Buying links for SEO purposes is frowned upon by Google. However, some SEO experts complain that buying links should be allowed, noting that paid links are still relevant, since they bring a user to the page they promise.
The difference is that Google sees a bought link as an “unnatural” link, since payment has entered the picture. But that argument gets muddied when it comes to bartered links, or other kinds of non-monetary rewards given in exchange for links.
Yes, it’s an “unnatural transaction” when someone pays to have a link to their site on another. It also makes sense that Google would frown upon this, especially since a big part of how the search giant ranks sites in its search is based upon the quality of links going to a site.
Allowing people to buy these high quality links from high profile sites (news organizations and blogs etc.) would make the link-factor in ranking worthless. But isn’t there a double standard here? And is it as cut and dry and saying no to buying links?
Honestly if you want to look at a double standard, look at Adwords, it involved people paying money to Google to have their links appear “unnaturally” on the Google results pages. The more money paid for the link, the higher it would be posted in the results. Granted Google has specific areas for these paid links, but let’s not lose sight of the fact that these links are indeed paid for. Now what makes it kosher for Google to do the very thing that it forbids Webmasters to do on their sites?
The double standard is based on Google's monopoly. They own the market for links (search) and are the leading seller of links (adwords). They set the rules, and declare anyone who cuts into their take a black hat. Sounds like classic anti-trust to me. A DOJ in a democratic administration will take care of this.
In the end, buying space on sites for your link is still frowned upon and despite the consequences people will still continue to partake in this forbidden fruit and face the consequences. To be safe, since Google makes the rules. If we want to have a stable business for the long term, we have to follow them. The bottom line here is to avoid being banned from Google one must play by the rules.
What are you thoughts on this? Post them below.