Is It Bad to Buy Backlinks For SEO?

Is It Bad to Buy Backlinks For SEO? There are numerous different ways to optimize a website for search engines.

In most cases, you’ll want to use a combination of different techniques to ensure that Google recognizes your site as a relevant, high-quality source of information.

And while many SEO tactics take time to develop, others have been lauded as a quick fix. Many experts would advise you that anything worth doing won’t come easy.

But is it always a bad idea to take a shortcut?  Let’s take a closer look at link-building, why site owners might buy backlinks, and whether it’s advisable for you to do so.

Why is Link-Building Important?

Firstly, why should you focus on link-building as part of your Buy Backlinks For SEO strategy?

In addition to on-site optimizations, you’ll want to strengthen your off-site SEO, too. Acquiring links is just one way to help your site be perceived as reputable by search engines.

When you receive a backlink from a well-respected site, Google views that backlink as an endorsement of sorts. That website owner is giving your site a thumbs up – indicating that you’re trustworthy. 

These backlinks pass on what’s colloquially known as “link juice” from one site to another. When you obtain a great backlink, you’ll get a boost of SEO from that site.

Link-building can improve your website’s reputation, which is often expressed as a domain authority or rating.

It’s a way to communicate the value of a website. Receiving links from a variety of quality sites can make your own site look better as a result. That, in turn, can help your rankings in search results.

Why Do People Buy Backlinks For SEO?

There are many different ways to acquire backlinks to your site. In some cases, you can obtain them organically and without any real effort.

If you create content that other site owners like, they might find your site and link back to it without even letting you know!

You can also reach out to other website owners who might be interested in sharing your content.

Whether you send them an existing resource on your own site or offer to write a guest post just for their audience, this can help you build relationships and reach new readers.

Since website owners always need fresh content, they might be more than happy to link back to your site if you’ve created something relevant and innovative.

In addition, you might receive a fresh backlink by identifying similar links that no longer work.

Broken backlink building can help a publisher get rid of a bad link and replace it with an even better resource (like one from your own site!). 

While these backlink-building techniques can be highly effective, they can also be highly time-consuming. Creating content, finding sites in your niche, and identifying broken links will require a lot of resources.

For small business owners, that can be a lot to ask.  There are only so many hours in a day. And with many link-building activities, there’s no guarantee that you’ll see results.

Buying quality backlinks from different sites can be a viable way to build your backlink profile and improve your domain rating or website rankings. But the question is: should you go this route?

Should You Buy Backlinks For Your Site?

There are many purists who would advise you to never Buy Backlinks For SEO (What is SEO?) for your website, no matter what.

It’s easy to understand why they might feel this way. Google explicitly states that purchasing backlinks can be used in an effort to manipulate rankings, which is why this practice goes directly against their guidelines in most cases.

Google does allow site owners to pay for links under certain circumstances – but they must be marked as sponsored and designated as no-follow.

Since no-follow links don’t pass on “link juice,” this isn’t an option when you need to build a considerable number of links.

It’s worth noting that just because Google advises against buying backlinks, that doesn’t mean every site owner will follow suit. In many cases, buying backlinks for SEO can be a decent option.

As long as you’re smart about the sites you buy from and you use this tactic sparingly, the risk you take won’t be as high.

Be sure to evaluate any sites that offer paid backlinks to assess their domain rating and overall reputation, as well as their web design.

Steer clear of anything that feels inherently spammy, inappropriate, or irrelevant to your business.  And if you do buy backlinks, don’t go overboard.

Limit your use of this technique and supplement with as many natural backlinks as you can. Don’t spend too much of your budget in this area, either!

Unless it’s a nationally-known and respected website, you shouldn’t have to shell out hundreds of dollars for a single backlink.

The decision about whether to buy backlinks is deeply personal. It’s best to take a diverse approach to link-building and to research your options before making a purchase.

That way, you’ll build your backlink profile naturally and can reap the rewards.