When the Magnetik team attended the recent search marketing conference, SMX Sydney, we were more than a little shocked about the number of high profile SEOs who openly talked about buying links for their clients. I thought, hang on, are we missing out on something here? Should we be doing this for out clients? My conscience said no, but it sure did get me thinking.

Now, first of all, let me clarify something. Not all paid links are against the rules. Of course if you advertise on a website that links back to your site, it is technically a ‘paid link’. However this is advertising to get traffic, as opposed to a buying a link for SEO purposes. And that is totally ok. Google clearly outlines the rules in its Webmaster Guidelines.

I really like this recent article from the UK and think it might ring true for those SEOs out there who are indulging in the practice of link buying for SEO purposes. I agree with the writer’s view that those of us who have not yet done ‘paid links’, will probably not get ‘hooked’.  Before you get tempted though, check out “Why Buying Paid LInks Is Like Taking Drugs“.