Paying for high quality links is not exactly uncommon in the SEO industry.  In fact, purchasing listings in a few high quality directories (Yahoo, Best of the Web, Business.com, etc.) is something we recommend.  That said, we do stick to the principle that the best possible links are ones that are free - you want people to link to you because your site features something valuable.

Of course, creating something worthwhile and getting the message out there through organic SEO, social media, and other delivery methods is easier said than done, and we are not surprised that some companies do find it easier to simply throw some money at the problem instead of developing quality content or a linking strategy that involves more than just spending some money.  For instance, developing partnerships with other companies (for instance, firms in related industries, like interior designers if you are a real estate agent) is one way to get natural high quality links.  Another strategy would be to create something helpful like a how-to guide that your users will share with their social network, or something really entertaining that they would want to forward to all their friends.

Developing a link building strategy that does not rely on paid links is also important since the FTC has begun to crack down on paid links if they are not clearly described as “sponsored” or given some other indication that this link is not a natural one (and of course, Google has their own guidelines).   Of course, clearly defined paid links are not going to hurt you, but natural links that come from having content that others want to share are going to have a much more significant impact on your rankings in the long term (although paid links can be great if you need immediate results).

Overall, it is important that you make sure that your linking strategy is clearly within the FTC guidelines - you might get away with it for a while, but determining a strategy that will help you acquire natural links is the way to long term success.