Don’t Get Stung Buying Backlinks

I recently had a rather eye-opening experience with a client whose obsession with their Google ranking sent me down a rabbit hole to uncover the cause of their declining rank, and consequently their domain authority. It didn’t take long to spot the culprit—an abundance of bad, spammy backlinks that were actively dragging their business down in search results.

Backlinks are a Great SEO Strategy

Backlinks have long been a crucial component of SEO strategy, acting as digital votes of confidence that tell search engines, “Hey, this content is valuable!” But in the competitive world of online visibility, many businesses find themselves weighing the pros and cons of paying for backlinks. Is it a shortcut to higher rankings, or a one-way ticket to Google penalties? Let’s break it down.

The Pros of Buying Backlinks—Kind of…

Speedy Results – Building backlinks organically takes time. Paid services promise a quicker route to improving your site’s authority and rankings.

Hands-Off Approach – If you don’t have time to run outreach campaigns, backlink services handle everything for you.

Potential Boost in Rankings – In the short term, a well-placed backlink from a high-authority site can give your website a ranking push.

Increased Referral Traffic – If the backlinks are placed on reputable sites, they can drive real visitors to your content.

The Cons of Buying Backlinks—Can be Very Costly

Google’s Strict Policies – Google explicitly warns against manipulative link-building schemes. If the search engine catches wind of paid backlinks that violate their guidelines, your site could face penalties, including de-indexing.

Low-Quality Links Can Harm You – Not all backlinks are created equal. Many paid services generate spammy, irrelevant links that can do more harm than good.

Unnatural Link Profiles – Google’s algorithm is smart. If your site suddenly gains a flood of links from unrelated or low-authority sources, it raises red flags.

Wasted Money – Many backlink services promise the moon but deliver links from dubious, low-value websites that won’t help your rankings.

Will Google De-Rank You for Buying Backlinks?

Yes, it’s a possibility. Google’s algorithm is designed to detect unnatural link-building patterns, and if your site is flagged, you could see a drop in rankings—or worse, a manual penalty. Google’s webspam team has been known to crack down on sites engaging in link schemes, and recovering from a penalty can be a long, painful process.

Several websites have suffered significant harm due to bad backlinks. One example is an unnamed e-commerce platform that experienced a 35% drop in traffic due to toxic links from spammy directories. This was several years ago, and it was one of the first enterprise businesses to experience ranking penalties, loss of organic traffic, and a need for urgent backlink cleanup efforts.

Another case involves Kinsta, a managed WordPress hosting provider, which was hit by a negative SEO attack where many spammy backlinks flooded its profile. Yes, spam can get in there and create havoc! Kinsta had to identify and disavow these bad backlinks to prevent a search engine penalty.

A more severe example is a business website that received a manual penalty from Google due to unnatural backlinks. These links were either artificially built or from low-quality sources, which led to a sharp decline in search engine rankings. The company had to undergo a structured recovery process, which included cleaning up backlinks and rebuilding trust with Google.

How to Check Your Backlinks

I use Ahref’s to check my clients’ backlink status, which is how I discovered the nasty spam that had de-ranked my clients’ site. You can use the same tool to check your website’s backlinks right here. And it’s free! 

If your website has bad backlinks, your first course of action is to contact the referring site’s administrator and request removal. The referring site will be noted in your Ahref report. If that proves unsuccessful, you can submit a disavow request to Google to prevent the links from impacting your rankings. Semrush wrote a good article on why and how to do that which you can read right here.

Best Practices for Earning High-Quality Backlinks

Rather than risking penalties, focus on legitimate backlink strategies that build your site’s authority naturally:

Guest Blogging – Writing insightful, valuable content for industry-relevant websites can earn you high-quality backlinks.

Trade Publications & Industry Websites – Pitch articles to respected trade journals or industry news sites.

Use HARO (Help a Reporter Out) – Journalists and bloggers constantly seek expert sources. Responding to queries can land you high-authority backlinks from news sites.

Podcast Guest Spots – Appear on relevant podcasts and often, hosts will include a backlink to your site.

Create Link-Worthy Content – High-value resources, data-driven studies, and in-depth guides attract natural backlinks from other content creators.

Leverage Strategic Partnerships – Work with industry peers to exchange guest posts or get mentions in their content.

Get Featured in Local & Industry Directories – Many high-quality directories provide legitimate backlinks.

Final Verdict: Should You Pay for Backlinks?

If you’re looking for sustainable, long-term SEO success, paying for backlinks is a risky gamble. While some services may provide temporary gains, the potential for penalties and wasted investment outweighs the benefits. Instead, focus on ethical, high-value backlink strategies that position your site as an authoritative, trustworthy resource in your industry. SEO is a marathon, not a sprint—build credibility the right way, and your rankings will thank you.

Looking to strengthen your SEO game with real, lasting results? Focus on strategies that build authority organically, and let Google reward you the right way.