Buying backlinks can cost between $50 and $500 per link, with annual expenses easily exceeding $5,000. Beyond the high cost, this practice violates Google’s guidelines and can result in severe penalties. Investing in organic strategies like content marketing and partnerships offers safer and more lasting results.
Let’s be honest: who hasn’t been tempted to give SEO a little “boost” by buying some backlinks? It’s like wanting to skip the movie theater line — everyone’s thought about it, but not everyone stops to think about the consequences.
The truth is that buying backlinks has become a common practice in the digital world, but few talk about the real costs and risks involved. Spoiler: they’re not few and they’re not cheap.
Why do so many sites still buy backlinks?
The logic behind buying backlinks is simple: more links pointing to your site = greater authority = better Google rankings. At least that’s how it seems to work in theory.
The problem is that Google isn’t exactly a fan of this strategy. Google’s Quality Guidelines tell us that buying links is considered a serious violation that can result in manual or algorithmic penalties.
When detected, your site can:
- Lose positions drastically in search results
- Be completely removed from Google’s index
- Suffer penalties that can take months or years to reverse
It’s kind of like trying to cheat on a test — it might work in the short term, but when they find out, the consequences are much worse than if you had studied from the beginning.
How much does it really cost to maintain purchased backlinks?
This is where things get interesting (and expensive). The price of backlinks varies dramatically depending on several factors:
Factors that influence price:
- Domain authority (DA/DR)
- Site’s organic traffic
- Market niche
- Language and geographic location
- Type of content (guest post, link insertion, etc.)
Typical price ranges:
- Low to medium authority sites: $50 to $200 per link
- High authority sites (DA 70+): $500 to $1,000+ per publication
- Premium site links: $2,000 or more
To put this in perspective: maintaining just 10 active backlinks over a year can cost between $2,000 and $10,000, depending on the quality of the chosen sites.
According to Ahrefs data, companies spend an average of $83 per acquired backlink, but many of these links are temporary or low quality.
Where do people usually buy backlinks?
Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only. Using these platforms may violate Google’s guidelines.
Fiverr
The freelancer platform has become a real backlink supermarket. You’ll find packages ranging from $5 (spoiler: they’re probably spam) to more elaborate offers for hundreds of dollars. The problem is that quality varies absurdly. It’s like buying street food — sometimes you get lucky, sometimes… well, you get it.
LinksManagement
Focuses on “permanent” backlinks on sites with real traffic. Offers segmentation by country and category, which is useful for local campaigns. Prices are higher, but quality tends to be better than generic marketplaces.
Backlinks.com
Works as a marketplace where site owners list their spaces for sale. Allows more budget control and offers contextual links, which are more valued by algorithms.
The real hidden cost of this strategy
Beyond the direct investment, there are hidden costs that many people don’t consider:
Continuous maintenance: Many links are sold as “rentals” — they stop working when you stop paying. It’s like a gym membership: you need to keep paying to maintain the benefits.
Risk of penalties: If your site gets penalized, the cost to recover can be astronomical. This includes loss of traffic, revenue, and investment in link auditing and cleanup.
Opportunity cost: The money spent on backlinks could be invested in more sustainable and safer strategies.
Smarter (and safer) alternatives
Instead of spending thousands of dollars on links that might disappear or penalize you, consider strategies that actually work long-term:
Content marketing: Creating valuable content that naturally attracts links. Content Marketing Institute companies advises to invest in quality content generate 3 times more leads than traditional marketing.
Strategic partnerships: Establishing relationships with other sites in your niche for content exchanges and natural mentions.
Digital public relations: Connecting with journalists, bloggers, and influencers to get organic mentions.
Tools like inBond: Platforms like inBond facilitate organic link building campaigns, connecting you with relevant sites in your niche naturally and within Google’s guidelines.
The reality is that buying backlinks might seem like a tempting shortcut, but it’s like building a house on sand — it might work for a while, but when the tide comes in, everything collapses.
Investment in organic strategies is not only safer but also tends to be more economical in the long run. After all, the best backlink is one you earn through the quality of your content, not the size of your wallet.
