What is a Paid Link?

A paid link is a link that a website owner or marketer pays for to get their site linked to from another website. These links are often used as part of a paid marketing strategy to increase website traffic or improve search engine rankings. However, paid links can violate search engine guidelines if they are not properly disclosed or used excessively.

Search engines typically prefer natural, organic backlinks that are earned through quality content. If paid links are used, they should be nofollow links, meaning they do not pass on link equity or influence rankings directly. Using paid links in an unethical way, such as trying to manipulate search rankings, can lead to penalties from search engines.