Paid Link

What is a Paid Link?

A paid link is a hyperlink from one website to another that was acquired through payment, compensation, or other arrangement. Google's search guidelines explicitly prohibit buying or selling followed links for SEO purposes, considering it a manipulation of search rankings.

Paid links must use the rel="nofollow" or rel="sponsored" attribute to indicate they don't pass PageRank or influence search rankings. Links that pass authority in exchange for payment violate Google's Webmaster Guidelines.

Why It Matters

Paid links that pass PageRank can trigger Google penalties ranging from ranking drops to manual actions. Recovery from link penalties takes 6-12 months of cleanup work. The risk far outweighs any potential SEO benefit.

That said, legitimate paid advertising with nofollow links is perfectly acceptable. Sponsored content, display ads, and paid placements are all valid marketing channels when properly attributed with nofollow/sponsored tags.

Benchmarks

• Penalty risk: Sites with 10%+ suspicious followed links face high penalty risk
• Recovery timeline: Recovering from link penalties takes 6-12 months
• Cost range: Paid link prices range from $50-$500+ depending on site authority
• Detection: Google's algorithms improve annually at detecting paid link schemes

Best Practices

1. Use nofollow/sponsored attributes - Any compensated link should use rel="nofollow" or rel="sponsored." This compliance protects both buyer and seller from penalties.

2. Focus on earned links - Create content and build relationships that naturally attract followed links. Earned links are safer and more valuable than paid links.

3. Disclose sponsored content - Clearly label sponsored posts or paid content. Transparency builds trust with readers and search engines.

4. Audit your link profile - Regularly review inbound links for suspicious patterns. Disavow low-quality or unnatural-looking links to protect your site.

5. Diversify link building - Don't rely on any single tactic. Natural link profiles include a mix of content links, citations, partnerships, and editorial mentions.

Common Mistakes

• Buying followed links that pass PageRank
• Not using nofollow/sponsored attributes on compensated links
• Participating in link schemes or private blog networks
• Not disavowing toxic links pointing to your site
• Assuming all paid links are illegal (sponsored content with proper attribution is fine)

Key Takeaways

• Paid links passing PageRank violate Google's guidelines and risk penalties
• Use nofollow/sponsored attributes on all compensated links
• Earned links through content and relationships are safer and more valuable
• Recovery from link penalties takes 6-12 months of cleanup
• Legitimate advertising with proper attribution is acceptable and common