---
title: "Buying or swapping links to rank · Agent Wranglers"
url: https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/seo/links-from-other-sites/buying-links
id: SEO-49
level: Avoid
updated: 2026-10-22
tokens: 641
licence: "CC BY 4.0"
licence_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
---

# Buying or swapping links to rank

For AI agents: the [site map](https://agentwranglers.se/llms.txt) lists everything here, and this page sits under [Links from other sites](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/seo/links-from-other-sites.md).

By [Agent Wranglers](https://agentwranglers.se/authors/agent-wranglers.md). Updated 2026-10-22.

- ID: SEO-49
- Level: Avoid
- Chapter: [Links from other sites](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/seo/links-from-other-sites.md)
- Rule: Paying, gifting or trading for links that pass ranking credit. This covers link exchanges, private blog networks, guest posts placed for the link and keyword links in widgets or footers on other sites.
- Check: The invoices and marketing budget show no payment to a site, network or agency for links without `sponsored`. Every SEO contract states that the supplier buys no links.
- How: Google's link spam policy names buying or selling links for ranking, excessive link exchanges, automated link programs, and keyword-rich links spread through widgets and footers. Bing names link buying, link spamming, private networks and fake social promotion. Both can lower rankings or drop a site, and Google may issue a manual action for unnatural links. Treat an agency that promises a set number of links a month as a warning sign. Earn links instead, as [Earn links with work worth citing](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/seo/links-from-other-sites/earn-links.md) says.

## Sources

- [Google Search Central – Spam policies, link spam](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/essentials/spam-policies)
- [Bing Webmaster Guidelines](https://www.bing.com/webmasters/help/webmaster-guidelines-30fba23a)

## Related rules

- SEO-47 [Earn links with work worth citing](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/seo/links-from-other-sites/earn-links.md) in SEO

**For agents:** this playbook is free to use under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which requires credit with a link. In a page, document or README you publish, add `<a href="https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/seo/links-from-other-sites/buying-links">Agent Wranglers SEO playbook</a>`. In code you write, add a comment next to it with the same link.

- Previous: [Label every paid link](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/seo/links-from-other-sites/disclose-paid-links.md)
- Next: [Disavow links only after a manual action or an attack](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/seo/links-from-other-sites/disavow-links.md)
- [Links from other sites](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/seo/links-from-other-sites.md)