The change and commercialization of backlinking – selling and buying backlinks at an average price of €300 per year

The role of backlinks in search engine optimization (SEO) has changed fundamentally in recent years. Backlinks were once considered the silver bullet for improving rankings, but in 2024 a more complex and nuanced picture is emerging. The dynamics of backlinks, their quality and how they are handled are constantly changing. Businesses, SEO experts and website owners must adapt to these new realities in order to remain competitive.

Commercialization of backlinking

One of the most striking developments in the area of ​​backlinking is increasing commercialization. Many websites, especially large media magazines, publications and content platforms, now view backlinks primarily as a source of income. This trend is having a profound impact on the SEO landscape:

• Selling and buying backlinks: Backlinks are often offered in packages and traded specifically, which undermines the authenticity and actual purpose of links.
• Quality in the background: The relevance and quality of the linked content often falls behind because commercial interests dominate.
• Unequal opportunities: Small websites and independent experts often lose out when their content is used but not linked, while large players continue to expand their market position through paid links.

This development exacerbates the challenges for SEO strategies of small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) that rely on organic growth.

Lack of recognition of expert knowledge

Another problem area is the lack of recognition of expert knowledge by major publications and media. It is not uncommon for content, ideas or analyzes to be picked up by independent experts without giving them adequate credit. Often you just mention the name instead of linking to the original source.

This behavior not only represents an ethical lapse, but also reduces the added value for readers looking for further information. Many experts find this disrespectful and are looking for ways to better protect themselves against such practices.

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Backlash in the SEO community

The developments mentioned have sparked various backlashes within the SEO community. These are reflected in a change in strategies and priorities:

• Reluctance to set backlinks: Many SEO experts and website operators only set backlinks very specifically in order to avoid misuse.
• Increased use of nofollow links: Using nofollow tags reduces the “value” of the link to prevent manipulation.
• Diversification of SEO strategies: The community is increasingly relying on alternative approaches, such as content optimization, technical SEO and user experience strategies, which are less susceptible to external interference.

These developments mark a paradigm shift towards a more sustainable and user-centered approach.

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Quality vs. quantity

Although the importance of backlinks as a ranking factor has been relativized in recent years, the quality of the links remains a decisive factor for search engine evaluation. Google and other search engines have refined their algorithms so that it is no longer the sheer number of backlinks that is important, but rather their:

• Relevance: Does the content of the linked page fit the topic?
• Authority: Is it a trustworthy and established source?
• Embedding: How natural and sensible is the link embedded in the context?

In 2025, qualitative aspects will continue to gain in importance, while superficial link building strategies will increasingly lose their effectiveness. It is better to have fewer but highly relevant backlinks than a large number of links that offer no real added value.

Purchased backlinks

According to a study by Ahrefs (2020) that surveyed over 630 blogs, the average price of a backlink is around $350, which is approximately 300 euros. This number has changed only slightly compared to previous surveys. In 2016, the average price was $352.92, while in 2018 it increased to $361.44.

It is important to emphasize that this average price covers a wide range of prices. The cheapest links in the study cost $50, while the most expensive link was $3,312 per year. This makes it clear that high-quality backlinks can actually be significantly more expensive than the average value.

Other sources confirm this price range:

• Prices between 150 euros and 3,000 euros or more are mentioned for high-quality content links.
• Another report states that a high-quality link can cost between 100 and 1,000 euros.

It is important to note that the price of a backlink depends on various factors such as the authority of the linking site, relevance to the topic and type of placement. In general, the higher the quality and authority of the linking site, the higher the price of the backlink.

For companies investing in SEO, the monthly cost of link building can vary depending on the industry and competitive situation. For regional websites, a monthly budget of between 400 and 800 euros is recommended, while in highly competitive industries the cost of national visibility can be over 2,000 euros per month.

Here is the summary:

• Violates Google's policies and may result in penalties
• However, they are still used in practice, especially in competitive niches
• The average price for a purchased backlink is around 300 euros

Although there are no concrete numbers, the sources suggest that:

• Only a small proportion of backlinks are created naturally
• For most backlinks you have to actively do something, often even with payment
• In highly competitive niches there are hardly any alternatives to buying backlinks

The future of backlinking

The future of backlinking lies in a realignment that focuses on authenticity, relevance and quality. Companies and SEO strategists should focus on the following approaches:

1. Focus on EEAT: Expertise, experience, authority and trustworthiness (EEAT) are central criteria that search engines are increasingly evaluating. Websites that provide credible information from experts can stand out from the competition.
2. Content quality: High-quality, informative and unique content remains the heart of a successful SEO strategy. Content that offers real added value and is well researched often leads to natural backlinks.
3. Natural Links: Building relationships, maintaining networks, and creating shareable content are crucial to generating organic backlinks. Partnerships and collaborations can also help ensure that links are created authentically and sustainably.
4. Technical SEO optimization: The technical basis of a website, such as loading speed, mobile optimization and structured data, is playing an increasingly important role. Search engines rate a technically sound website higher, which also increases the chances of organic backlinks.
5. Less manipulation: The trend is to completely avoid manipulative practices, such as buying backlinks en masse or using link farms. Search engines like Google are getting better at detecting and penalizing such tactics.

Sustainable strategies for 2024 and beyond

To be successful in 2025 and beyond, companies and SEO professionals must adopt holistic strategies. Here are some concrete tips:

• Investing in content marketing: Well-written, informative and original content has the potential to get linked to naturally.
• Cultivate long-term relationships: Building trusting relationships with other industry players promotes organic backlinking.
• User-Generated Content: Content created by users, such as testimonials or comments, can also provide backlink opportunities.
• Regular analysis: The continuous analysis of your own backlink profiles and the identification of opportunities and weak points are essential.

The importance of backlinks in SEO remains undisputed in 2025, but their role has changed significantly. The focus is increasingly on quality, relevance and authenticity. While manipulative tactics promise less and less success, a sustainable, user-centered approach offers great potential. Companies that focus on quality content, strong relationships, and technical excellence will thrive in the long term. The change in backlinking is not the end of this strategy, but rather an opportunity to steer it in a new, more sustainable direction.

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Backlinks are an essential part of search engine optimization (SEO). They act as recommendations from other websites and signal to search engines such as Google the relevance and authority of a website. The more high-quality backlinks pointing to a page, the higher the likelihood that it will rank well in search results. Websites with few backlinks usually do not achieve high rankings.

But not all backlinks are equal. Basically, a distinction is made between two types of backlinks: naturally set and purchased backlinks. In this article we will take a closer look at the ratio of naturally placed to purchased backlinks and examine the various estimates and influencing factors.

Natural backlinks: The be-all and end-all of search engine optimization

Natural backlinks arise when other website operators voluntarily link to a page because they consider its content to be relevant, informative or useful. These types of backlinks are considered particularly valuable by search engines because they represent an authentic vote of trust.

An important aspect in connection with natural backlinks is the so-called “link juice”. Link juice is a term that describes the power that a backlink has on the ranking of a website. The higher the authority of the linking site, the more link juice is transferred. Natural backlinks from trustworthy and relevant sites help improve a website's organic visibility and ranking in search engine results.

Google itself emphasizes the importance of natural backlinks in its guidelines and advises website operators to focus on creating high-quality content that encourages other site operators to link. High-quality content is the foundation of a successful SEO strategy and naturally attracts backlinks.

Purchased Backlinks: A Risky Game

Purchased backlinks, on the other hand, are placed against payment. Although this practice is widespread, it violates Google's policies and may result in penalties.

Google recently introduced new link attributes to ensure purchased backlinks are correctly labeled. These include “ugc” (user generated content) and “sponsored” (paid). Purchased links must be marked as “sponsored” in order not to be seen as an attempt at manipulation. Links marked as “ugc” or “sponsored” are not automatically tracked by Google and do not receive link power.

If Google detects purchased backlinks that are not labeled correctly, this can result in various penalties. Possible consequences are the loss of rankings, the website being reset in the search results or, in the worst case, complete removal from the index.

Another risk factor when buying backlinks is the so-called “bad neighborhood”. If a website is linked to dubious or offensive websites, this can harm the ranking. Search engines evaluate the environment of a website and can associate it with the content of the linked pages.

In recent years, Google has continued to improve its algorithms to detect purchased backlinks and penalize websites that engage in this practice.

Effect of backlinks

The effect of backlinks on the ranking of a website is not immediately visible. Studies show that it can take time for new backlinks to impact search rankings. A 2016 Moz study found that it takes an average of about 10 weeks to see changes in rankings after a new backlink. A recent t3n article assumes that new links are only “noticed” by Google after 5-15 days.

However, the actual effect of a backlink depends on various factors, such as the authority of the linking site, the relevance of the content and the placement of the link.

Legal aspects of backlinks

Building backlinks also has legal implications. The legal basis for backlinks mainly affects copyright and competition law. These laws ensure that fair practices are used when building backlink structures.

Measures that generate backlinks naturally, such as through high-quality content that is voluntarily linked by other website operators, are legal. Illegal practices, on the other hand, include purchasing links or using hidden links, which are viewed as manipulative attempts to improve search engine rankings. Such actions may result in legal consequences, including search engine penalties and legal action for distortion of competition.

The proportion of naturally placed backlinks: estimates and influencing factors

Unfortunately, there are no exact numbers or studies that clearly quantify the proportion of naturally placed backlinks to purchased backlinks. However, experts estimate that the majority of backlinks on the Internet arise naturally.

Some SEO experts recommend that no more than 10-20% of a backlink profile's links should be purchased links to simulate a natural growth pattern.

However, the proportion of naturally placed backlinks can vary greatly depending on the industry, competition and the link building strategies used.

Factors that can influence the proportion of naturally placed backlinks:

• Quality of Content: High-quality, informative and unique content naturally attracts backlinks.
• Social media activity: Distributing content on social networks increases visibility and can lead to more backlinks.
• Relationships with other website operators: Building contacts with other website operators, bloggers and influencers can increase the likelihood of natural backlinks.
• Link Building Strategies: The way backlinks are built plays a crucial role. Strategies like guest blogging, creating infographics, or participating in online communities can lead to more natural backlinks.
• Diversity of backlinks: A natural backlink profile is characterized by a high level of diversity. This means that the backlinks should come from different domains with different IP addresses and domain strengths.
  Anchor text diversity: Using different anchor texts that contain the target page keyword as well as including stop words in the anchor texts contribute to a natural link profile.

äääExamples of websites with strong backlink profiles

To illustrate the importance of the above factors, let's look at the backlink profiles of four different flower delivery services:

Backlink profiles from four different flower delivery services – Image: Xpert.Digital

This table shows that the number of backlinks and the number of linking domains can vary greatly. Fleurop, for example, has a significantly larger backlink profile than the other providers.

Although there are no exact figures on the ratio of naturally placed to purchased backlinks, it is evident that natural backlinks are essential for successful search engine optimization. Website operators should therefore focus on creating high-quality content and building a natural backlink profile in order to be successful in the long term.

However, purchasing backlinks should be approached with caution as it violates Google's guidelines and can lead to penalties.

Analyze your own backlink profile and implement the strategies described in this article to improve your SEO. To analyze backlinks, you can use tools like SE Ranking, Ahrefs or Moz.

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