A Complete Guide to Purchasing Links: What, Why & How

What Does Purchasing Links Entail?

Purchasing links entails paying for links that point to your website. 

• You can purchase links by contacting owners of other sites directly. 
• However, the more common way to purchase links is to buy them via a specialized marketplace or to hire a link building agency or a contractor. 

Link building agencies and contractors also typically charge per link, and not per hour of work. For example, our agency offers three link packages:

Instead of hiring and paying us to do, for example, blogger outreach, you can simply hire us to build you links (or you don’t pay us). 

How Much Does It Cost To Buy Links?

In 2024, a single link costs around $300. However, keep in mind that the prices can differ based on a number of factors — especially link quality. 

Higher-quality links are, of course, usually more expensive than lower-quality links. Our prices reflect this, too: 

We charge:

• $180 for a medium-quality link → a link from a site with a Domain Authority (DA) score of 40+
• $280 for a high-quality link → a link from a site with a Domain Authority (DA) score of 60+
• $380 for an extremely high-quality link → a link from a site with a Domain Authority (DA) score of 80+

Of course, some agencies and marketplaces also offer bulk discounts (us included).

Does Purchasing Links Work?

Any type of link building has its benefits, and paid link building is no exception.

In fact, natural link building is unpredictable and tends to yield slow results. That’s exactly why many website owners eventually decide to start purchasing links — i.e., invest in paid link building.

In terms of SEO, the short answer is: yes, purchasing links works. Here are some statistics that confirm this:

1. Top Search Results Have (More) Backlinks

More than 96% of websites in the top 10 results in Google have over 1,000 backlinks from unique domains. 

Additionally, the 1st-ranking results also tend to have 3.8x more backlinks than results in positions 2-10.

These statistics show a very likely correlation between backlinks and rankings.

This is further bolstered by the-recently-leaked Google Search documents, which seem to indicate that backlinks are indeed a crucial ranking factor. 

2. More Backlinks = More Traffic

Higher positions in the SERPs also lead to more organic traffic. To be more precise, some studies indicate that 1st-ranking results get 34% of all organic traffic. 

So, by improving your rankings, backlinks are also likely to bring you substantially more organic traffic.

Additionally, backlinks also increase referral traffic, i.e., traffic that comes from other websites to yours by clicking on links.

In a nutshell, it’s a win on both fronts.

3. So Many SEOs Can’t Be Wrong

In one survey, 92% of expert SEOs said they believe that competitors buy links. 

This belief likely doesn’t stem from hunches, but deep analyses and research. 

If they’re right—i.e., if your competitors are purchasing links, too—you probably need to do the same to stay competitive. Today, it is virtually impossible to compete for the top-ranking positions without backlinks.

How To Buy Links - 7 Popular Ways

Have you decided that purchasing links is the right choice? In that case, here’s how you can do it:

1. Work With Link Building Agencies

As mentioned, one popular way to build paid links is to work with professional link building agencies. 

• Some require a more hands-on approach from their clients. In that case, link building is usually conducted like a typical marketing collaboration that involves extensive back-and-forth.

• Other agencies, like ours, require significantly less involvement. You can order the links you want directly on our website. After that, you just need to provide us with a few details, specifically your desired anchor phrase and URLs. We handle everything else for you, from writing relevant articles to getting them published.

However, you can also give us more details or note any special requirements if that’s what you prefer.

Either way, working with reputable link building agencies is one of the best ways to build reliable, long-term links. 

The biggest pro is that agencies can use their battle-fought know-how to help you improve your link building campaigns and make better decisions. So, by working with them, you’re not just getting links—you’re also getting SEO support.

2. Buy Links From Online Marketplaces

Another option is to buy links from online marketplaces. The biggest advantage of these platforms is that they typically have thousands of websites you can choose from. 

However, marketplaces tend to have lower-quality links. It’s highly unlikely they’ll contain link opportunities from high-authority sites, such as Forbes or Southern Living.

Additionally, marketplaces usually only offer one-size-fits-all solutions that may not be the best option for your business. There’s also little to no SEO support involved.

3. Pay For Content Syndication Services

Content syndication refers to republishing a piece of content in different channels or platforms. For example, if we republished this blog post with zero adjustments in other publications, that would be content syndication. 

Because of that, content syndication may have fewer SEO benefits than, for example, guest posting.

Guest posting involves creating a new, never-before-published piece of content specifically for the purpose of publishing it on another site. Google likely prefers this tactic over publishing what’s extremely close to duplicate content.

(Note, however, that there are likely some differences between how Google treats duplicate and syndicated content.) 

With all of that said, content syndication is a great way to build links and increase brand visibility.

4. Pay For A Guest Post

We already touched upon guest posts and what they are. We should also mention that you may sometimes be able to publish them for free.

However, if your goal is to get your post published on a high-authority, high-quality website, you’ll likely need to pay to play. 

Another drawback is that guest posting takes time. A lot of time. You need to find websites to pitch to, find relevant contact information, write and send your pitch, create content, edit the content based on feedback, and potentially more. 

All in all, guest posting is a great method for building links—but do consider if you have the time to implement it.

5. Pay For A Sponsored Post

Alternatively, you can pay a well-known influencer or publication to write a sponsored blog post about your brand.

In this case, you are not the one creating your content and you don’t need to go through time-consuming pitching processes. This makes this strategy typically quicker and easier than guest posting. 

Note, however, that sponsored links need to have an appropriate rel=”sponsored” link attribute.

They’re also likely to be more expensive than guest posting and perhaps even working with link building agencies.

6. Pay For Press Releases

Press releases inform audiences of something noteworthy about your company. They’re usually published after some big changes take place. 

For example, press releases can announce:

• A new product
• A new partnership
• Market expansion
• Funding rounds and investments, etc. 

Press releases can work wonders for your reach, brand awareness, and SEO. 

However, you may not always have something newsworthy to share, in which case this strategy may not make the most sense. Paid PR also tends to be expensive.

7. Pay For Niche Edits

Niche edits involve adding links to existing content on other websites. 

The biggest advantage of niche edits is that they eliminate the need of creating new content, which makes them quite resource-effective compared to most link building strategies. 

They also give you more control over where your links are published and how their host page performs. With guests posts, for example, you have much less control since the new URL is published only after you submit your content.

The drawback, however, is that the content is already there, so you can’t adjust it to your needs. You may also need to wait a longer time to see real SEO benefits from niche edits.

Purchasing Bad Vs. Good Links (How to Tell Between the Two)

When purchasing links, it’s crucial to pay attention to link quality. Some links are higher quality than others, and some are so “bad” that they can negatively affect your website. 

So, how can you tell one from the other? Here are a few guidelines: 

• Dofollow links are better than nofollow links. However, nofollow links won’t hurt your website; they’ll just have a smaller impact on your SEO. Note that most websites today only include nofollow links to other sites, especially in case of paid placements.
• Text links are typically better than image links. But image links won’t damage your SEO either. 
• Links with relevant anchor phrases are always better than links with irrelevant anchor phrases; just make sure not to overoptimize them. For example, an anchor phrase such as “blogger outreach tools” is better than “click here.”
• Contextually relevant links are better than non-relevant links. Non-relevant links are also much more likely to be penalized. 
• Links on high-authority sites are better than links on low-authority sites. In fact, sites with poor authority may even hurt your site. 
• Links from PBNs can definitely hurt your site. Avoid them at all costs.
• Other types of spammy links, like automated links or irrelevant links in forums, should be avoided as well.

Purchasing Backlinks — Physical Vs. Digital Currency

Today, you can also choose between purchasing backlinks with physical or digital currency. 

Physical Currency

Purchasing backlinks with physical currency usually involves paying with a credit card or via a bank transfer. This is a traditional way to buy backlinks.

Digital Currency

Another option is buying backlinks with crypto. Some people prefer it due to crypto transactions usually being faster and cheaper and offering more anonymity. 

(We currently offer the option of paying with Bitcoin.)

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The Risks Of Purchasing Links

Many people talk about how buying backlinks can get you penalized by Google. However, in their own spam policies, the search engine giant states something that clearly contradicts this:

"Google does understand that buying and selling links is a normal part of the economy of the web for advertising and sponsorship purposes."

So, it would be more accurate to say that penalizations are highly unlikely, unless you're using spammy link building practices - like building PBN backlinks.

Otherwise, you will be completely fine.

To fully eliminate the risk, make sure to: 

• Work with reputable, experienced agencies and contractors who know what they're doing (like us!), and
• Avoid low-quality, spammy backlinks.

As long as you follow these two simple guidelines, you are at no risk.

What To Avoid When Buying Links

• Avoid building links on spammy and low-quality websites. 
• Don’t work with suspicious agencies or contractors. Do your due diligence and ensure that your prospective partner is trustworthy. 
• Don’t neglect other best SEO practices, especially creating high-quality content. 
• Avoid building backlinks on irrelevant pages. 
• Avoid non-descriptive anchor phrases, such as “click here” or “check out this website.”
• Don’t build too many paid links at once. If you’re buying in bulk, opt for link dripping. 

What’s The Alternative To Paying For Links?

The alternative to paying for links is trying to build them naturally. You can do this by creating link-worthy content and getting it in front of the right people—for example, by promoting it on social media or even sending it directly to websites that may be interested.

Here are some examples of link-worthy content:

• Original research, such as studies and surveys 
• Tools, like online calculators or quizzes
• High-quality guides, preferably with personal insights  

Should You Be Purchasing Links?

There’s no right or wrong answer. 

However, most website owners should purchase links if they want to grow faster and get predictable results.

The problem with natural link building is that it’s almost completely out of your control. You can do your best to create and promote high-quality content, but it’s ultimately up to others’ whether they’ll link to you or not. 

Slow growth perhaps wouldn’t be such an issue if so many websites weren’t already buying links. If you’re in a competitive niche, chances are your competitors are buying links and getting ahead of you in the SERPs. 

That means you may also need to buy links just to compete on equal footing.

Interested in Purchasing Links From a Trustworthy Partner?

Our agency has been building links for clients for almost a decade. We also have a number of reputable sites in our network, including Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Inc. 

By working with us, you can get access to the highest-quality publications globally and get your site in front of thousands of users. We also provide a lifetime guarantee on all our links.

Sounds good? Contact us today for more information or purchase links directly from our website.