GlossarySEO
Are paid links against Google's rules?
Also called: sponsored links, buying backlinks, rel=sponsored, link buying
Definition
Paid links are links placed in exchange for money, goods, services or free products. Google allows them for advertising if they're marked rel="sponsored" or nofollow; unmarked paid links that pass ranking credit are link spam.
Paid links (sponsored links), explained
Google's spam policies list buying or selling links for ranking purposes as link spam, and spell out what counts: exchanging money for links or posts containing links, exchanging goods or services for links, and sending someone a product in exchange for writing about it with a link. Text ads and advertorials whose links pass ranking credit are included too.
The same policy is clear that paying for visibility isn't the problem. Google acknowledges that buying and selling links is a normal part of the web's economy for advertising and sponsorship. The rule is disclosure to search engines: mark those links so they don't pass ranking credit.
Google's documentation on qualifying outbound links gives the attributes. rel="sponsored" is for advertisements or paid placements, commonly called paid links. rel="nofollow" was previously recommended for these and is still acceptable, though sponsored is preferred. rel="ugc" is for user-generated content like comments and forum posts.
For founders, this covers more situations than you'd think. Newsletter sponsorships, paid directory upgrades, sponsored listicles, influencer posts, affiliate links and review programs where you send free products all involve paid placement. None are wrong. The link should be qualified, and for people, the relationship should be disclosed too; FTC rules on endorsements apply separately from Google's.
When you're the publisher, the same applies in reverse. If someone pays for a link on your site, mark it sponsored. Selling followed links is how sites end up with manual actions or with Google distrusting all their outbound links.
Why it matters for founders
Plenty of founders pay for exposure: sponsorships, listings, influencers. Knowing the rule keeps those deals safe and stops you from paying extra for "dofollow" links that are a liability.
Example
A startup sponsors a newsletter issue. The newsletter's web archive links to the startup with rel="sponsored". The startup gets clicks and awareness, and neither side takes any search risk.
Common mistakes
- Paying extra to make a sponsored link "dofollow".
- Sending free products in exchange for reviews with followed links.
- Selling followed links on your own site.
Sources
- Google Search Central: Spam policies for Google web search
- Google Search Central: Qualify your outbound links
Checked
Related terms
- Nofollow linkA nofollow link carries rel="nofollow", "ugc" or "sponsored", telling search engines not to treat it as an endorsement. Google treats these values as hints and generally doesn't follow such links.
- Link schemeA link scheme is any practice of creating links to or from a site mainly to manipulate search rankings, such as buying links, excessive link exchanges or automated link building. Google calls it link spam.
- Dofollow linkA dofollow link is an ordinary link with no nofollow, ugc or sponsored value in its rel attribute. Search engines can follow it and count it as a vote for the page it points to.
- Newsletter sponsorshipA newsletter sponsorship is paying a newsletter to feature your product to its subscribers, usually as a short ad or dedicated mention in one or more issues, so you reach an audience that already trusts the writer.
- Affiliate programAn affiliate program pays outside partners, such as bloggers, creators, newsletters and consultants, a commission for customers they refer through tracked links, so you pay for results instead of attention.