Buing links vs Paying for listing in a directory

Is there a difference? When I want to be found in a directory or site that requires a payment to be listed is it considering buying a link. Also in many cases one need to pay for article to be written and posted on a blog.

Is there a line one can draw between paying for service and buying a link? And how to differentiate.

For example is this against Google policy for buying links?
https://www.seolist.org/new_listing.asp?VOUCHER=JUN2022

 

This has been addressed so many times over the years, I have personally concluded that Google intends on degrading any paid link. I vaguely remember Matt Cutts suggesting this, but of course they can't always making such determinations. I just don't do it anymore, unless I think a client can get actual business from a site. I do not pay for link value only.

 

OK. But I do think about grey areas. For example I may sign up for a free directory and post a link, then I pay them to be always promoted at the top of results, maybe with an additional image and so on. Is it a paid link or not? Any hint on how Google determines what is paid and what is not? Of course I exclude obvious link farms or sites that clearly state pay and get a link.

 

I was an SEO when Panda dropped, and sites that depended on questionable (even if FREE) links took MAJOR hits in ranking. Everyone was scrambling to get the links removed. So having survived that, it just isn't worth the risk for me. But it is certainly possible that you could find sites that are still under Google's radar. Funny, at one time Google actually said they wanted to one day take links out of the equation in ranking. Hilarious, since they have done the exact opposite and made links even more important, which of course makes people still consider risking when it comes to link building..

I do not believe they have made any statements on how they determine if a link is paid, but I could be wrong. You would have to do some digging (internet searches) to discover more on that. But they keep the majority of the algorithm factors secret.

 

I believe it's Penguin Sir.

 

Yea, I realized that after making the post..

 

I began my website in 2004. Back then it was fashionable to buy links. I went along with that fashion. But over the years, paid links fell into disfavor with Google. I quit the practice and haven't bought a link in many, many years. And I likewise quit submitting to worthless free directories long ago.

By writing good content, I've received thousands of links from websites I've never contacted or visited. Good content does draw links.