1.0BuzzStreamhttps://www.buzzstream.comVince Nerohttps://www.buzzstream.com/blog/author/vincenero/rich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="UEczeNdfBG"><a href="https://www.buzzstream.com/blog/link-buying-podcast/">Link buying: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://www.buzzstream.com/blog/link-buying-podcast/embed/#?secret=UEczeNdfBG" width="600" height="338" title="“Link buying: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly” — BuzzStream" data-secret="UEczeNdfBG" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script type="text/javascript"> /* <![CDATA[ */ /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); /* ]]> */ </script> https://www.buzzstream.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IAN-HOWELLS.png1280720Everywhere I go online, someone is talking about buying links. And every time I have the same questions: If its so risky, why do so many people do it? Why does it seem to work for some but not for others? Why hasn’t Google done more to fight it? All of these questions kept coming up, and I knew exactly who to go to. Ian Howells is one of the smartest SEOs I know. You may know him as the co-founder of one of the biggest and best SEO online communities, Traffic Think Tank. I had a chance to work with him briefly when I was at The Grit Group where he’s the Executive in Residence of SEO. Now, I got to sit down and pick his brain about the business of buying links. You don’t want to miss this one. Most buy links because it’s easier than building a brand. In specific industries, like crypto, building links naturally is challenging; many rely on buying links. Link buying is risky; if you’re loud enough about it, Google will find you out. Building links costs either time or money. The success of link buying largely depends on the established authority and natural link profile of the site. Thorough due diligence is key. Evaluate traffic history, link profiles, and their anchor text diversity. In most cases, a few high-quality links are more valuable than many low-quality ones. Transcript Vince: So Ian let’s start with a Kind of broad topic because this is very top of mind and I’m going to set the stage here I was at Brighton SEO two months ago the October conference and They had a Q& A booth with John Mueller and He was there Situated right across from a link marketplace. I won’t name who they are And […]