Should You Buy Backlinks?

In the competitive and fast changing business of SEO and AI search, you’ll hear many voices say: “Buying backlinks is risky. It can kill your rankings.” At the same time, others argue you must invest in link building to compete. So what’s the truth in 2025? Should you buy backlinks? And if so, how should you do it so it remains ethical, sustainable and effective?

At RiSEO we believe the answer lies in clarity: it’s not about simply “buying links” in the old sense (paying for bulk links on any site). It’s about investing in a professional outreach-driven link building service (white-hat link-building) that earns high-quality, relevant backlinks. In other words: you’re not buying “links” per se, you’re buying an expert service that secures legitimate, authoritative links through outreach, relationship-building and content placement.

Below we’ll unpack:

• The state of backlinks and link-building in 2025

• Why links still matter (with real data)

• The risks of “buying links” in the wrong way

• How a service-based, outreach-led approach (such as ours) works and why it’s a good buy

• What you should ask, check and expect when engaging link-building services

• Final recommendation

The state of backlinks and link-building in 2025

It’s worth starting with the data. Because yes, links still matter – but the game has shifted.

Why links still matter

• According to one study, links remain a top-3 Google ranking factor in 2025 (behind content and perhaps other signals).

• One article reports that pages ranking # 1 in Google have on average 3.8 times more backlinks than pages ranking 2-10.

• Furthermore: “Links remain a crucial ranking factor in 2025” – a study of 1,000,000 keywords found correlation coefficients of 0.255 for number of referring domains, 0.242 for number of followed backlinks.

• Another stat: 94% of online content fails to secure any external links, with only ~2.2% acquiring multiple backlinks.

• According to a roundup, 58.1% of SEOs believe backlinks have a significant impact on search engine rankings.

What has changed

While links still hold considerable sway, the rules are more complex than simply “get as many backlinks as you can”.

• In 2025, authorities emphasised quality over quantity, relevance, topical alignment and the brand-mention context.

• Traditional “spray and pray” link-farming is increasingly ineffective and risky.

• Digital PR and targeted outreach are growing in importance. For example, one source says digital PR is now used by ~67.3% of marketers for link building.

• The cost and competition for high-quality link placements has gone up. For example, one article notes high-quality guest posts cost £300–£500 (or more) and “buying links” without context is seen as risky.

What this means for you

In short: if you ignore link building, you’re likely behind. But if you pursue link building blindly (buying cheap links, on irrelevant or low-authority sites), you can waste money — or in worst case incur penalties.

The risks of “buying backlinks” the wrong way

Let’s be candid: not all paid link strategies are equal. And many of the “buy backlinks” messages you’ll see are warning you for good reason.

What do we mean by “buying bad links”:

• Paying for links on low-quality sites, link networks or sites with little relevance – because they are cheap.

• Payments for placements just for the sake of link volume, without regard for topical relevance, editorial context, user value.

• Link marketplaces that sell links in bulk to anyone, often on sites with little editorial oversight.

• Using paid guest posts purely for SEO, rather than offering genuine value (i.e., content that serves a real reader).

Risks associated with that approach:

• Algorithmic devaluation: Google and other search engines have become much better at detecting low-quality, irrelevant or manipulative link schemes. If the link comes from a site that is obviously low-value, or the context is unnatural, it may be ignored or even a signal against you.

• Manual or algorithmic penalties: While Google doesn’t always advertise it, paid links that pass PageRank without editorial oversight can breach its guidelines.

• Wasted budget: If thousands of links don’t contribute to traffic, referrals or topical relevance, you might spend a lot and see little. For example, one study found only ~8.5% of cold outreach emails lead to successful backlinks.

• Opportunity cost: Links built on irrelevant sites or for the sake of quantity may not build brand authority, recognition or the right kind of domain relevance.

Key statistic for context: One report notes that 94% of online pages secure zero external links. Only ~2.2% acquire multiple backlinks. That means your competition might have no links — but simply buying lots of cheap links won’t guarantee you’ll be in the ~2% that succeed.

So — simply “buying backlinks” in a naïve manner is risky. But that does not mean you should ignore link building or refuse to invest in a service that helps you earn good links. The nuance matters.

So… should you buy backlinks?

The short answer: Yes, but with the right partner, the right approach, and the right expectations. Here’s how we break it down:

What “buying backlinks” really means in a modern, ethical context

When we talk about “buying backlinks” in this sense, we’re really talking about paying for a link-building service. That service then performs the outreach, content coordination, placement and follow-up to earn legitimate backlinks from relevant, authoritative websites. You are not buying “a link on any site” — you’re investing in expertise, time, relationships and editorial placements.

At RiSEO, for example, our Link Outreach Service is built on that principle. (You can check out our service page here: RiSEO Link Outreach). We handle:

• Identifying target sites with relevance, authority and good traffic.

• Crafting outreach campaigns (personalised emails, content proposals, guest contributions, citations).

• Securing placements that read naturally as editorial links (not disguised advertisements).

• Tracking performance, link status, referral traffic and linking page metrics.

• Ensuring the link fits your brand, your niche, and supports your long-term SEO/brand authority goals.

In that sense, you are paying for something. But that something is a strategic, expert-driven outreach service, not a shady “buy-100-links-for-£5” scheme.

Why this kind of service is good (and not black-hat)

• It focuses on editorial placements (good sites, real content, relevant topics) rather than networks of low-quality “paid links”.

• It places content that adds genuine value (and therefore is less likely to be flagged by Google or ignored by users).

• It builds brand-mentions, authority and relationship networks — which align with how modern search (and AI) operates. For example, one article states that in 2025 SEO success depends on “PR-style, data-rich, targeted outreach” rather than traditional link farming.

• It is measurable: you can track referral traffic, domain authority of linking pages, anchor text, topical relevance, and overall impact rather than simply counting link quantity.

• It is scalable while maintaining quality. (Yes, it costs more than cheap link-services—but the ROI is higher and risk lower.) Statistics show that agencies and seasoned link-builders generate significantly more value than beginners.

What you should expect from such a service

• Transparency: You should see the sites being targeted, the outreach strategy, the linking domains, the content placed, anchor text used.

• Relevance: The linking page/site should be relevant to your niche/topic. A contextual link is worth more than many links from irrelevant sites.

• Quality: Check the domain authority/fitness of the linking domain, traffic, editorial standards, the linking page’s content quality. As one stat says: 89% of link-builders consider spammy outbound links a major red-flag.

• Strategy: It should align with your overall brand/SEO goals — link building is not an isolated tactic but part of your broader visibility, authority and trust-building.

• Time: Results won’t happen overnight. Some statistics show ~2–4 months to see the initial effect, 3–9 months for more measurable impact.

• Cost: Because you’re dealing with quality, expect to pay more than cheap link-machines.

What this kind of service is not

• It is not paying for bulk links on thousands of random low-value sites.

• It is not ignoring context, relevance or editorial standards.

• It is not magically delivering rankings without other elements (content quality, on-page SEO, technical setup) being in place.

• It is not guaranteed overnight; link building remains a long-term investment.

Example: How RiSEO’s Link Outreach Service works

Let’s walk through a simplified version of how a professional outreach-based link-building service like RiSEO’s might work (and why that matters).

1. Goal setting

   • We start by understanding your brand, target pages, keywords, topical relevance, competitors and current link profile.

   • We may use tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush to assess your referring domains, anchor texts, linking pages and gaps.

2. Target site identification

   • We build a list of target websites that are: relevant to your niche, have reasonable domain authority/traffic, editorial standards, and a history of accepting guest/partner content.

   • We assess their linking behaviour (do they frequently link out? Are they relevant? Do they provide follow-links or at least contextual mentions?).

   • We check for red flags: spammy site, irrelevant topic, site in link network.

3. Outreach & content creation

   • We craft outreach emails (personalised) to site editors/bloggers, offering value: content ideas, insights, guest contributions, expert commentary, original data, or case-studies.

   • We may provide content (article, expert commentary, interview) or coordinate with you to produce content that fits the target site’s audience and editorial style.

   • We negotiate the placement: preferably an editorial article, a relevant context, not just a “footer link” or “random mention”.

4. Placement

   • Once the link is placed, we verify the link exists, the page is live, anchor text is appropriate, the site doesn’t appear to be de-indexed or penalised.

   • We capture metrics: linking domain authority, traffic, topical relevance, referral visits (if possible).

   • We include you in a report: what links were placed, on which domains, the expected impact, referral metrics, any next steps.

In this way, what you’re “buying” is not a random link, but a strategic service that helps you earn good links in an ethical, scalable and measurable way.

Addressing common objections & concerns

Here are some objections we commonly hear — and how we respond.

“But isn’t any paid link against Google’s guidelines?”

Not necessarily. The key issue is: is the link editorial, relevant and adds value? If you pay for a link but the link is clearly advertisement, purely for SEO, and lacks editorial context or relevance, then yes, that’s risky. Many paid link services that simply exchange money for a “link” without editorial value are exactly the kind Google wants to flag. However, paying for an outreach service, content production, editorial placement is not the same as “buying cheap links” in volume. The difference is in approach and transparency.

“How long until I see results?”

Link-building is medium to long term. Data from 2025 shows that ~46.6% of marketers expect to see impact from link building in 2-4 months; ~35.2% expect 4-9 months. So while you may begin seeing referral traffic or link placements fairly quickly, ranking improvements often take 3-6 months (or more) and depend on other factors (content quality, competition, keyword difficulty, technical SEO).

“Isn’t content more important than links these days?”

Yes — content is absolutely central. But the data still shows links matter. One article states: content and backlinks remain among the most important ranking factors. Also, building content without any effort to promote or link it may mean the content sits unseen. Data shows 94% of content earns zero external links. So ideally, content + link outreach go hand in hand: great content gives something worth linking to; outreach plus relationships helps others discover and reference it.

“What about the risk of Google penalty if links are paid?”

If links are unnatural (irrelevant, low‐quality, hidden, bulk-purchased without editorial context), there is risk. Google’s guidance discourages “excessive link exchanges” or “paid links without editorial control”.But when links are editorial, relevant, and earned (even if you fund the outreach or content), the risk is much lower. The key is transparency, relevance, editorial control, quality. And that’s what a professional outreach service ensures.

“Is this just outsourcing what we could do ourselves?”

Yes and no. You could do outreach yourself, identify sites, send the emails, craft the content, track the placements. If you have the time, relationships, domain expertise and resources you can.But many businesses find it more efficient to partner with a specialist agency whose core business is outreach and link-building. They have established relationships, templates, tools, data of what works, and scale. They can often produce higher-quality placements more efficiently. The statistics back this: for example, one study found that link-builders with >5 years’ experience generate ~25 links/month vs ~7 for beginners. So yes — you are buying expertise and effort. That is the value.

What to ask and check when engaging a link-building service

When you evaluate a link-building service (whether ours or someone else), here are important questions and criteria:

• Which sites will you target? How are they selected? Are they relevant to my niche, audience and business?

• What metrics do you measure for linking domains? Domain Authority/Rating, traffic, editorial standards, topical relevance?

• Will I see the actual linking domains and content? Transparency is key.

• What type of content will be produced? Guest article? Expert commentary? Link insertion in existing content? Will that content add value for the site’s audience?

• Anchor-text strategy and linking context: Will the anchor text appear natural and relevant, or be keyword-stuffed?

• Link placement nature: Are the links in editorial content, not hidden footers or link farms?

• Budget and value: What is the cost per link (or per campaign)? What is the expected value/ROI? Are we comparing like-for-like?

• Risk management: How do you ensure links are safe? What’s the process for rejecting or disavowing bad links if they appear?

• Integration with broader SEO strategy: How does link building integrate with my content strategy, keyword targets, website technical health, brand authority efforts?

If a service can answer these questions clearly, you are in good shape. If they’re vague (“We’ll build hundreds of links cheap for you”) – be very cautious.

Final recommendation

So here is the bottom line: If you do it right, yes — you should invest in link outreach services.

• Link building remains a critical component of SEO and AI search in 2025, backed by data.

• But simply “buying backlinks” in the old sense (cheap bulk links, low-quality sites) is risky, inefficient and potentially harmful.

• The smart play is to partner with a provider (or build in-house) a quality outreach-based, relevance-driven link-building programme.

• A service like RiSEO’s Link Outreach brings expertise, relationships, editorial placement and strategic focus – you’re paying for the service, not a random link farm.

• Ensure you set realistic expectations: results take time, cost is higher for quality, integration with other SEO channels is vital.

• Monitor, measure, adapt. Links are part of the broader ecosystem of content, technical SEO, brand authority, user experience and relevance.

In other words: don’t think of link building as a one-time transaction, but as an investment in your website’s authority and visibility. When executed with care, relevance and editorial integrity, link outreach is not a black-hat shortcut — it is a smart, white-hat growth lever.