Buy Backlinks Guide for SEO: Reasons, Best Places and Costs in 2026

A heated debate about paying for backlinks has always taken place among SEO specialists. These days, it’s even more boiling due to the changes in the search landscape caused by AI models that make people doubt whether links matter at all. The truth is that high-quality backlinks from authoritative sources matter even more than ever before as they not just help you rank high but, what’s more important, signal AI assistants and Google AI Overviews to cite you.

So, if you decide to add the item “buy backlinks” to your link building strategy — this article will help you to turn your hopes and concerns into a confident and accurate action plan.

If you think you get any links for a penny and your website will immediately appear as one of the TOP-3 search results or be cited by ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, etc., this is not true.

Let's figure out together the pros and cons of buying backlinks for site promotion. Below you will find the actual facts and decide whether to pay for connections and how to find the best place to buy links to your Web2.0 resource.

• What it is: Buying backlinks basically means paying to get your website mentioned on other sites — sometimes directly, sometimes through services that handle the work for you.
• Why it matters: Good-quality backlinks from trusted, relevant sites still help boost your site’s authority, traffic, and visibility, even though Google officially frowns on paid links.
• How to stay safe: Only go for reputable sites, make sure the content fits naturally, and avoid spammy or low-quality sources.
• Ways to get them: You can buy backlinks through marketplaces, agencies, in-house outreach, private networks, or online communities.
• What affects the price: Costs depend on the site’s authority, niche, content quality, and any extra services like outreach or content creation.
• Best approach: Mixing paid and organic links usually works best for SEO while keeping your site safe from penalties.
• Helpful tools: Marketplaces like Collaborator make the process easier, helping you get quality links and peace of mind.

Buying backlinks, in plain English, is a way to get your site mentioned on another internet resource for the money. 

The classic  “paying for links” process looks simple — you pay money for mentioning your website. But sometimes, you can agree to place a link for free or in exchange for a product or service. 

Does it mean that you got the link for free? No, it doesn't. After all, you paid for the work of the outreach manager who arranged the placement, the author who wrote the text, and other people who contributed to the communication. Also, add the costs of services and tools you used when selecting donor sites and sending mass emails to the final check.

Therefore, getting any link is essentially paid. The price and the process of getting references may vary depending on the link type, the credibility of your brand, your relationship with the owners of the donor sites, and simply the mood of the webmaster😊 

The main thing is the result: to get a link.

But don't get us wrong — the rule “the more links you have, the better” does not work now. If it were that simple, the link package sellers would make millions.

Few talk about this, but each way of getting backlinks has pros and cons. And if you use paid and unpaid mentions in your strategy, you can minimize risks and increase benefits.

Pros and Cons of Paid Backlinks

Pros and Cons of Unpaid Backlinks

Yes, you should get backlinks. It is one of the ingredients of a website's success in not only traditional search engines but also AI search. In the article on the Best Link Building Strategies, we have already figured out that this method allows you to:

• boost domain authority metric;
• get more traffic to your website;
• increase the rate of recognition: more people will know about your business, product, and benefits;
• increase loyalty among customers, etc.

So, should you buy SEO links? Yes and No. 

Experienced SEO and link builders know that Google forbids purchasing links. It means that if you pay for backlinks or give discounts or products for mentioning your website on the Internet — this is paid posting. But the paradox is that AI assistants, Google and other search engines trust your site more if they see other online resources referring to you.

To be as specific as possible, we answer some crucial questions: 

1. Can you buy links? It's officially not recommended. 
2. Buy company references to their sites despite possible bans? Yes! 
3. Can I buy a link safely and not get sanctioned? Yes, we will tell you how to buy quality backlinks below.

Live Example: How Backlinks Boosts Traffic

“Buy links” is a popular strategy used by small and large businesses to achieve their goals. And these are not just words. If you analyze the websites of MacDonalds and other large companies, you will notice a pattern. There is a direct correlation between the number of backlinks and high organic traffic to the internet resource.

If large companies buy quality backlinks, then you need references.

Do Paid Links Work?

Each SEO specialist has an answer to this question based on his own experience. Some experts do not recommend buying links, and others claim that your site can rise to the TOP through the purchase of backlinks.

We consider — if you buy high-quality backlinks, it will work.

Long ago, search engines found all links to your site valuable. But now you need to get quality links only. Keep that in mind whether you are building links in cryptocurrency or any other niche.

Of course, it is not football where to win, you need to buy one link more than the competitor.

As we mentioned above, thanks to the increase of backlinks, search engines increase the domain authority of your Internet resource. 

In fact, there’s a market economy. If you buy a low-quality product or service, you take risks. Therefore, the better links you buy, the more valuable it is for your website. Accordingly, you should know where to buy backlinks safely and always analyze your link donors. If you do not control the process of getting backlinks, your site will not only not grow, but even fall under sanctions.

Let us dwell on this question and discuss the links for purchase right now. And we will also tell you about the most common mistakes when buying links for SEO.

Which Backlinks are Safe to Buy?

Buying links for SEO can be a tricky strategy, so it’s important to approach it carefully. However, following three simple rules can help you get the benefits safely:

1. Choose relevant sites: A link only works if it’s on a website related to your topic.
2. Use unique, high-quality content: Trusted websites will only allow links if you provide original and relevant content. Ideally, the content should be timely and engaging.
3. Pick reputable sites: Make sure the site you’re linking from is trustworthy. Use MOZ’s DA Checker to verify metrics. Look for a DA of 50+ and a low spam score (1-4%).

Neil Patel also believes that links to the sites with a high DA rating are valuable

Neil Patel

...the links are from high domain authority websites, they are also more valuable than other backlinks.

Without a doubt, these are only some of the terms for obtaining secure links. You can find many SEO experts' recommendations such as placing links in longreads, combining nofollow/dofollow links, etc. But first, you need to make sure you use these three rules.

What Links Do You NOT Need to Buy?

• You can not buy links on sites with a low DA rating and a high SPAM index. 
• Do not buy links on pop-ups, in the footer, or on banners — search engines can recognize them as spam.
• The Service Manager offers you a pocket of links “for sale at the best price”? Politely refuse and look only for secure links.

Read in detail about bad backlinks in our article: Toxic Backlinks: 19 Warning Signs & How to Handle Them.

There is no single price for backlinks. The cost of a link varies depending on several factors: niche, donor site rating, location, and the resource’s popularity.

To find out an average price, we’ve analyzed various link building platforms, guest post marketplaces, used backlink price comparison tools, and even surfed Reddit posts.

On Reddit, we’ve found many posts and comments left by SEO specialists concerning link prices, which actually prove that link price depends on many things.

Backlinksprovider: “It all depends on niche and the sites from which you want to get link from, it can cost you 400$ for a good quality 2-3 links and can cost you under 100$ for three links. It's all about the quality.”

Mental_Elk4332: “...Some links can be on the lower end, around $50-$100, while others from very high-traffic, competitive domains can easily be over $200, and sometimes a lot more in very competitive niches. It's not so much about finding a standard price range as it is about understanding the value of the link to your specific business.”

As you can see, there is no universe backlink price. Also, do not forget about “associated costs”:

• platforms and browser extensions for finding site manager’s email — for example, FindEmail about €19,99 per month;
• content writers — you will pay for writing the text with reference;
• other automation tools — for example, Right Inbox for tracking email and creating triggers.

Let’s break down how link cost is formed.

Cost of Different Link Types

To make it easier for you to understand which links you need, we have created a summary table in which you can find general information about reference types and prices.

We have analyzed dozens of link-selling platforms like Upseo, content marketplaces, our own PR distribution marketplace — Collaborator, expert testimony from public sources, and others, and have prepared information to help you plan your budget effectively. We have summarized our conclusions in the table below.

Factors Affecting the Cost of Backlinks

To get good quality links and not pay for them all the money in the world, you need to know the factors that affect the changes in their price.

Type of Website

If you are looking for a place where to buy high quality backlinks cheap, you will definitely choose sites with high performance to get more benefits for SEO. The higher the DA rating and the number of keywords it is ranked for by AI models, the more publication reach, and the more expensive the purchase.

Content Quality

Expert articles from well-known professionals are valuable. They attract the audience's attention and are cited by AI assistants and Google AI Overviews. But writing these texts and placing links into them are expensive.

According to different estimates, you will have to pay from $500 and up. Also, remember that the total sum depends on the level of writing — content creators — native speakers will increase the cost of text by at least 20%. Moreover, you might also need to create a poster or use other visuals to make it easier for people to read your content, which means investing some money in online design tools.

You may find our article on How to Write a Press Release useful 👈

Creative Сontrol

You should always be in the “creative investigation” for new Internet resources for your links. It is not enough to be only on Medium, Reddit, or popular social media networks. You will definitely find popular resources with high reach but at a lower price.

Backlink Quality

Reliable sites with traffic and excellent link history have a high placement price (average $700-$1000). Your chance to get a link from such sources can be increased either:

• through a price increase;
• or if your brand is very well known.

Brand Strength

The more famous your brand, the faster you will respond and the more willing it will be to place your link. You can also get a lower price and better conditions.

Industry

The more competition in the field, the more expensive the links are. In practice, links in "Business and Finance" or "News and Media" always cost more than, for example, in “Logistics.”

Agency and In-House Costs

The agency is the easiest and quickest way to get backlinks to your site. Because if you have link builders or SEO specialists in your state, you need to pay them thousand dollars each month for their work and for using the best tools for link building. In cooperation with the agency, you pay only for their work and ready links.

Now that you know the theory, let’s get to the practice and you'll figure out how to buy backlinks.

To buy links safely, you should follow these 9 steps: 

1. Checking site’s reliability and age.
2. Traffic analysis.
3. Checking for link sales.
4. Analysis of the backlink profile of the donor's website. 
5. Prioritization of sites for link placement
6. Studying the reviews.
7. Exploring communication opportunities.
8. Discussion of conditions and warranties.
9. Placing a link. 

Let's take a closer look at each step.

Step 1. Carefully check the site for reliability

The first thing you need to check in the process of choosing a donor to buy a link is design. If you see that it is made on a shoestring budget, it is most likely created only to sell links — you do not need such a site.

If the website is user-friendly and aesthetic, go to the following check:

• check site age with WHOISDomainTools: 

• check domain age with Web Archive:

If the domain age is older than the site's age, then this resource is “moved.” And this may be a “bad signal.”

You can also check domain age with Bulk Domain Names Availability Checker by Collaborator. This free tool also shows the age of the domains being analyzed. 

Step 2. Find out what traffic passes through the site

Before buying a link on the website, ensure that people, not bots, visit this resource. You can do this by using the SimilarWeb Website Traffic Checker or Ahrefs.

Your goal is to ensure that organic coverage grows incrementally without jerking up/down. If so, you can check further. Also, you should analyze traffic growth (or the next drop) that occurred earlier.

Step 3. Determine if the site sells links

Although you want to buy a link, never buy references on sites that openly sell such links. If you remember, Google is against buying any mentions. So you are risking being banned instead of hitting the TOP of search results.

For this check, use Ahrefs:

1. Go to Site Explorer.
2. Put a domain name into the field.
3. Watch Outgoing Link Anchors tab.

If you see a do-follow anchor with themes that are not relevant to the site's niche, you should ignore this website.

Step 4. Find out what links lead to a potential donor site

And before you go too far, check where and how your future donor site gets links. You can also check this with Outgoing Link Anchors. If you find unnatural anchors, so can Google. It is walking a tightrope because if the donor site is banned, you will not get the right SEO points and lose money.

Step 5. Find close connections

You should have a list of 10+ potential donor sites with traffic at this stage. Now you need to see if there are any donors with references to niche leaders. 

Open the MOZ platform:

1. Go to MOZ Link Research.
2. Put the website's address into the field
3. Click Inbound Links.

You can compare and select suitable donors for your web resource from the list of sites on the screen.

Step 6. Look for real reviews

Of course, reviews will not give an absolute guarantee of a successful backlink campaign. This is the way to discover the customer focus of a platform and possible "blindsides" of future cooperation.

1. See reviews on the platform’s website. 
2. Try to find peer reviews on forums and chats (for example, Quora).

Step 7. Having a support service or personal manager is a plus

Support service on trusted donor sites always answers questions promptly. Try to write them the usual question (for example, What is the average price of a link in your niche?) and follow how long it will take to solve.

Step 8. Choose service, not a headache

Experienced link builders know how difficult it is to control all the backlinks. So the service should help — give additional guarantees that the links will work during the entire period you paid for.

Step 9. Successful and fast communication with the manager

The final step to convince you of the right choice is communication with the manager. The faster you get a response and a link, the quicker your site will get ahead of competitors in search rankings.

For example, with the help of Collaborator, you can contact the site managers and place the link within 48 hours.

• In-House Link Buying
• Marketplaces
• Agency Link Buying
• Private Link Buying
• Middleman Link Buying
• Online Forums and Groups

Every business is looking for a better “time/money” backlink ratio. We'll look at all the ways you can get mentions so that you can choose the right one. Let's talk about each of them below.

In-House Link Buying

It will be difficult for you to create helpful backlinks, write excellent content, find contacts for site managers, and at the same time perform critical strategic tasks. Especially if this is your first time doing it.

However, if you decide to buy quality links, you will need:

• understanding of basic link building principles — to do this, listen to the Ahrefs Free Link Building Course;
• paid and free access to Ahrefs (from $129/month), MOZ (from $49/month), or SimilarWeb (from $1,500/year) tools (choose on your own);
• professional writing skills or a full/part-time content creator (or a freelancer) — from $150/text.

Plus, you'll also need to find the correct links. It increases the final price because you will likely use additional tools such as Snov.io, Email Finder, or other platforms.

Only then you can get links. But that’s not all. If you or your team are buying backlinks for the first time, then be prepared for the first failures — you can overpay or be mistaken in choosing the right site.

Marketplaces

Content distribution and link-building marketplaces significantly simplify the process of getting backlinks. We also found comments on Reddit that describe them as a go-to solution for easy link-building.

GavelBanter: “I would say that if you have the spend to purchase links on a marketplace, go that route to start. Especially if you have other responsibilities to handle in your day-to-day.”

You should just go to the marketplace, filter available websites in the catalog to your needs, and make an order. Sounds quite easy, right?

Why Collaborator is the Best Place to Buy Backlinks

Collaborator is a digital PR distribution marketplace where owners of thousands of high-quality websites can connect with millions of trusted advertisers worldwide. It provides opportunities for publishers looking to monetize website advertising and for those who want to make money on Telegram.

Here are five reasons to buy high-quality links on Collaborator:

• 38+ high-quality websites and 38+ trusted Telegram channels are at your service.
• All the metrics required to choose the perfect donor websites for your project in one place — evaluate Ahrefs, MOZ, Serpstat, AIO, Google Analytics, and Google Search Console data for thousands of websites in a single tab. Plus, access a range of free tools, including a Checklist for on page SEO and Racoon Link Checker.
• Directly communicate with website managers — get answers to your clarifying questions and have your content with links published in an average of 48 hours.
• Guaranteed permanent links — your links will remain active 100% of the time, or you’ll receive a refund.

Responsive technical support — our team is always ready to assist you every day.

Get Backlinks with Collaborator👈

Agency Link Buying

It is a great way to get backlinks to your website if you don’t want to search for them yourself or hire new professionals full-time. Hire an agency, and you get professionals who get paid for a particular result. You do not need to train new specialists or give them time to swing. Once you have paid the advance, you can access the team’s work and performance reports.

Three tips to help you choose the agency and enjoy your cooperation:

1. Make sure the agency has a portfolio with relevant cases.
2. Ask to provide detailed project research with a definition of the target audience, geo, and examples of suitable sites for getting backlinks.
3. Fix the terms of cooperation.

Private Link Buying

This backlink strategy we know as Outreach. As part of this strategy, we find suitable sites and negotiate with the owner of this web resource to place references to our website.

To implement this link building strategy, you need:

• Middle Outreach Specialist full-time (project), who will independently find trusted sites and contacts owners/managers to negotiate with (salary $1000+)
• Paid access to site analysis tools — Ahrefs, MOZ, and/or SimilarWeb
• Paid access to platforms and browser extensions by searching email addresses — Hunter (from $49/month)

Below, we will explain how to communicate with the manager.

Middleman Link Buying

Want to save money and time? Order purchase backlinks from a middleman.

One of the main advantages of this getting links method is that you can calculate the link budget without having to search for the necessary sites. 

When using such services you:

1. specify the keyword and your site, and in five minutes, you get 2–3 sites in your niche with the approximate calculation of the cost of links.
2. specify the exact goals and conditions in your account:

• indicate permanent links or monthly;
• a total number of links; 
• the number of connections per month.

You get an accurate budget right away.

Online Forums and Groups

According to Findstack, consumers read reviews (including those on forums) before choosing a company or making a purchase. Additionally, over 90% avoid a company or product due to negative reviews. So, if you are conducting your e-commerce project, consider this strategy carefully. Here you are not just getting links, but starting a new promotion tactic for SEO — crowd marketing.

We recommend NOT using the services of platforms offering low price mentions because you need comprehensive work. On the contrary, choose well-known platforms with costs "above average" and an incredible portfolio. For example, the Brandcitations service.

Not only will you post a link, but you will get a positive image from the target audience.

Google encourages sites that mention other online resources. But at the same time, its search algorithms are constantly improving and fighting against bought backlinks.

Three main conclusions you need to draw:

1. Use the tips in the article and choose only trusted sites for links.
2. Find your best place to buy backlinks for SEO.
3. The better the content you create, the more you will get quality free links from reputable sources.

Question 1. What is the best place to buy backlinks?

You can find reliable sites in any of the ways we discussed in detail above. The only question is, "How much time will you be looking for?". But if you use Collaborator or similar marketplaces, you will quickly get backlinks cheap.

Question 2. Is it worth it to buy backlinks?

Yes, you should at least try it. If you follow nine steps we have mentioned in the article, your site will move confidently into the TOP search results.

Question 3. How many backlinks do I need for a successful campaign?

Such information is kept secret by Google representatives. But here are three crucial tips that will help your site to be higher:

• The higher the keyword difficulty, the more keys you will need. 
• Increase your DA/DR rating.
• Keep an eye on your competitors and implement what they’ve got.

Question 4. What if Google penalized your site?

You need to understand why this happened urgently. As soon as you find a problem link, ask the site owner to remove it. After the removal, wait for the search engines to update your information, and the ban must be removed.

Question 5. How can I get backlinks without paying?

Of course, you can. This is a great part of the SEO specialist's work. To do that, you need to create unique content — research, surveys, and roundups, which will be shared. You can also create photo and video content and require your links to be listed under copyright. We write a lot about different link building methods in our blog. For instance, we have an article on the best link building strategies for crypto websites.