Buying links for a Google Business Profile is a trust exercise. You usually cannot see the pages in advance, you cannot test the result on your own, and the vendor knows more than you do. This guide gives you a short set of questions that makes the conversation more even. It applies to any vendor, including us.
Start with what nobody can know
Nobody outside Google can prove that a specific link moved a specific profile. Google says local results rest on relevance, distance and prominence, and that prominence includes links, articles and directories. Beyond that, the weight of any single link is unknown. A vendor who talks as if the weights are known is either guessing or selling. Treat that kind of certainty as your first warning sign.
Question 1: where will the links live?
The host site matters more than the sales page. Ask for real examples of the kinds of sites that will carry your link, and look at them yourself. Reasonable targets look like this:
- The topic is related to your trade or area, or the site is a genuine local resource.
- The site is indexed by Google, which you can check with a quick site search.
- It shows signs of real traffic and a real owner, not an empty template.
- Its authority sits in a sensible range for the market. Some buyers set DR 30 and above as a target, though no number proves quality alone.
A vendor may keep a full list private, which is normal. They should still be willing to show real examples in a conversation.
Question 2: what exactly will the link point at?
Ask whether links go to your website, to your Maps listing address, or both, and why. A good answer explains the reasoning. A weak answer is a single tactic applied to every client. For background, see our note on links to a profile URL.
Question 3: how are anchor texts chosen?
A page full of identical keyword anchors looks manufactured. Ask how the vendor varies anchors, and whether branded and plain URL anchors are part of the mix. If the answer is a fixed template, expect a pattern that is easy to spot.
Question 4: what do you do about citations and profile problems?
Links on top of a messy profile waste money. A thoughtful vendor looks at your category, your name, address and phone consistency, and any duplicate listings before suggesting a single link. If the proposal skips this and goes straight to links, the vendor is selling a product, not solving your problem.
Question 5: how is the price set and shown?
Difficulty depends on your area, your category and your competitors, so a single fixed price for every city should raise a question. Ask for a written quote that names what you receive, and make sure it is explained before you pay. Be cautious of pressure to pay first and clarify later.
Question 6: what is the plan if a link disappears?
Sites change, pages are removed and domains expire. Ask how the vendor tracks placements and what happens when one is lost. You are not entitled to permanence, but you are entitled to a clear answer.
Question 7: how does the vendor talk about risk?
Buying or exchanging links to influence rankings can go against Google's spam policies on link schemes. Careful, relevant, editorial-style placements reduce that risk but do not remove it. A vendor who admits this is easier to trust than one who calls their method safe. If the answer is that there is no risk at all, treat the whole proposal with suspicion.
Warning signs worth walking away from
- A promised position, date or number of calls.
- No willingness to show any example of a host site.
- Links to your website only, with nothing about the profile.
- Bulk footer or sidebar links across a large number of sites.
- A single package for every business.
If you would like to talk through your own situation, use the request form or WhatsApp from the contact page. Reviewing a request is free.
Search guidelines and tactics change over time, and results can never be promised. Treat this as general education, not a forecast for your business.