you think, Google starts ignoring the links you paid for.
But maybe that’s your business model.
If you’re okay with being an SEO comet that burns bright for a short time and then burns out spectacularly, don’t say you didn’t warn. Be prepared to lose your investment when Google catches up with you.
It’s far better to pay an SEO agency to legally boost your rankings than to buy links. In other words, you pay for the work, not the links. Be sure to do your research and hire a reputable agency or professional as well as buying links on your behalf.
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