Cheap Backlinks: Bargain or SEO Disaster? Why Low Prices Might Cost You More

martinagvisionfact
Sep 6
3 min read

Author: Gabriela Kalinová

Introduction

Backlinks are links placed on one website that connect specific words to a different site. Through backlinks it is easier to find your website and they improve your website’s ranking. Ranking is important because it determines your position on search engines such as Google. When high-quality website links back to your website it is more likely to rank your page higher in search results. In order to have a backlink on a high-quality website, you need to have high traffic, which is not easy to achieve. That is why cheap backlinks have started to appear. They promise you higher rankings and that the backlink to your website will be on a high-quality website, all for just a few dollars.

Temptation of cheap backlinks

Cheap backlinks offer us many advantages. From their offer it looks like it’s all beneficial for us and our content will be boosted and website appeared in the first positions on search engines. They even offer multiple backlinks for cheap amounts of money. So why is it bad to buy more for less? Overall, it seems like it should be more beneficial. So why not?

Usually, we should give priority to quality over quantity. Even though more expensive does not always mean more quality, in the case of backlinks it does.

Risks of cheap backlinks

There are many risks associated with buying cheap backlinks. First, it negatively affects the reputation of your website. Linking your site to a spam site will not lead to success. Another problem is penalties from Google. Google can detect manipulative activities and spam sites and may penalize you for it. Your website will then drop in search engine rankings, leading to lower traffic and potential revenue. Another big problem is the loss of investment. Even though cheap backlinks don't cost much, buying a large number of them still leads to a decline in investment. Cheap backlinks will not generate any revenue for your website. Finally, it also affects the user experience on your website. Clicking on a cheap backlink will redirect the user to a spammy, untrustworthy website, which will damage the reputation of your site.

How to evaluate bad backling

You can check backlinks manually or use the Bad Backlink Checker tool. Manual checking is definitely a more time-consuming process, but it allows you to investigate the cause of the problem in detail. In Google Search Console, you need to find all the websites that link to your website and evaluate their quality. Using the Bad Backlink Checker tool will simplify this process. The tool divides all backlinks into 3 categories according to their toxicity.

How to evaluate backlink offers before accepting

Backlink analysis is very important for evaluating backlink offers. You must analyze each offer before accepting it. There are certain warning signs you need to watch out for. The page on which you agree to place your backlink must be reputable. You don't want to have a backlink on a low-quality site. You should also check the site's traffic. You should check that the site does not link to unrelated content and that it is not full of uncontrolled content. Do the articles on this site contain links that add value and are relevant? Does the website sell link placements? Is there a community involved in this website? Does this site have up-to-date content and look well maintained?

Safer alternatives for building authority without harming SEO

Building high-authority backlinks takes time, consistency, and valuable content. Having high-quality content naturally attracts backlinks from high-quality sites. One of the most effective ways to earn backlinks is through guest blogging. A good, well-placed post will gain you a new audience, strengthen your brand, and improve your SEO. Another effective strategy is to create broken links. You try to find broken links on other websites and offer to replace them with your content. Another effective method is to track unlinked mentions of your brand. Many websites may refer to your company or product without a backlink, so polite inquiry often results in these mentions being converted into backlinks.

Conclusion

Backlinks are essential for increasing visibility and authority, but cheap links often do more harm than good. Instead of risking penalties and unnecessary investments, it makes more sense to focus on quality strategies such as blog hosting, fixing broken links, and gaining brand mentions. Prioritizing quality over quantity ensures long-term SEO success and stronger website authority.