Content revised 20 October 2026.
Before paying for a link, ask what you're buying: a legitimate advertising placement or a link intended to manipulate rankings. Those are different arrangements.
A link count is not a business outcome
An offer of hundreds of backlinks can sound concrete, but the number doesn't explain the sources, audience or purpose. Ask to see examples and the method before paying. A promise of permanent rankings is not evidence that the placement will help your business.
Distinguish promotion from ranking manipulation
Paid advertising and sponsorship can have legitimate commercial purposes. The relationship should be represented appropriately, including suitable link qualification. Paying for a placement mainly to influence search rankings raises a different policy concern. Do not assume that a more expensive broker or a better-looking website changes that purpose.
Consider work that creates a real reason to link
- Publish a genuinely useful resource based on information your business can substantiate.
- Share relevant work with an appropriate audience.
- Maintain accurate references through real partnerships and directories.
- Make it easy for a publisher to find and verify the information they are citing.
Review existing arrangements
Keep records of placements an agency arranged and who controls them. If there is a suspected problem, examine the context and relevant Search Console information before buying a blanket cleanup. Useful promotion takes work, and its results remain uncertain; it should not be sold as a permanent position in Google.
Official guidance: Google’s paid-link qualification guidance.