Should You Buy Backlinks In 2026?

Introduction

We often get asked about the best processes for buying backlinks, typically by those looking to outsource link building to an agency or partner. 

In this guide, I’ll walk through some of the main approaches we use at our agency and how you can implement these methods yourself.

We’ll cover blogger outreach (guest posts), niche edits (link insertions), more traditional journalist request campaigns, and broader digital PR strategies.

I’ll also provide examples for each approach and share insights into what’s currently working in the world of buying backlinks, along with things to watch out for.

 

Should you buy backlinks? 

Yes, but you need to view buying backlinks as not just directly exchanging money for links. For example, don’t work with bloggers or publishers who just give anyone a link, regardless of their niche, for ‘x’ amount of money. 

Buying backlinks is more about buying the time spent to cover outreach, asset creation, tools, and strategy, it’s not just working-out the cost of a guest post and calling that a job well done. 

Particularly with LLM visibility requirements in 2026, you simply have to be part of the conversation when it comes external publishers.

This means that, you absolutely have to set budget aside for link building, but so in a manner that is smart and varied.

This is done by not just sticking to one approach because it seems ‘easy’ or fits your budget, but doing what is natural for your brand based on relevant publishers, contextual news websites and inclusion into articles that are driving the conversation across traditional search results and within LLM’s. 

Let’s take a look at the ways you can buy backlinks, what to be aware of, and why link building is still a really important aspect of SEO. 

 

Buying Blogger Outreach and Guest Post Backlinks

 

What Is Blogger Outreach?

Blogger outreach and guest posting are popular link-building methods. Many of our clients, particularly other agencies, need a steady flow of backlinks every month, making this approach reliable and predictable. Here’s why it can be effective:

• Predictable Results: Agencies can plan their link-building needs based on a set number of links each month.
• Pre-approval Options: Working with an experienced agency allows for transparency, as clients can pre-approve the websites they want their links to appear on.
• Easy to Outsource: If you work with a seasoned agency, the process is straightforward, making it easy to manage.

 

Key Considerations for Blogger Outreach

When vetting bloggers or guest post opportunities, keep in mind:

• Pre-approval of Sites: It’s important, especially for the first few orders, to have the option to pre-approve sites. This ensures transparency and lets you adjust the plan if needed.
• Quality Control: Both the agency and the client should have strict quality checks in place. For example, if a publisher doesn’t meet your criteria, you should be able to decline and choose another.
• Anchor Text Control: With blogger outreach, you can control the destination URL and the anchor text, which is particularly useful when you want to target a specific page or product. This is more flexible than digital PR, where you often get a branded mention to the homepage.

 

Blogger outreach is so popular (and guest posting in general) because it allows you to have a predictable return on your link building investment each month. As you can imagine, this is crucial for agencies looking to outsource their link building especially, as they’re likely committing to a number of backlinks each month for their clients. 

Where blogger outreach can fall short is the lifetime quality of a site. You could say this really about any website, but if you think about it, a blogger could sell their website tomorrow and the owner could then starting selling backlinks to anyone and everyone. 

We focus heavily on working with legitimate bloggers and publishers over the long-term, however it’s a consideration when comparing blogger outreach and guest posting to something like digital PR.

Yes, digital PR is more expensive and can take more time, but you’re landing backlinks on websites where you don’t have to worry about the potential decline in quality over time. This leads me onto this next part in relation to blogger outreach…

 

Evaluating Blogger & Publisher Site Quality Prior To Outreach

 

What to Look For

When assessing potential sites for blogger outreach, it’s crucial to analyse their traffic and linking patterns. We mostly use Ahrefs for this, though other platforms are of course available. Here’s what you should consider:

• Traffic Fluctuations: Analyse how the site’s traffic and keywords have changed over time, especially in the wake of algorithm updates. Some fluctuations are normal (especially since the helpful content update), but a significant drop could indicate deeper issues.
• Outbound Links Analysis: Look at the number of external links a site has. If the site doesn’t have many posts but has a high number of outbound links, it might be a sign that the site is overly commercialised. More specifically, check if the site is linking out to ‘grey’ niches like casino sites, forex sites and so on.
• Linking to Relevant Niches: Ensure the site stays relevant to its niche. For instance, a travel blog should not have excessive posts about unrelated topics like gambling or plumbing. This could indicate that they are accepting paid posts indiscriminately, which may affect the site’s credibility. 

 

 

Buying Link Insertions and Niche Edits

 

What Are Link Insertions?

Link insertions, also known as niche edits, involve adding a link into an existing article that already has traffic. This can be a valuable method, especially when targeting pages that are already performing well in search engines.

• Minimum Traffic Requirements: Many agencies set traffic thresholds for the pages they target. This ensures that the link is placed on a page with a certain level of existing authority.
• Vetting the Bloggers: It’s important to apply the same vetting process to publishers for link insertions as you would for blogger outreach. Focus on traffic trends, quality of content, and the relevance of their external links.

 

Common Pitfalls in Link Insertions

• Beware of Link Farms: Watch out for sites that accept links from any and every niche. This could indicate that the site is leaning towards becoming a link farm, which could negatively affect your link quality.
• Consistency in Content Quality: Make sure the site is consistent in maintaining the quality of its content and doesn’t show signs of excessive commercialisation.

 

With link insertions/niche edits, ideally you want to be focusing on two mains aspects. Traffic to the URL, and context of the content. Ideally this would be for the website and the article, but even just adding an extra paragraph of surrounding text to give more context to your link, just so it doesn’t look odd in relation to the rest of the article. 

Link insertions should also cost you less than guest posts, so if you’re getting outrageous quotes from bloggers then feel free to speak to our team – we’ve worked with reputable publishers for years, and we know what the cost of buying backlinks should be. 

 

Buying Journalist Request Packages 

 

Building Authority Through Digital PR

Digital PR is highly effective for obtaining links from high-authority publications. It can help establish your brand as an expert in your niche, while also generating valuable backlinks. Here’s how:

• Branded Mentions: Digital PR campaigns often lead to mentions in top-tier publications. These typically point to your homepage with branded anchor text.
• High-Authority Links: You can get links from industry-specific publications or larger media outlets.

 

Using Platforms for Journalist Requests

• Tools like Qwoted: This premium platform allows you to connect with journalists, submit pitches, and track responses. It’s an excellent tool for securing high-quality backlinks, especially if you’re looking to manage multiple client profiles.
• Free Alternatives: You can still use tools like #JournoRequest on Twitter (now X) or set up alerts through tools like IFTTT to catch opportunities without investing in premium platforms.

 

Challenges with Journalist Requests

• Uncertain Outcomes: You may not always know if a pitch will result in a link or just an unlinked mention. Make sure that you pay based on successful link placements rather than per response to manage costs.
• Varying Turnaround Times: The time it takes to get a link can differ significantly depending on the niche and the level of competition.

 

Despite how long they can take to ‘land’, journalist requests are easily one of our favourite forms of link building. They’re usually backlinks to your homepage with branded anchors, so they’re arguably as natural as it gets from a ‘white hat’ perspective. 

Plus, if you’re in a niche where your competitors aren’t doing a ton of link building, then you can easily get ahead with a digital PR batch using a blend of journalist requests and proactive outreach (that’s how we’d recommend you approach this style of link building anyway!). 

 

What About Proactive Digital PR Campaigns? 

Combining Journalist Requests with Broader Campaigns

Running proactive campaigns alongside reactive journalist requests allows for a consistent flow of opportunities. Here’s how to make the most of this approach:

• Leverage Data-Driven Content: Create league tables, expert commentary, or data-driven stories that you can pitch directly to journalists.
• Take Advantage of Trends: Align your campaigns with trending events or seasonal data, like creating content related to major sports events. This increases the chances of getting picked up by news outlets.
• Syndication Opportunities: A well-prepared release can lead to syndication across multiple publications, boosting the reach and authority of your backlinks.

 

This approach then means that you’re not just relying on responses that you can send to journalists each day… You’re actively reaching-out to journalists too, and you can always repurpose the content to utilise at a later date if it doesn’t ‘land’. All in all, a perfect approach. 

 

Choosing the Right Approach to Buying Backlinks

In conclusion, buying backlinks can be effective when done right. Here’s a recap of key points to keep in mind:

• Vetting Is Key: Whether through guest posting, link insertions, or digital PR, thoroughly vet each site to ensure quality.
• Combine Strategies: Use a mix of guest posting, link insertions, and journalist requests to maintain a balanced and sustainable backlink profile.
• Start Small, Then Scale: If you’re new to journalist requests, start with free platforms and gradually explore premium options as you gain experience.

Feel free to leave a comment or let us know what you’d like to see in future content. And if you’re ready to take your link-building efforts to the next level, consider starting with either free journalist request tools or data-rich digital PR campaigns. Also, take a look at our guide to white label link building if you’re considering outsourcing for the first time.