Text Link Buying – Do the Benefits Outweigh the Risk?

Such a touchy Subject…

Last week, I came across a 21-Day FREE Trial offer for a text links service and had to go over and see what it was about. The premise of buying text links is definitely not new, nor is the fear of being banished to 20 years of hard labor from Matt Cutts and Google, who despise the idea of people buying text links. The problem however, is that everyone does buy text links and as long as you are willing to step out onto the cliff, it is a very effective way to build authority on a site!

Due to the constant fear mongering by Google and my own apprehensions to buying text links, I asked Marc Hardgrove of Next Net Media, to help me understand more about how their system works, and how I could be assured it was worth the time to use it. Marc was very responsive… as you are about to read!

10 Questions About TextLinks with Marc Hardgrove

We all know that “on-topic” links carry more relevance. What range of topics does the LinkText network encompass? For example, if I have a website about dog collars, will I be able to find a relevant site to advertise on?

Great question. I just did a look up in our inventory on (dog collars) For example we have 122 pages with the word (dog collars) available. This means you can buy the contextual link integrated into an existing article post for $1. Not monthly but $1 for a permanent link. Our competitors inlinks.com charge $10 per month for these same type of contextual links. Plus we can sell you a sidebar of footer link on over 5000 pages with the word (dog) on the page. And lastly you could write an article about dog collars with a link back to you site and place it on over 10,000 different worpress blogs for a permanent cost of $1 per post.

Google has made it clear they are on the hunt for buyers of text links. How can I be confident I won’t put a site in harms way by purchasing ad links within the LinkText network?

We get this question all the time. If purchasing links could harm a site’s rankings, we in theory would have the equivalent of a search engine nuclear bomb. We could set up campaigns and knock businesses competitors out of the search engines. Google would never let this happen. It is more likely that if Google detected what it thought was a (paid link) that the link simply would not help you in any way (no link juice) Therefore you would have wasted your money. We have managed over 10,000 link campaigns and have never seen a site penalized for link buying.

As a user of the LinkText network, will I be able to see the exact websites I am advertising on, before the ads go live, retaining editorial control and choice in where the links are shown?

We are very protective of our inventory. Therefore we do not show you the exact link location until you actually purchase the link. After you see the link location, you have the ability to remove the link in (real time) and instantly receive the link credits back on your account.

I noticed you offer homepage, sidebar, and footer link inventory. Is there any benefit to using one over the other and if so, why?

I always say a variety of different types of links is the best strategy. I will also add that we offer contextual links in existing content and give you the ability to write content and add contextual links in your content. If I had to pick, I guess contextual links would be my  link of choice.

What, if any, limits do you place on the number of links on any one website within the network? Obviously, adspace inventory will diminish over time, how can I be sure my link is not in a sidebar with 200 others on a single site?

We limit each page to a maximum of 5 links. We get thousands of new pages of inventory daily, so we will never run out of inventory.

Do I have to own the websites I choose to promote and if so, is there a verification process I need to take before requesting a link be placed?

We do not verify the ownership of the website. So in theory someone could sign up and place hundreds or thousands of links to your site without your permission. See my (nuclear bomb) theory in question #2

I noticed you offer the ability to submit blog posts to the system with a minimum of 100 words. Do you plan on incorporating a writer service based around that, or do I need to provide my own content?

Perfect timing on this question. Yes we will be offering an (outsourcing option) feature in the very near future. The cost for a 100 word article will be $2. We are in the process of tying our api into our content parter.

With so many different websites in your own network, will you ever offer the ability to post content on higher authority sites with a higher pagerank?

Currently about 20% of all the site’s homepages have pagerank. We have tossed around the idea of charging more for sites with pagerank. But for now all homepages are $3 and all subpages are $1 regardless of the pagerank. All of the pages in our inventory are checked to make sure they are in the Google cache.

Take the 21 Day Free Trial of Textlinks

The Question Remains… Should You Buy Text Links?

I know that by the time most of you get to the end of this post, you are going to be asking yourself if buying text links is worth it or not.I’m only going to say it one way… If you buy text links for the sole purpose of increasing pagerank, you MUST do so being fully aware that you may one day pay a penalty!

The MAIN risk is Obvious -

1. Regardless of HOW you buy links Google may ultimately drop your site from search engines. Period. BUT… if this were true 100% of the time, why wouldn’t I just buy links and point them to my competitors instead, seems like it would be the same reward, with NO risk to me? Read what Matt Cutts has to Say

The Benefits are also Obvious -

1. If done in Moderation, you can increase the traffic to a site, rather quickly from ALL search engines

My Own Opinion

Truthfully, if you are managing a website for someone else, NEVER buy a link anywhere! After all, its not your risk.. its the risk of someone else you are playing with! On the other hand, if you have a site you want to build up traffic quickly in ALL search engines, buying links… while still risky, can bring benefits both short and long term.

I base everything on Risk versus Reward. We all do… and we ALL do it every day we drive our cars 5 mph over the speed limit on the highway! Its only bad when you get caught…

Whats YOUR Opinion?

Previously Published Articles You May Like to Read:

• Warning about Buying Expired Domains – Don’t Buy Into a Bad Neighborhood!
• What is Most Important when Buying or Trying New Software
• Someone asked – Why are you Building Link Directories?
• Adding a Link Cloud Directory to your Build a Niche Store
• Add a Trackback link to each Page of your BANS Site
• Change the Default Build a Niche Store Link
• Looks like a PageRank Update in Progress

Rate This Post

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...