I don't purchase backlinks anymore—instead, I've built an ecosystem around story-driven value. One moment stands out: after a VIP client from Germany left a handwritten thank-you note in our vehicle, I turned that into a blog post about "human luxury." That single piece earned three unsolicited backlinks from German travel blogs and doubled our organic leads for two weeks. What replaced link-buying for me? Relationship SEO. I run a growing network of content-driven hotel microsites designed to link out first. I spotlight hotels with no affiliate push, which builds goodwill with concierges. Over time, some have linked back to us organically—or referred guests directly. I also optimize every booking form and story for clarity. That improved time-on-page and helped our brand get cited naturally in local forums and Reddit threads (especially among expats). The strategy costs time, not money—but ROI is higher, longer-lasting, and Google-safe.
I've never purchased backlinks directly, but I've built a successful link-earning strategy that's generated measurable results for SunValue. The key is creating content that industry publications actually want to reference. My biggest win was publishing "How Solar Impacts U.S. Home Resale Value (2025 Update)" using public MLS and Zillow data. This study was picked up organically by Realtor.com and Greentech Media without a single outreach email, earning us high-authority backlinks that competitors are still trying to replicate. The budget I would have spent on purchased links now goes toward collaboration with experts in adjacent fields. For our solar and home value guide, we worked with a real estate analyst and financial planner - their input helped us create one of the most shared pieces in our niche and earned 12 backlinks from authoritative finance sites. What works consistently is the "journalist-first" approach I developed after Google's March 2024 update. Instead of generic content, I blend expert interviews with local case studies to create defensible, authentic content that increased our referring domains by 27% in six months.
I still consider buying backlinks a powerful ranking signal provided I do extensive research first. I take into consideration to type of backlink provided (nofollow, dofollow, UGC, sponsored, etc) before making a decision to purchase. If the backlink is nofollow but has the potential to send referrals, then that is also taken into consideration. I am a little bit cautious when it comes to purchasing guest posts, especially since Google is more aggresive in removing content from their SERPs lately. Unless the author has a solid reputation in their industry, then I tend to avoid them. I would also seek confirmation that the author will make the best effort to get the blog post indexed. Should it be deindexed (within an agreed timeframe), then the author is obliged to rewrite the post. I usually set about 10% of my monthly fees for link aquisition. This is spread across multiple sources such as local citations, local sponsored adverts, and other relevant business directories & websites. I will also outreach and ask about potential link insertions into relevant, established blog posts. I do also like to use link baiting techniques, as well as email outreach pitching new content to other bloggers within a related industry.
I haven't bought a backlink since the Panda Update (2011). However, I believe the Google's Spam Classifier has moved the things forward. The system is just too good at matching anchor text across networks. I've only heard horror stories from people who keep buying backlinks. One way or another they got caught at some point. The game is simple - Google doesn't want you to buy links. And if you buy links and get caught, cleaning up that mess will cost more than the links themselves. My replacement stack is straight digital PR. Journalists' X posts and platforms like Featured/HARO are the way to go. You can build real relationships and then move forward from there. In 2025 being a recognized brand and having real relationships is the most important thing. Nobody wants to link to a faceless entity anymore - they want to connect with real brands that add value to their audience. The ROI on this approach has been way better than purchased links ever were and with zero risk of penalties.
Yes, we still buy backlinks from independent niche bloggers. Not exactly a network of sites. It's a bonus if they have a list of websites. But from my 6 years of experience, I can say that 99% of those links are of low quality. If we scout through 100 links, we find 5-10 links that are worth guest posting from. There isn't a direct ROI on these backlinks but we observed that backlinks (especially guest posts) still work great for local businesses. We don't use the same strategy for established B2B brands. We implement Reactive PR, and sponsored posts for these brands. And if we were ever to stop buying links, we'd switch over to digital PR links. We in fact did stop buying links this way and started HARO/PR. And it's been very successful for our clients so far. A typical link I'd prefer to buy is at the most $100. But we're flexible with the budget for very high authority sites. These are usually direct deals with website owners, no middlemen involved. This saved at least $1000/month on an average with direct manual outreach vs acquiring links through vendors. Nothing wrong with it but that's just way too costly. One important note: we've never seen a site get penalized, algorithmically or manually, just for acquiring backlinks. The real issue has been with AI-generated or low-quality content. In fact, strategic backlinking has repeatedly helped improve organic traffic for our clients.
Instead of buying paid backlinks, we've dedicated more time on personal branding and becoming thought leaders that offer expert advice in the field. When we publish data, statistics, tips or personal insights and expertise that we have gathered from working at Bestever and experimenting with AI developments on a regular basis, it helps generate organic backlinks as other publications find our insights aand expertise interesting choosing to use our examples, thoughts or statistics and of course citing Bestever.ai in the process. It seems like a win-win being given the opportunity to share our expertise and help many people still exploring AI and getting organic backlinks, too.
As a co-founder and CMO at Collaborator, as well as the founder of SEO agency Livepage, I can share some real-world experience regarding link building and the approaches that actually work today. At this point, SEO agencies actively use link building to drive growth for their clients. We've seen rising popularity across nearly all formats — from Digital PR to PBN placements. The choice of method depends heavily on the niche and region. For example, eCommerce projects always rely on a large volume of sponsored content and article placements. Just last week, I spoke to a client whose competitor became a market leader in Brazil by following a systematic strategy — they placed over 2,500 paid backlinks over a few years. Meanwhile, their in-house SEO managed to manually secure just 60 backlinks in an entire year. Personally, I'm skeptical of claims about "SEO without backlinks." In reality, only a very narrow group of projects can afford that — major brands or small one-page websites. Backlinks remain a core ranking factor, and I see no issue in obtaining them through all legal and strategic methods. Of course, if the site or product can't hold the user's attention, no amount of backlinks will deliver long-term results. Budgets for link building depend on the project. On average, they range from $1,000 to $10,000 per month. We always start with free methods and highly relevant paid backlinks. Then, we monitor how the site's visibility and rankings react and adjust the strategy accordingly. Deep competitor analysis is essential here. For Digital PR and higher-cost backlinks, we always use UTM tags and integrate data into Power BI. A typical setup includes connecting the website with Pipedrive and Google Analytics to track results. We've never faced penalties due to backlinks — thanks to strict website selection criteria and maintaining a diverse, natural link profile. That, in my view, is the key to staying safe. As for Digital PR, I don't see much sense in paying for expensive backlinks when the content has nothing to do with the company's expertise. That budget is often better spent on brand-building or influencer marketing.
We used to purchase backlinks through private blog networks (PBNs) to enhance our SEO rankings, but we have long since abandoned that strategy after noticing that this method only provided a short-lived surge in visibility. Search engines are constantly improving their algorithmic capability of detecting manipulative link-building strategies, and we knew it was not worth the risk of facing penalties for what we consider to be superficial SEO boost. So, we have since returned to earning backlinks organically. Our current strategy now focuses on earning links through content marketing and responding to relevant HARO and Featured queries aimed at establishing thought leadership about overall print fashion and festival wear. There is no denying that these tasks are more painstaking compared to the previous approach. However, they are far better from an ethical standpoint and will contribute to long-term SEO success.
* Do you still purchase backlinks? If so, what types (e.g. guest post networks, PBNs, sponsored articles) and from which platforms? I don't anymore. The quality of the links over time as proven volatile - links get taken down, changed from do-follow to no-follow, or the DR of the site plummets. I now exclusively use platforms like Featured to acquire backlinks * What's your budget range for buying links today, and how do you measure ROI? Around $250 a month via platforms subscription platforms like Featured. For each featured plan at $49 per month I look to submit around 200 answers in a given month. I then work on a 10% conversion rate which equates to around 20 backlinks per month. This breaks down to $2.50 per link
The SEO landscape has changed dramatically, and Nautilus acts far beyond the old way of simply buying backlinks. It seems such a temptation to go for guest post networks or sponsored content - no doubt, for quick wins - but risk-yield considerations have turned against it. Google's algorithms have grown ever sharper; from our end, we have witnessed sites plummet set against heavy purchases of links, particularly with cheap sources. Instead, we put our energies into building digital authority genuinely. That involves making big bets on content, leveraging digital PR to get mentions in highly authoritative publications, and developing online relationships through partnerships and community events. These sorts of activities help to get sustainable traffic yet secure the client's SEO in the future. Honestly, buying backlinks could be good for a quick sale; value-driven strategies are going to award visibility and trust on the long term. If you are still investing thousands into various schemes for backlinks, you might want to consider rethinking where that budget could have the most impact - would it be better served on the development of assets to earn link recognition organically? That, my friend, is where the true ROI is.
CEO at Digital Web Solutions
Answered 8 months ago
We have stayed out of the backlink marketplace because we wanted clean, measurable and sustainable SEO for clients. The second you buy links you introduce noise and long term risk into your strategy. We did not want to build systems that worked today but collapsed under Google's next guideline shift. Stability mattered more than short-term gains. Instead we committed to earned media through storytelling, outreach and unique audience first content. These links convert better, age better and never feel like liabilities. We have grown with peace of mind and we intend to keep it that way. You can't fake authority forever so we never tried.
In the past four years, I have worked with clients who spent over $500,000 on backlinks ranging from aggressive outreach to dismantling multi-tier PBNs when a client was "in too deep." I have been brought in twice to help recover from manual action penalties caused by PBNs in this same time frame. Black hat tactics *can* still work, but the risk-to-reward ratio continues to shrink. To budget appropriately, reverse engineer the backlink profiles of your SERP competitors. Run an outreach campaign, measure performance after earning a few strong links, and adjust from there. Some brands spend six figures buying links; others invest the same in building brand equity. The decision is contextual, and the solution isn't always to pour money on the problem. What drives sustainable results today is high-authority link earning through digital PR and legitimate placements. It is slower and often more expensive, but far less volatile. You can also earn backlinks through hiring a reputable outreach agency if PR isn't your preference. In any case, few things are more satisfying than watching a Google update reward your clean profile while penalizing competitors relying on shady shortcuts.
We have nothing against buying backlinks. From time to time we buy PBN links, but we treat this very carefully and only for niche projects with strict risk control. We choose platforms that are mostly closed or private. We also often use sponsored articles on specialized sites, where we have the opportunity to control the topic and quality of traffic - we work directly with the editors. If you have stopped buying links, I advise you to focus on content marketing. We create useful, in-depth content that by its nature naturally attracts links and traffic.
We stopped buying links years ago. Buying links was never scalable for us. Back when we tested sponsored posts and PBN-style outreach, the ROI was short-lived. The gains came quickly, then dropped even faster during updates like Penguin. We never received a manual penalty, but volatility eroded trust in that strategy. Our current SEO model is tied to product-led storytelling and integration partnerships. We co-create content with B2B partners and link back organically through their newsletters, documentation, and onboarding materials. Content earns links better than cash ever did We run a recurring series tied to trending API use cases in our space. That alone attracts links from developers, product blogs, and even some government technology forums. Instead of link quantity, we track link velocity and relevance. One deep link from a user community converts more than 20 fluff placements from third-party "authority" sites. If you're still investing $ 2,000 in link packages, you're not building a brand, you're renting it. Our budget now goes into building data tools people want to cite, not buying placements no one reads.
We still purchase backlinks through our marketing agency, mainly via guest and sponsored posts, plus some curated link insertions. In Motion Marketing advises against PBNs due to long-term risk—we stick to higher-authority sites with editorial relevance. Our monthly budget is around \$5K, and we measure ROI based on ranking improvements and non-branded organic traffic growth. No penalties so far, but we diversify with content-led outreach and digital PR to balance the risk.
We don't buy backlinks. The ROI is too shaky, and the risk of manual penalties or long-term devaluation isn't worth it. Instead, we focus on building content assets that attract links organically—original research, industry commentary, and useful tools tied to our clients' offerings. For reliable impact, partnerships and digital PR outperform most paid link schemes over time.
Hi there! We recently conducted a large-scale study on link building, surveying over 500 SEO professionals - and uncovered some pretty interesting insights about backlink buying. For example: - 91.9% believe their competitors are actively buying backlinks. - $508.95 is the average "acceptable" price for acquiring a high-quality backlink. - $8,406 is the average minimum monthly budget needed to compete in highly competitive niches. You can find the full results on our page (https://editorial.link/link-building-statistics/) - it might be a helpful resource for your article. Now, to answer your specific questions: We don't buy backlinks in the traditional sense - we usually secure placements through collaborations. Occasionally, we'll go for a sponsored post if we believe the article has real traffic potential and can help build our brand. About 90% of our outreach is done via LinkedIn. As for budget, we typically spend around $8K-$12K per month, since we're in a highly competitive niche and need to stay ahead. The budget depends on the quality of the opportunity - if a solid collaboration costs $4K-$5K but has strong potential, we're happy to go for it. In terms of risk - as long as you're not buying from link farms and are selective with placements, there's little to worry about. Plenty of top-ranking websites rely heavily on paid backlinks. As for alternatives, high-quality content still works. For instance, our last industry report earned over 100 referring domains organically - including links from sites like Neil Patel and several of our competitors. The downside? You can't control the volume, so we usually run content-based strategies in parallel with active link acquisition.
Buying backlinks still works, but honestly, it's getting riskier with how smart Google's updates have become. Relying too much on paid links, especially through guest post networks or shady sponsorships, can hurt your rankings, or you can even get a penalty. Instead, I've moved toward safer, more sustainable strategies like partnerships and using platforms like Featured.com. There, I share expert insights and get published along with a natural link to our site and, sometimes, to my LinkedIn as well. It's a win-win as it builds authority, earns legit backlinks, and also shows Google the real people behind the brand our brand, which really helps with E-E-A-T.
I work with 2-3 organizations as their SEO Consultant. Here's my input to each question: 1) Yes, we do purchase backlinks. I work with a link-building agency for that. Typically, we go for guest posts or sponsored articles. But never spammy bulk links or PBNs. Every link is vetted to ensure it's relevant to our niche, comes from a site with good DA, and the "backlink site" itself ranks for relevant keywords. 2) The budget usually ranges from $100 to $300 per link. We measure ROI in two ways: Whether the backlink is passing link juice to our domain. Or whether the guest post itself is ranking on Google and driving readers to our sponsored post or link. 3) No, we've never faced a penalty. I make sure no client site is ever associated with spammy domains. Each site we get a backlink from is thoroughly vetted—it must be credible, rank for relevant keywords on Google, show no recent traffic drop, and have no signs of black-hat SEO.
We strictly do not buy links for multiple reasons, which include Google's own devaluing or penalizing of those links. Instead, we put all of our link-building efforts into creating link-worth content on our site through blog content and graphics that can be shared. But we also have a robust digital PR strategy that helps supplement the organic on-site content. The road to link-building success has always been fraught and difficult, and anything that can be perceived as a "quick win" essentially means nothing these days. Google values relevant, authoritative backlinks, which are incredibly difficult to acquire, but mean so much more to your site's SEO equity in the end.