How do all these SEO companies link build, and isn't it technically black hat?

[CHEATERS]

Amateur hour over here, and I'd appreciate a kick in the right direction!

I've done a fairly good job link building organically, but I need to start ranking better so I can actually have a good shot at catching up with my competitors. I've contacted companies that perform SEO work, and each one of them has said that link building is one of the most important things that can be done to increase page ranking on SERPs. For a set amount of money each month (in one instance, $6,000/month), they promised me many quality links with keywords in the anchor text and on the first page of SERPS for those keywords against competitors who have Domain Authority of 65+.

How can they possibly do this?

I've tried doing research into how they can get so many quality links, and I have a theory: these SEO companies have a very large network of websites they work with. The SEO groups charge me money, and in turn pays this network of websites to create pages that link to my website using desired anchor text. Additionally, perhaps the SEO companies have a network of websites that they actually own and simply create new articles about your company and link to it.

Is this how it's done? Is this how SEO companies actually operate? And if so, isn't this technically black hat SEO seeing as the customer is paying for links (from what I've read, Google hates this). Could it be possible that if I pay for these links, and Google somehow found out about it, I could really pay the consequences later on?

Appreciate any insight you can give me before I spend any money on SEO work. Thanks so much! I'm a new user and really, really like this community!

[sseibel]

Only of search engine marketers have a private blog network which they post unique articles to and link back to the client's site.

[YannickVeys]

What's high quality and what would you get for 6k a month? If you get 5 quality links for that, that would be good. Get my point? If you get 5 links in lets say the Guardian, the NY Times, etc. You'd be jumping up and down. If you get 300 links a month for those 6k, than chances are they aren't really of high quality.

It takes time and effort to make something linkable. Do real research, write a decent post, or make a decent linkable piece of video, etc.

I can get you a thousands links a month, good quality (mark my Chinese accent) for only 400 dollars a month!

Ask them for examples and call the companies they do link building for and ask them what their thoughts are on the link builders.

Link building is patching up something that is broken. Make everything on your site with one thing in mind: why and when would this page I'm making now deserve to rank number one? People will than link to it because they really like your content, not because they get paid to post a blog about your site.

[AdamThompson]

If you pay them to put links on their private network of sites, then those are paid links, which would break Google's guidelines.

[EGOL]

... and  disappear when you stop payin' the $6000/month.

[AdamThompson]

Quite true.

[evolvingSEO]

If you feel as if you're being "sold" or "double-talked" you probably are. Still kills me to hear that, after calling several SEO companies, this is the impression you have come away with!

Appreciate any insight you can give me before I spend any money on SEO work. Thanks so much! I'm a new user and really, really like this community!

I'd start with this list: http://www.seomoz.org/marketplace/companies/recommended

Not all SEO companies operate the way you have described above. You do run a big risk for paid links - some people are willing to take that risk, but it can mean a penalty or significant drop in rankings in the future.

My recommendation is to go with a company you feel comfortable talking to, if you ask what their techniques and strategies are, they tell you directly without trying to talk around the issue. They may mention a few specific tactics to obtaining white-hat links which also drive referral traffic.  They'll tell you exactly how they go about getting the links.  Plus rankings, page rank and DA are just another way of "selling" you - a good company will talk conversion, and ROI and how SEO fits into your overall marketing/business plan.

-Dan