Should you buy backlinks in 2023?

What is a backlink in SEO?

In the context of  (SEO), a backlink is a link from one website to another. These links are also known as "inbound links" or "incoming links." Backlinks are important for SEO because search engines, like Google, use them as a way to determine the relevance and authority of a website. In general, a website that has many high-quality backlinks is considered to be more authoritative and relevant than a website that has fewer backlinks. Therefore, having a lot of backlinks can help a website rank higher in search engine results. 

Why is backlink important for brands to understand?

Backlinks are important for brands to understand because they are a key factor in how search engines determine the relevance and authority of a website.

1. Search engine ranking: Backlinks can significantly impact a website's search engine rankings. A website that has a lot of high-quality backlinks is considered to be more authoritative and relevant than a website that has fewer backlinks, and therefore is more likely to rank higher in search engine results.

2. Increase website traffic: Backlinks can also drive referral traffic to a website. When a user clicks on a backlink, they are taken to the linked website. This can lead to an increase in website visitors, which can lead to more conversions, sales, and revenue.

3. Brand recognition and credibility: By acquiring backlinks from authoritative websites, brands can gain recognition and credibility in their industry.

Diversifying referral sources: backlinks also can be seen as a trust signal to users, by having backlinks from various sources it can help brands to present themselves as a trusted and reliable source of information.

Backlinks are important for brands to understand, and a strategic backlink building is a critical aspect of a comprehensive SEO strategy.

Should you buy backlinks?

It is generally not a good idea to buy backlinks for your website. Search engines like Google have sophisticated algorithms that can detect when a website is artificially trying to boost its backlinks, and they may penalize the website for doing so.

Buying backlinks is considered a violation of Google's Webmaster Guidelines, which state that "any links intended to manipulate PageRank or a site's ranking in Google search results may be considered part of a link scheme and a violation of Google’s Webmaster Guidelines." Such penalties can include a drop in search engine rankings, and in severe cases, a complete removal from search engine results.

Additionally, buying backlinks can also put the website's reputation at risk since the backlinks might come from low-quality or even spammy websites. This can cause the website to be associated with low-quality or spammy content and damage the brand's reputation.

A better approach is to focus on creating high-quality, valuable content that other websites will want to link to naturally. This will help your website to earn relevant, authoritative backlinks that will help to improve your search engine rankings and drive referral traffic to your website. 

Option 1: Use the Dice

Simply roll the dice if you're ready to face the risk of losing your traffic overnight. It all comes down to risk assessment.

Keep in mind that certain connection kinds are more dangerous than others. Purchasing PBN links, for example, is riskier than purchasing a link placement on a legitimate blog. 

Option 2: Use of proxy sites.

One way to reduce risk is to create a separate website from your main business. 

Of course, this isn't a foolproof technique because A) it's a waste of money and B) if you link the two, your corporate site might still be hacked. 

Option 3: Diversify your investments

This isn't an issue at first because immersion is an efficient method of learning, but you must adjust with time.

It's easy to get caught up in the SEO bubble and forget that there are other high-impact activities that might help your organization grow.

The fact is that some organizations are not prepared for SEO right away. SEO is a burning fuel. It should not be your initial step.

What matters most is developing a fantastic product/service. It makes no difference how amazing your SEO is if no one wants to buy your goods or services.

Affiliate marketers are the one exception. Affiliate marketers may earn a lot of money without having to sell anything. 

ROI Math

One of the biggest elements of effective marketing is figuring out what gets a business the best return on investment (ROI). SEO can produce incredible returns, but you need to understand where to invest your capital. You also need to make decisions based on what stage you’re at in your SEO campaign lifecycle.

It’s always going to be better to invest in content if you’re in the early stages of an SEO campaign. There is no good reason to invest in link acquisition if you don’t have a well-optimized site or a base of content assets. 

Where can you buy backlinks?

It's generally not a good idea to buy backlinks, as doing so can violate search engine guidelines and put your website at risk of penalties or even being removed from search engine results. Search engines like Google use sophisticated algorithms that can detect artificially-acquired backlinks, and they may penalize a website for attempting to boost its backlinks through buying.

However, despite this, there are a few places where you can potentially buy backlinks. Some examples include:

1. Online marketplaces: There are various online marketplaces where backlinks can be purchased. These include Fiverr, Upwork, and similar websites. However, the majority of links sold on these platforms are low-quality or spammy and can harm your website reputation.

2. Private blog networks: Some individuals or companies sell access to private blog networks (PBNs). PBNs are networks of websites that are used to create backlinks to a main website. However, similar to online marketplaces, these links can be seen as low-quality and can get your site penalized.

3. Black hat SEO services: Some SEO services offer to sell backlinks, but these services often use illegal and unethical techniques to get links. These techniques include link farms, link wheels, and other forms of link manipulation, which can get your site penalized by search engines.

You should focus on making content that is high-quality, useful, and relevant. This will naturally bring in relevant, authoritative backlinks, which is better for SEO.

DMA specializes in managing SEO services for various businesses. We offer many different SEO services, such as keyword research and optimizing landing pages. 

If you are interested in having DMA review your existing landing pages or in having us create winning landing pages for your SEO services, feel free to schedule a call with one of our web engineers.