Backlinks Really Dead?
 

I keep seeing SEOs, especially Adult SEOs offering backlinking as part of their package. Also, it seems like everyday there are posts on GFY where people either ask for backlinks or advertise backlinks.

The most recent Google updates have really gone after sites that use spammy backlinks. Also, the update in July 2013 specifically targeted adult sites.

If Google is going after backlinks in general and really drilling down on adult SEO practices, is it crazy to pay for backlinking?

My gut says that you're throwing money away and killing your site if you buy backlinks. Anybody have thoughts on this?

I can't post URLs yet - not enough posts - but the story is on Search Engine Land, dated June 11, 2013 "Google Payday Loan Algorithm: Google Search Algorithm Update To Target Spammy Queries"

Like most things in life, you get what you pay for. Granted I'm a little biased as I sell some links on sites and have for about 12 years. The vast majority of our clients are repeat clients -- including several very large brand clients -- some going back with us now for about 9 years.

In any case, if you are buying bulk dirt cheap links on sites with little to no credibility or establishment -- and certainly those of little relevance to your own content -- then you cannot and should not expect much.

There are several good people on GFY to deal with who have well-established sites, rock solid original content and treat what they do as a business, not a hobby. You can absolutely find value in links on GFY if you seek the right people out -- they just don't post a lot of threads of about their offerings.

I'll give you this piece of advice, focus on relevance and quality.

Good luck.

Backlinks can never be removed as a factor for ranking. It's just that the no. of backlinks doesn't matter, only the authority and quality of the links matter.

Thoughts? Hmmmm.... Is Google the only search engine there is?

No, but it's really the only one that matters...plus, if you're building backlinks for SEO purposes, chances are good that your rankings are going to be similarly impacted on all of the other search engines, since all search engine algorithms are all based on the same things.

Google market share is still over 85% AFAIK.

All search engines arent the same.

Backlinks should be quality not quantity.

Buying backlinks is not recommended. It might work for a period of time, and later they can figure it out etc. You can probably still do it, as long as you know what you are doing, and are sure they wont be able to find out.

It is hard though, because they have a lot more information (and factors) that you have (obviously). In the end, it is not hard to figure out what is natural and what is not. They want natural links now.

Lets say you get some paid links, and you point them to your sites, then stop getting backlinks for the next 10 months. Something like that is already telling them that there might be something going on etc. In the end it is probably better not to buy it, because it is hard to be smarter than them...

Yandex remove backlinks for Moscow region. Link to the news here. May be some day this will happen and for Google.