Buying Backlinks

If you were sure that it would bring you to the first page of search results, you would probably buy a bunch of links without a second thought. However, there are no such guarantees. On top of that, you know that it can negatively impact your link profile. Rather than ranking higher, you have a great chance of getting a penalty from Google for spamming. If it is that risky, why would you even consider buying backlinks? Maybe it is not that bad.

To give you a more definite answer, we have thoroughly researched link buying, talked to the leading SEO experts, and checked our own link-building experience. In this article, you will find:

Whether purchasing links is a hazardous move.
The reasons why SEO specialists still purchase links in spite of the doubtful reputation of this method.
How much a link is worth and why it costs that much.
The places where you can buy links if that is what you really want.
Whether unpaid links are effective at all.
How to purchase links without getting into trouble.

Is Buying Links Risky?

Yes, there is a risk associated with buying links. One of the reasons is that Google clearly mentions in its policies that buying links is not allowed. What will be the case if Google finds out you are involved in a link scheme? There are a few instances what could happen to you:

Ranking demotion. Google may impose penalties on websites that are buying links which cause a sudden decrease of the website in the search engine results pages.
Alternatively, you might not see any effect at all. Recently, instead of imposing a penalty on a site, Google just ceases to consider paid links, hence they do not give any credit to your link profile.

I wouldn’t advocate the buying of backlinks as it is a risky move. In my opinion, you shouldn’t be buying backlinks. Buying links is against the rules that Google has set and even if you are not imposed a penalty, Google may just disregard such links, which means the money spent is wasted. However, purchasing links is not something that can be done over a long period of time.

There is much to say on this point, but to be honest, I think the best ways to get backlinks are other methods like making linkable assets, carrying out digital PR, finding unlinked brand mentions, building relationships for linking, and so on. If I would buy backlinks, then I might purchase “sponsored” links (rel=sponsored) as a parasitic SEO tactic.

However, buying links is not something that is sustainable in the long run. Are site owners who pay for a backlink getting penalized? No, definitely not. There are different ways in which one can buy backlinks. You might be paying to get a highly relevant and authoritative link directly or indirectly (for example, through guest posting), and even if it is technically link buying, there is no way Google can find out.

Usually, Google will only suspect that there are some shady practices when it sees a very rapid and unusual way of getting a lot of links to a (mostly newly created) site. Let’s discuss this and other potential indicators that might cause trouble if you decide to pay for links.

Red flags for paid link building

If it comes to paying for links – situations in which it is usually inevitable – make sure to stay far away from these red flags:

Sudden linking spikes. Do not expect that you will be able to quietly get away with it because any time you create thousands of links overnight is a sure way of getting a penalty from Google.
Link builders on Fiverr. It is not that we are against freelancers but you simply cannot afford not to exercise caution when deciding who your link provider will be. On Fiverr, too many service providers look like they are engaging in black hat SEO while actually doing white hat SEO.
Links from Web 2.0. It will probably be part of your offers of backlinking to your website that you take from such platforms as Quora, Reddit, and other forums. However, this type of link is quite an insignificant one.
Low-quality and non-relevant websites. For a start, links from these sites will do very little (if at all) to increase your link profile’s value. However, what they will do is inviting Google’s undesirable watchdog activities.

Cheap links. Good placements have never been cheap. You will be bombarded with lots of offers that promise you great results at incredibly low prices, but what they will be doing is only causing you some small financial losses alongside bringing you into trouble.

Why SEO Experts Still Buy Links

Buying links is widely viewed as a shady practice. But as long as links matter for rankings, SEOs will continue to pay for acquiring them. Here’s why.

It brings fast results

If you decide to get links in a non-paid manner, it will take you several months until you see your first results of any kind. And by results, we mean ranking improvement. Just like a human, to live you need food, don’t you? In order to rank, links are necessary in 99% of cases.

While investigating the correlation between a page’s rankings and its search positions, Backlinko discovered that the pages holding the first positions in the SERPs had more backlinks than the pages that were ranked lower. Their study highlights the importance of backlinks as one of the main factors that influence a website’s position. Besides, it infers that if you want to beat your rivals, you have to not only be equal to them in the number of links but also have more than they do.

Thus, if you’d like to be the first one to answer the question “how to set up Instagram ads”, then it would be good for you to get more links than the #1 ranking page of Sprout Social, right? The catch is that if you decide not to pay for links, it may take you several months until you get over 151 links from different domains.

By purchasing links, you will be able to get the required number of backlinks in a very short period of time. This is the main reason why link buying is still practiced by SEO specialists, but it is not the only one.

It gives you full control over your placements

SEOs purchase backlinks because doing link building the “white-hat” way takes a lot of time and hard work. In addition, purchasing backlinks allows you to control link juice (PageRank) more efficiently, thereby targeting the pages you want. So, combine these two and now you know why people buy links. When you get links organically, you cannot control anchor texts or even the contexts in which your links are placed.

However, when you buy links, you have the privilege of choosing the placements, specifying the particular anchor text, and ensuring that the surrounding context is relevant. With such a degree of control over your placements, you can account for your link profile with fewer links and elevate your rankings at a quicker pace.

It secures exclusive placements

There are always websites within any niche that SEO specialists can only fantasize about getting backlink from. However, if we tell the truth, these fantasies can become reality quite simply if you are willing to pay a lot of money for a sponsored article.

Although it may look like a significant spending, it is still the most visible and, in most cases, the only solution to obtain references from the most desirable domains.

It’s a quick boost for young sites

While there is no proof that linking to websites with low domain authority (DA) harms the site’s reputation, newly launched sites are struggling to get links through partnerships. I recently conducted a live experiment to reveal the uncertain nature of DR and DA. Although these measures can be changed quite easily, it has also become clear that webmasters are too frequently depending on them.

And certainly, the very first answer that comes into one’s mind when one is rejected again and again is the purchase of links. By a few high authority links, SEOs quickly elevate their sites’ own DA, thus making them look more trustworthy to their potential partners. This action not only makes the site appear more trustworthy which facilitates getting more high-quality and relevant placements in the future, but it also).

How Much Does a Link Cost?

Paid link price will depend on the method and place from where you get it. Below there is a price list for links by their type and source.

Tiered backlinks

Tiered backlinks are a technique in link building, which implies the creation of several layers (or tiers) of backlinks that both support and strengthen each other, thus representing a natural and diversified link profile. Usually, the first tier is made of guest post or sponsored content backlinks with high authority. As you go down the pyramid, less stringent criteria for link quality are applied. The price of tiered backlinks may be determined by the intricacy of the link-building structure. The money set aside for tiered backlinks is usually between $50 and several hundred dollars, depending on the number of tiers and the quality of the sources.

Editorial links

One of the most secure methods of constructing paid links is editorial links. The method includes placing links as exposure items in already existing, relevant content on the well-established websites. Simply put, it is carried out in the same way as how one gets editorial links, but via contact. Reception of niche links requires the owners of sites and journalists to whom you submit your proposals to be very proactive in changing their articles, reviews, or news features. Being contextually integrated into high-quality content and looking natural, they are also often among the priciest link acquisition methods.

Why Do Links Cost So Much?

Good-quality links are always costly. More than ten years ago one could make fresh content, like a stat roundup, and expect to get links organically. Today, there is just too much competition. Unless you are an already well-known brand like HubSpot, the publishing of good content won’t get you hundreds or even thousands of referring domains. The chances are that you will have to pay to get noticed right here and now. And the more trustworthy the place, the more expensive it is. When we talk about the quality of a backlink, we also need to know what or who is behind it.

For example, think about a team of marketing experts at the top level who take the time and effort to put together their article. They share their one-of-a-kind experiences and insights and publish their work on a very reputable blog of a company that is worth more than 1 billion dollars. Meanwhile, over there, we have an AI-written article that is posted on a website that was just established yesterday. What ties these two examples together? They can both be viewed as link-building forms. However, take a look at how many resources are needed for each of these events to take place. That is the reason why quality backlinks can be so pricey. And do not forget, one high-quality backlink can do more than 100 average ones. Quality counts and it is mostly accompanied by a higher cost, but it is worth the price.

Can You Earn Paid Links Safely?

It’s generally safe to buy quality links unless you decide to work with link farms, PBNs, or use other questionable methods. The term “Safe” is a bit too strong, but not buying links is usually just not an option. Doing your own due diligence on websites and on your own outreach is definitely the safest way to purchase a link. At least, it is as safe as it can be. Paid guest posts, in my opinion, are the most secure, whereas, if done properly, paid link insertions are the most efficient.

The sum of your links is something that a person should also take into account – you need to keep your link profile as natural as possible You can use this checklist to confirm the potential places:

Check site legitimacy. The site from which you are getting a link must be a legitimate one – a real business or a reputable media source, not a shady link farm.
Check the site's IP address and the neighbors of that IP. In case it shares an IP with some suspicious sites, it may be harmful to your link profile.
Have a closer look at the amount of links on that site. An excess of links, especially if they are of low-quality, is a warning sign.
Utilize a service such as Link Detective to determine if the site is heavily involved in link selling.
Examine the anchors already in place in the links of that site. Having varied and contextually appropriate anchor texts is a more natural way of linking.
Monitor the web traffic of that site over a period of time. A trustworthy website should maintain stable or increasing traffic.

Buying Backlinks: FAQ

We have thoroughly discussed the purchasing of backlinks for SEO. To supplement that discussion, here we provide a few relevant Q&As that you might be curious about.

Is it safe to buy backlinks?

Sure, it is safe. In reality, Google is slightly against the idea of paid links but there are a lot of gray zones around this issue. If you do it through reputable and high-authority websites in a way that is not deceptive by means of sponsored content, guest posts, link insertions, advertorials, link rentals, product reviews, or listicles, it can still work. Furthermore, in our 2025 State of Link-Building Survey, 91.9% of SEO experts think that their competitors buy backlinks. This one fact alone could be interpreted as a strong signal – the practice is not something to be scared of since almost everyone is doing it.

What should I be aware of when buying backlinks?

When you decide to buy backlinks you also need to be extremely attentive to the SEO condition and the context of the site where you are going to get a link. Some of the major points to consider revolve around.

Are there certain industries where you can buy backlinks and get more benefits?

Certainly, there are industries where buying backlinks is not only beneficial for you but it is almost like a bridge of survival for you. In the areas that are very competitive, being different means that you will be ranked higher, and most of the time this will be determined by the trust factors like quality backlinks which indicate that your website deserves to be shown by Google.

How do I recognize a reliable backlink seller?

First of all, a backlink seller who can be trusted is really transparent. They will not shy away from revealing all the main information right from the very beginning – things like link metrics, content quality, resource sites, niche relevance, and the actual way of link building. There should be nothing that is vaguely or secretly. You should be able to verify everything on your own before making a decision.

Another very important sign: communication that is clear and open. A trustworthy linker won’t leave you in the dark if you, asking questions, especially about such matters as pricing, placement, or turnaround times. It is not necessary to be asked for a payment if the links are not already live. Besides, the sellers who provide detailed reports after the placement show that they are committed to their work and are professional.

And the last thing – real feedback and case studies<br>What people say, the verified reviews, and the actual results of those whom have used their service, will tell you a lot more than the seller’s pitch. Therefore, if others have been successful (and can provide proof), it is a great indication that the seller is reliable.

Final Words

Google keeps warning about buying backlinks, but the truth is that almost everyone is doing it. So, the question should not be whether you buy links, but rather how you do it. Are you doing it in a bad way by purchasing from dishonest people? Or are you just smartly doing it, that is, through trustworthy sources, with relevant placements, and in a way that Google cannot detect?

If you are still uncertain about link building or want to take a risk, then it would be more reasonable to let professionals handle the task. getsocialguide.com a dependable link-building agency, can assist you in that way by taking away the doubts and dangers from your link-building process. So, along with the links, you are also buying peace of mind.