By Niel Bennet, founder (15 years in digital marketing) · Updated 27 October 2026 · Part of our Link building packages guides
Quick answer: Cheap backlinks are safe only when they are real, relevant placements, not links bought in bulk to manipulate rankings. Google's spam policies give at least seven examples of link spam, including bought links and low-quality directory links. Price alone doesn't decide risk. What matters is where the link sits, why it exists and how it is tagged.
What does Google say about buying backlinks?
Google treats buying or selling links for ranking purposes as link spam. Paid links are allowed for advertising or sponsorship as long as they are tagged rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow" so they don't pass ranking credit. Sites that break the policy may rank lower or vanish from results.
Google defines link spam as creating links to or from a site primarily to manipulate search rankings. That intent test matters more than the price tag.
Google's own examples include buying or selling links for ranking, excessive link exchanges, using automated programs to create links, text ads that don't block ranking credit, low-quality directory or bookmark links, widely distributed footer or template links, and low-value content made mainly to carry links.
Source: Google Search Central, Spam policies for Google web search
What makes a backlink risky or safe?
A risky link exists only to pass ranking credit: bulk-made, on unrelated or low-quality sites, stuffed with keyword anchor text, or sold as part of a network. A safer link is on a real site with a reason to mention you, such as a genuine directory listing, a supplier page, local press or a business profile.
No single link is guaranteed safe or deadly. Patterns are what get noticed. A hundred links from sites that exist only to sell links look very different from a dozen listings on real Australian directories.
Signal
Higher risk
Lower risk
Volume and speed
Hundreds overnight
A steady handful
Site quality
Thin sites built to sell links
Real sites with real visitors
Relevance
Unrelated topics or countries
Your industry or location
Anchor text
Exact keywords every time
Your brand name or website address
Method
Automated or private networks
Hand-placed, one per site
Source: Google Search Central, Spam policies for Google web search
What do nofollow, sponsored and ugc mean?
They are rel attributes that tell Google how a link should be treated. rel="sponsored" marks paid or advertising links. rel="ugc" marks links in user content like comments and forums. rel="nofollow" is the general fallback when you don't want to vouch for a link. You can combine them, such as ugc nofollow.
Google says nofollow was the old recommendation for paid links and is still acceptable, but sponsored is preferred. A properly tagged paid link is not a policy breach.
Tagged links won't pass the same ranking credit, but they can still send visitors and help people find your brand.
Source: Google Search Central, Qualify your outbound links to Google
Where do directory and brand profile links fit?
Directory and brand profile links are foundation links, not a ranking shortcut. Listings on real, relevant Australian directories and business profiles confirm your name, address and phone details and help people find you. Google warns only about low-quality directory or bookmark sites, so pick directories people actually use.
A good test: would a customer ever browse this directory? If the answer is no, and the site exists only to collect links, skip it.
MarketingOnWeb's link building packs start at 10 links for $199 and use hand-built brand blogs, Australian directories and citation profiles, with one link per site, a live dashboard and a 90-day re-check with free replacement. They are a foundation, not a replacement for earning mentions from real businesses.
Source: Google Search Central, Spam policies for Google web search
What should I ask a link building service before paying?
Ask for sample sites before you buy, how links are placed, whether any come from private networks or automated tools, what anchor text they use, whether paid placements are tagged, whether you get a full list of live URLs, and what happens if a link disappears.
The best link building service for you is one that shows you every link. If a provider won't name the sites, assume you wouldn't like them.
Also ask whether they need you to link back to them. Google's hiring guidance says you should never have to link to an SEO.
Source: Google Search Central, Do you need an SEO?
What happens if I already bought bad backlinks?
Check Search Console's Manual Actions report. If Google has flagged unnatural links, export your links from the Links report, ask site owners to remove the bad ones, disavow what you can't remove, then request a review with notes on what you did. If there's no manual action, don't panic.
Google says you should make a good-faith effort to remove links before disavowing, and not to disavow organic links. Disavowing everything without trying removal can lead to a rejected review.
Search Console is free and shows which sites link to you, so it's the first place to look.
Source: Google Search Console Help, Manual Actions report; About Search Console
More questions, answered
Can cheap backlinks get my site penalised?+
Yes, if they are link spam. Google says sites that violate its spam policies may rank lower or not appear in results at all, and it can apply a manual action for unnatural links. Cheap links on genuine, relevant sites carry far less risk.
Are paid links always against Google's rules?+
No. Google says buying links for advertising or sponsorship is a normal part of the web. It is not a breach as long as the links are qualified with rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow" so they don't pass ranking credit.
Are directory links still worth it?+
Good ones are. Listings on real Australian directories that customers use help people find you and keep your business details consistent. Google lists low-quality directory or bookmark site links as link spam, so avoid directories built only to collect links.
What is a safe number of backlinks to build each month?+
Google doesn't publish a safe number. What matters is that links come from real, relevant sites and grow at a pace that matches your business. A sudden flood from unrelated sites is a pattern worth avoiding at any price.
Do nofollow links help SEO?+
They don't pass the same ranking credit, because nofollow tells Google you don't want to be associated with the linked page. They can still send real visitors and make your brand more visible, which has value on its own.
What is the best link building service?+
There is no official ranking. The best one for you shows every link it builds, avoids private networks and automated tools, uses natural anchor text, tags paid placements properly, and replaces links that drop off. If they won't show sample sites, keep looking.
Should I disavow cheap links I bought years ago?+
Only if they are clearly spammy, and ideally after trying to get them removed. Google warns not to disavow organic links and says disavowing without a removal effort may get a review rejected. Check the Manual Actions report first.
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