Four Reasons Why You Should Never Buy Links And Why You Need To Stop If You Have Already Started
I could give you the short-hand reply easily enough. I could tell you that buying links is bad and end this post right now. However, that would defeat the purpose. As your friendly, neighborhood SEO specialist, I need to explain why you should never buy links, and why you should stop immediately if you have already started the process.
1) The Google Laws Do Not Allow It
I am not kidding here, so pay attention. Google will punish you if they even suspect that you are doing it by de-indexing your page or simply dropping you in the rankings. I know you want to get traffic to your site, but you need to do it through hard work and quality, original content. Whenever money, or free products are given out in exchange for a link, Google guidelines have been violated.
Lesser sites have been punished for engaging in the practice. It is in your best interest to earn your links the natural way. You need to stop now before Google stops you for good.
2) The Guarantee
Nothing in life is guaranteed. I am sorry to tell you, but that is a common myth that has to be debunked now. There is no guarantee that you will see a return on your investment if you are placed on a site that has very little to no human traffic. It takes more than metrics to make it with SEO. You were probably sold a lie if you choose to listen to what those people tell you. You will also be penalized if you choose to build links in this way. It might not happen today or tomorrow, but it will happen.
You need to see metrics such as clicks, visitors spending time on your site and clicking through to multiple pages, and of course, conversions (sales, lead form submissions, etc.) to really know that your SEO strategy is working.
3) No Humans Allowed
Say, for example, someone tries to sell you on a private site or network. They tell you that you can make a killing if you buy one of the links. The only problem (you will soon find out) is that no one is there.
Many people have found that out the hard way.
Say, for example, a tree falls in the forest (I love this analogy). Will anyone see it? Will anyone care, especially if the forest is empty? The answer is no, they will not. You will experience the same thing if you choose to go down that road. The other thing is that you will be penalized for doing so. Do you want to go through all that illusion only to have reality slap you right in the face?
(Hint) The correct answer should be no.
4) Think Long-Term – Buying Links is Not Worth the Risk
Buying links using black hat tricks is similar to trying one of those quick-fix diets to slim down. The weight will eventually come back. You want to lose weight through a healthy lifestyle, including fitness, healthy eating, and intermittent fasting. You should never buy into something that offers a short-term fix to a long-term issue.