- By Jesus Guzman
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You’ve been told time and time again that backlinks are essential to your SEO strategy. So, you dutifully set out to get as many high-quality backlinks as you can.
But there’s a problem: you’re not seeing the results you want. In fact, your rankings have actually dropped since you started your backlink-building campaign. What gives? It could be that you’re falling victim to a common trap: paying for backlinks.
In this blog post, we’ll explore why paying for backlinks is a terrible strategy that will do more harm than good for your website.
Paying for backlinks: The elephant in the room
For many bloggers, people for whom a blog is their business, paid links seem like a big no-no. However, the truth is that it all depends on how you use the link.
As the saying goes, “The elephant in the room is the thing that’s impossible to ignore.” Well, “paid link” falls into this category. So what exactly is it?
Google is clear – any exchange of money, goods, or services for a link is against their terms.
Sponsored guest posts and paid reviews are a form of paid links, which is against Google’s policies. When Google finds out, they’ll penalize your site to try and get you to change your ways.
Backlinks risk warning:
As you read this article, make sure that you’re aware that paid links can be seen as part of a link scheme and violate Google’s terms of service.
SEO has changed
In the early days of SEO, paying for backlinks was a common and effective strategy. However, things have changed. The Google algorithm has become much more sophisticated, and now prioritizes quality over quantity when it comes to backlinks.
Paying for backlinks is not only unnecessary, but can actually hurt your website’s ranking. Google can easily identify paid links, and will penalize your website if it suspects that you are engaging in this practice.
If you’re serious about improving your website’s SEO, focus on creating high-quality content that will naturally attract links from other websites. This is the only way to create long-term, sustainable results.
The Truth about Buying Links
Why would websites still pay for links, even though it has been frowned upon for so long? There are two reasons: in many cases, it’s faster, and some view it as worth the risk.
SEO professionals are always taking risks to get ahead. If a reputable media source offers to place a link on their website, many people in the industry would not turn down the offer.
In the early 2000s, buying links was all the rage. Directories that let you purchase reviews and companies that allowed you to buy or “rent” links were popping up left and right.
So, Google brought out the weed whacker, enabling users to report paid links, which forced link buyers and sellers to get sneakier or change their tactics.
Google has become unbeatable when it comes to sniffing out paid links. In other words, the SEO value of these paid links is quickly diminished as Google is able to destroy them with accuracy.
This is one of the critical risks of buying links.
Getting backlinks should be a natural process
Like building backlinks organically, it’s important to monitor your backlink profile and make sure that you’re not unintentionally hurting your site.
Use tracking software to measure the impact of your links and eliminate low-quality links that might be sabotaging your SEO efforts.
If you’ve purchased links in the past, make sure to double-check your link profile and consider disavowing any risky links.
Yes, this includes links you paid for. It’s unlikely that you’ll get a manual action for a few paid links, but if you’ve been using these tactics en masse, there’s a real risk of it happening.
The four main reasons to stop paying for backlinks
It seems like everywhere you look, someone is trying to sell you on the idea of paying for backlinks. They’ll tell you that it’s a great way to get your site ranking higher in search engines, and that it’s a guaranteed method for boosting your traffic.
But the truth is, paying for backlinks is a terrible strategy, and one that can actually do more harm than good. Here’s why:
- Search engines are constantly changing their algorithms, and what works today may not work tomorrow. If you're relying on paid backlinks to improve your rankings, you could be in for a nasty surprise when the next algorithm update comes out.
- Paid backlinks are often low-quality links from spammy sites. These links can actually hurt your rankings rather than help them.
- Buying links goes against Google's guidelines. If you're caught doing it, you could be penalized by having your site removed from Google altogether.
- Finally, even if you do manage to rank higher in search engines by paying for backlinks, it won't be long before people realize that they're being misled by your site. Once they catch on, they'll likely leave and never come back again – defeating the entire purpose of trying to boost your traffic in the first place!
Have you ever tried paid links and found they don't work?
Some people may disagree, but it’s important to consider that you’re running a business.
That means you need to focus on increasing your profits and ranking in search engines. There’s an easy way to do this: pay for backlinks.
Think about it – if it weren’t worth the risk, no one would do it. You can increase your profit margin by making smart investments.
Google's changing algorithms
Google’s algorithms are always changing, which means that what works today may not work tomorrow. This is why paying for backlinks is a terrible strategy – because you never know when Google will change its algorithms and your backlinks will become worthless.
If you’re serious about SEO, then you need to focus on building high-quality links from reputable websites. This is the only way to ensure that your links will have value in the long run.
Content Quality over quantity
This is a difficult one, but it is important to remember that quality is more important than quantity when it comes to content.
This means that you should focus on creating content that is interesting, informative, and well-written, rather than simply churning out a lot of content that is of poor quality.
It can be tempting to try to publish as much content as possible in order to attract more readers and boost your traffic, but this is not always the best strategy.
Quality content will be more likely to engage readers and keep them coming back for more, while poor quality content will only serve to turn them away.
Investing the time and effort into creating high-quality content will pay off in the long run, so don’t be afraid to put in the extra work. Your readers will appreciate it!
When backlinks matters
Backlinks are a great way to gain mentions on other sites. This can help establish your reputation, and make your site more relevant in Google’s eyes.
When it comes to backlinks, quality trumps quantity every time. If you earn a single high-quality backlink from a respected website is worth more than a hundred low-quality backlinks from spammy websites.
👍 It’s important to remember that the number of links you have is not the only measure of success. Earning good links from relevant websites will outperform dozens of links from low-quality websites.
Paying for backlinks is generally a short-sighted and ineffective SEO strategy. Not only are you more likely to end up with low-quality links that won’t do anything to help your rankings, but you could also get penalized by Google for buying links.
If you’re serious about building backlinks, focus on earning high-quality links through guest blogging, infographics, or other white hat SEO strategies.
The price in-wasted on backlinks
When it comes to backlinks, there are two types of links: those that are naturally earned, and those that are bought.
Most people know that buying backlinks is a terrible idea. Not only will it get you penalized by Google, but it’s also a waste of money.
There are much better ways to spend your marketing budget, such as on content creation or link earning strategies.
So why do people still buy backlinks? Because they’re desperate for shortcuts. They want to see results yesterday and they don’t want to put in the hard work required to earn natural links.
But as we all know, there are no shortcuts in life. And certainly not when it comes to SEO.
If you’re serious about building a long-term, sustainable business online, then you need to focus on earning quality backlinks the right way. It might take a little longer, but it will be worth it in the end.
So, should you invest in buying links?
You’ve just learned all about buying and selling backlinks. Now you may be wondering, “Should I?”
I can clearly say that we don’t believe in paying for backlinks, at least not for SEO.
You’re a grownup, and you should make your own decisions. But it’s up to you to decide if the potential benefits outweigh the risks.
Be aware that purchasing links for the long term is a waste of resources.
Buying links can be risky, and they’re time and money that would be better spent doing higher-quality SEO work.
Do you want a quick boost on rankings?
If you want a quick boost in your ranking, buying links might work for you. But don’t depend on them too heavily—if the seams start to show, Google is likely to penalize the rankings of links they bought, so they’re less likely to pass along any traffic at all.
However, that may be your business model.
If you’re fine with putting your website at risk of not ranking on Google, go ahead.
We tried to warn you, but we know some people will ignore our advice. Just remember that you can’t get that investment back if Google catches onto what you’re doing and penalizes your website.
How to get backlinks organically
If you’re looking to improve your SEO and get more traffic to your website, one of the best things you can do is focus on building high-quality backlinks.
There are a few different ways to build backlinks, but the best way is to focus on earning them organically. Here are a few tips for how to get backlinks organically:
- Write high-quality content that other people will want to link to.
This is perhaps the most important tip for getting backlinks organically. If you write great content that is informative, interesting, or otherwise useful, other people will naturally want to link to it. This is how you earn the majority of your organic backlinks.
- Make sure your site is set up for success.
Before you start trying to earn backlinks, make sure your website is in good shape. This means having compelling content, a good design, and an easy-to-use interface. Once you have all of that in place, it will be much easier to get people to link to your site.
- Reach out to influence power users and ask them to link to your site.
If you know of any influential power users in your industry (such as popular bloggers or publications), reach out and ask them if they would be willing to link to your site. This can be a great way to get high-quality backlinks from websites with a lot of authority.
Content that attracts backlinks naturally
In order to attract backlinks, your content must be compelling and interesting enough to encourage other websites to link to it.
Creating great content is not always easy or quick, which is why paying for backlinks is generally a bad idea.
Paying for backlinks can be an effective short-term strategy, but it is almost always a waste of money in the long run. The quality of the links you purchase will quickly decline, and your site will likely be penalized by Google for participating in link schemes.
It is far better to focus on creating high-quality, original content that other website owners will want to link to naturally.
This may take more time and effort than buying links, but it will pay off in the form of long-term organic traffic and higher search engine rankings.
Examples of content that people wants to link to
There are many types of content that people want to link to, but some examples include:
- Informative articles that offer new perspectives or insights.
- How-to guides and tutorials that offer step-by-step instructions.
- Product reviews and comparisons that help shoppers make informed decisions.
- Lists and roundups of the best content in a particular niche.
No matter what type of content you create, if it’s useful and informative, there’s a good chance people will want to link to it. So instead of paying for backlinks, focus on creating high-quality content that will naturally attract links.
An SEO Agency matters!
Most people agree that the best way to improve your SEO rankings is by hiring an SEO agency.
In contrast, buying links won’t do anything. It’s better to invest your time (and money!) into a real, ethical solution. But it’s important to do your research and find a reputable agency or professional before signing any contracts.
Final words
Paying for backlinks is a terrible strategy for several reasons. First, it’s a waste of money. There are much better ways to spend your marketing budget than on buying links. Second, it’s against Google’s guidelines.
Google explicitly states that buying links is a violation of their guidelines and can result in your site being penalized. Finally, paying for backlinks creates an arms race that is difficult to keep up with.
Once you start paying for links, you’ll quickly find yourself in a race to outspend your competitors. This is not a sustainable or effective long-term strategy.
