Is Buying Backlinks Worth It? 4 Risks of Paying for Links

Backlinks are one of the most decisive ranking factors in Google’s algorithm — so naturally, the SEO world has turned them into a commodity.

And like everything in high demand, the price is going up.

According to a 2024 Authority Hacker study, buying a single backlink from a website with decent authority costs $361 on average. That’s just one link. Want ten backlinks? That’s $3,610. Want fifty? Hope you’ve got $18K lying around...

And it's hard to believe but it's true - in some niches, like legal or finance, one backlink can cost up to $15K.

The worst thing: you might pay all that and still see zero results.

Let’s break down why buying backlinks isn’t always the best move — and what you can do instead to get high-quality backlinks for free.

4 Risks of Paying for Backlinks

1. Google Will Ignore Your Paid Links

Here’s something most sellers won’t tell you: Google’s pretty good at spotting paid backlinks — and when it does, it ignores them.

Google’s algorithms look at patterns like:

• A sudden spike in new links from irrelevant or low-quality sites
• Identical anchor texts
• Links that appear in spammy guest posts, link farms, or PBNs

So if you’re paying for links and they get flagged? You’ve just thrown hundreds (or thousands) of dollars down the drain.

2. Google Might Penalize Your Site

If you’re really unlucky, Google won’t just ignore those links — it might penalize you.

Manual penalties for “unnatural links” can tank your site’s rankings overnight. And recovery? That can take months, even if you clean things up.

There are horror stories across Reddit and SEO forums of businesses losing all their traffic after getting hit with a penalty. Buying backlinks can feel like a shortcut — but it’s also playing with fire.

"I'd say absolutely do not buy backlinks. This is considered blackhat by Google, and you'll eventually get penalized. Just think how much it will suck for you to put all that work into your blog and then get burned by Google for buying backlinks. If you've invested that much hard work into your business, the risk isn't worth it."

A Reddit user

3. You Could Damage Your Brand Reputation

Backlinks don’t just pass SEO juice — they also send signals about your brand.

If your site is constantly popping up on spammy blogs, irrelevant directories, or clearly sponsored posts, people notice. Potential customers, partners, even future investors — they Google you. And when your backlink profile is full of low-quality, sketchy domains? That’s not a good look.

Think of it like PR. You want to be mentioned in places that add credibility, not ones that make people question your legitimacy.

4. You’ll Waste Large Budgets With No Guarantee

Buying backlinks is expensive and unpredictable. You could spend thousands and get:

• Links that never go live
• Links that are removed after a few weeks
• Links from shady sites that hurt your authority

Worse than that, price doesn't always mean high quality.

"There are popular publishers asking in the 5 digit range per link. But, while quality rules over quantity, make sure to know what you'll get upfront. There are link sellers asking $300 for links I wouldn't pay $10 for. So, high quality usually means not cheap, but not cheap isn't always high quality."

A Reddit user

Even if the links are solid, you’re not guaranteed rankings. Google’s algorithm weighs many signals — content quality, technical SEO, user behavior, and more. Backlinks help, but they’re not magic. You risk wasting thousands of dollars of marketing budget that you could’ve spent otherwise.

So if your site doesn’t move up, who do you blame? And more importantly — who gives you your money back?

So… Can You Get Backlinks for Free?

Many sites that want to sell you a backlink will push the idea that getting quality links for free is impossible.

Here are 6 legit ways to score backlinks without spending a dime:

1. Publish original research or data people want to cite
2. Get featured in roundup posts (e.g., "20 Experts Share…")
3. Answer journalist requests via platforms like Featured, Qwoted, etc.
4. Submit your site to niche directories or launch platforms (like Product Hunt)
5. Join a podcast as a speaker
6. Build relationships with other website owners for organic link exchanges

Want to skip the awkward outreach?

Try Ranking Raccoon — a spam-free link-building networking platform for genuine SEOs.

Ranking Raccoon connects website owners, marketers, and SEO pros in 50+ niches looking to exchange high-quality links with trustworthy sites, 100% for free. You could easily save thousands of dollars each month — while getting better links than most paid providers offer.

TL;DR: Buying Backlinks? Think Twice.

The SEO industry might treat backlinks like a commodity, but paying for them is risky. Between Google’s detection, the high costs, and the lack of guarantees, it's often not worth it.

Instead, focus on earning backlinks through content, collaboration, and smart networking. Platforms like Ranking Raccoon make that easier than ever — and they won’t cost you a dime.