Technical SEO
Link Building: What Google Allows, Paid Links, Toxic Links and Link Attributes
Earning links is fine. Buying links that pass ranking credit isn’t. Here’s where the line is.
Google’s spam policies define link spam as links intended to manipulate rankings, including buying or selling links that pass ranking credit, excessive link exchanges, automated link creation and links in widely distributed widgets or footers.
At the same time, Google’s starter guide recommends promoting your site and says other sites linking to you happens naturally over time. The difference is intent and method.
Short answer: Google allows links people choose to give because your content, products or business are worth referencing: press coverage, partner and supplier mentions, useful resources others cite, and genuine directories in your industry. It treats buying or selling links that pass ranking credit, large-scale link exchanges, automated links and paid guest posts with followed links as link spam. Paid or sponsored links are fine when marked rel=”sponsored” or rel=”nofollow”.
Key Takeaways
- Earned links are fine; paid links must be marked sponsored or nofollow.
- Link packages and “guaranteed DA” offers are red flags.
- Most low-quality links are simply ignored; disavow is for specific problems.
- Use rel=”ugc” for user-generated links and rel=”sponsored” for paid ones.
- The best link-building is being worth linking to.
Allowed vs link spam
| Usually fine | Link spam (per Google’s policies) |
|---|---|
| Press coverage of real news | Buying or selling links that pass ranking credit |
| Mentions from partners, suppliers and associations | Excessive link exchanges or partner pages |
| Resources others cite because they’re useful | Automated link creation |
| Relevant industry directories you genuinely belong in | Low-quality directory and bookmark links |
| Paid placements marked sponsored/nofollow | Advertorials with followed links |
Link attributes
| Attribute | Use for |
|---|---|
| rel=”sponsored” | Paid or sponsored links |
| rel=”ugc” | User-generated content such as comments and forum posts |
| rel=”nofollow” | Links you don’t want to vouch for |
Judging a link offer
- Would the link exist if no money changed hands? If not, it should be sponsored or nofollow.
- Is the site genuinely relevant to your customers?
- Does the offer promise metrics (DA, “high authority”) rather than audiences?
- Are links placed in bulk across many sites?
Third-party authority scores aren’t Google metrics; see domain authority explained.
“Toxic links” and disavow
Some tools label links as “toxic”. Treat that as a prompt to look, not a verdict. Use the disavow tool for links you can’t remove when you have a manual action or know of a link scheme; see unnatural links recovery.
Frequently asked questions
Is guest posting allowed?
Writing for other sites is fine. Guest posts with followed links mainly to pass ranking credit, especially at scale or paid, fall under link spam.
Should I disavow toxic links?
Usually only for manual actions or known link schemes. Disavowing good links can hurt.
Can a competitor hurt me with bad links?
Google says its systems are designed to deal with spam. If you have a manual action, follow the recovery steps.
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Sources
- Google Search Central: Spam policies for Google web search
- Google Search Central: Link best practices for Google
- Google Search Central: SEO Starter Guide
Last reviewed October 14, 2026.
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