An email lands in your inbox: "We'll build 500 high-authority backlinks to your website for just $99. Guaranteed first-page rankings." You've heard backlinks matter for Google, $99 is less than you spend on lunch for the office, and part of you wonders if this is how your competitors got ahead.
Don't buy it. That kind of package breaks Google's rules, the links are close to worthless at best, and at worst they get your site pushed down or dropped from search. The good news is that the links that actually help a small business are ones you can get yourself, mostly from people you already do business with.
The quick answer
- Delete the "500 backlinks for $99" email. Bought links break Google's spam policies.
- Ask your suppliers and manufacturers to list you on their "where to buy" or dealer pages.
- Make sure the local groups you belong to (chamber of commerce, trade association, networking group) link to your site from their member directory.
- Get mentioned for things you already do locally: sponsorships, events, talks, local news stories.
- Check who links to you now in Google Search Console under Links.
The rest of this post covers why the cheap offer is a bad idea, how to get each kind of good link (with an email you can copy), and how to keep track.
What a backlink is, and why anyone sells them
A backlink is a link from someone else's website to yours. Google treats links from other sites as one of the signs that a page is worth showing: if a respected local organization links to you, that's a bit like a reference from someone people trust.
That's exactly why links get sold. If links count, someone will try to manufacture them in bulk. Google knows that, and its rules are written with it in mind.
Why "500 backlinks for $99" is a bad deal
It breaks Google's rules
Google's spam policies list what counts as link spam. The examples include:
- "Buying or selling links for ranking purposes", which covers paying money, goods or services for links
- "Using automated programs or services to create links to your site"
- "Low-quality directory or bookmark site links"
- forum comments stuffed with links
- "Link to me and I'll link to you" swaps done for their own sake
A $99 bulk package is almost always several of these at once: automated, low-quality, and paid for.
What can happen to your site
Google's policy is blunt: sites that violate it "may rank lower in results or not appear in results at all." Google catches this with automated systems and, where needed, a human reviewer who can apply a manual action for "unnatural links" against your site. Even in the best case, you don't get the rankings the email promised, and nobody can honestly guarantee first-page rankings anyway.
If you already bought links
Don't panic. Check Search Console for a manual action under Security & Manual Actions > Manual actions. If there isn't one, stop paying, don't buy more, and focus on the real links below. Google's disavow tool exists for sites with a large number of spammy links that have caused or are likely to cause a manual action, but Google says most sites will not need it, and using it carelessly can do harm. If you do have a manual action, that's a good moment to get help.
Your Google Business Profile isn't a backlink
A common mix-up: listing your website on your Google Business Profile is essential for showing up on Google Maps, but it isn't a backlink in the usual sense. It's your own listing, which you control, not another site vouching for you. Keep it accurate and complete (our Google Business Profile guide covers how), but don't count it as link building. The same goes for profiles you create yourself on Bing Places, Yelp or Facebook: worth having so customers find you, with your name, address and phone exactly the same everywhere, but not a substitute for other people linking to you.
The links a small business can actually get
These are links that exist because of a real relationship. That's what makes them useful to Google and, just as important, to the people who click them. Start with the first two; they're the easiest.
1. Suppliers, manufacturers and the brands you carry
If you're an authorized dealer, installer or stockist for a brand, check whether the manufacturer has a "where to buy", "find an installer" or "dealer locator" page. Many do, and many small businesses are missing from it or listed without a website link. The same goes for wholesalers and software or equipment vendors that list certified partners.
A short ask:
Subject: Dealer listing for [Your Business] in [Town]
Hi [Name],
We've been an authorised [Brand] [dealer/installer] in [Town] since [year]. I noticed we're [not on / listed without a website on] your [dealer locator / where to buy] page: [link to their page].
Could you add or update our listing?
[Your Business]
[Address]
[Phone]
[Website]
Thanks,
[Your name]2. Your chamber of commerce and associations
If you're a member of a chamber of commerce, a trade association or a business networking group, your member profile usually has room for a website link. Check that it's there and working. Join groups because they're useful to your business, not for the link: paying for a membership purely to get a link is the kind of thing Google's rules are aimed at.
A short ask:
Subject: Member directory update for [Your Business]
Hi [Name],
Could you check our member listing? It's [missing our website / pointing to an old address]. The correct details are:
[Your Business]
[Website]
[Phone]
Happy to send a logo or short description if that helps.
Thanks,
[Your name]3. Local sponsorships and events
Sponsoring a youth sports team, a charity run or a community event usually gets you a mention on the organizer's website. Be realistic about what that link is worth for search: Google's guidance says paid placements, including sponsorships, should be marked as sponsored, which means they don't pass ranking credit. Its real value is local visibility and goodwill, and people do click them. Sponsor things you'd support anyway, and ask for a link so the mention is useful to the people reading it.
A short ask:
Subject: Sponsor listing for [Event]
Hi [Name],
We're glad to be supporting [event] this year. For the sponsors page, here's our logo and the website to link to: [Website].
If it's useful, we'd also be happy to share the event with our customers.
Thanks,
[Your name]4. Local news and community sites
Local newspapers, community news sites and neighborhood blogs need people to quote and stories to cover. You'll get these links by being useful, not by asking for a link directly: offer a comment when something in your field is in the news, tell them about a milestone that matters to the community (a new location, local hiring, a free workshop), or answer questions a local reporter is asking.
A short pitch:
Subject: Local [trade] perspective on [topic]
Hi [Name],
I run [Your Business] in [Town]. I saw your piece on [topic]. If you cover it again, I'm happy to explain [what you know about it] in plain English, or give a quick quote.
You can reach me on [phone].
Thanks,
[Your name]
[Website]If they quote you, a polite follow-up asking whether they can link your business name to your website is fine. If they say no, leave it.
5. Industry directories that actually matter
Some directories are worth being in because customers really use them: your trade body's "find a member" listing, licensing or certification registers that list certified professionals, and the established directories in your industry. A useful test: would a customer ever search there to find someone like you? If yes, get listed. If it's a site that exists only to hold links, skip it.
Give people something to link to
Links are easier to get when your site has something worth pointing at. Most small business sites are a home page, a few service pages and a contact form. Add a page or two that answers the questions customers ask you every week: a roofer's guide to spotting storm damage, an accountant's checklist of documents for tax season, a vet's list of local after-hours emergency clinics. Those are pages a community group, a partner or a reporter can link to without it feeling like a favor.
Once people do link to you, link between your own pages so visitors (and Google) can get from your popular pages to the ones that win you work. Links also feed into how Google judges trust, which our E-E-A-T post explains.
How to see who links to you
Google Search Console shows you a sample of the sites linking to you, free. If you haven't set it up yet, our Search Console guide covers it.
- Open Search Console and pick your site.
- Click Links in the left-hand menu.
- Under External links, look at Top linking sites to see which websites link to you most.
- Check Top linked pages to see which of your pages get those links.
Two things to know: Google says the report isn't a full list of every link, and some links shown may have since been removed. It's a good way to check whether the supplier or chamber listing you asked for has been picked up, and to spot anything odd, like hundreds of links from sites you've never heard of.
What to avoid
- bulk backlink packages and anyone promising a number of links or a ranking
- paying for a link or a "guest post" placement that isn't marked as sponsored
- directories nobody uses, and services that submit you to hundreds of them
- swapping links with businesses that have nothing to do with yours
- leaving links in blog comments or forums
If it promises a lot of links quickly, it's the kind Google is looking for.
When to get help
Most of this is phone calls and emails you can do yourself. It's worth getting help if:
- Search Console shows a manual action for unnatural links
- the Links report shows a flood of spammy sites linking to you and your traffic has dropped
- you've done the basics above and want a plan for content that earns links
That's part of our SEO and marketing work if you'd like a hand.
