By SEOENV Team  |  Published October 23, 2026

Tiered link building is a technique where you build backlinks to your site (tier 1), then build more links pointing at those backlinks (tier 2), and sometimes another layer pointing at tier 2 (tier 3). The idea is to pump extra authority into your tier 1 links. In practice, tier 2 and 3 links are usually automated, low-quality and built purely to manipulate rankings, which places the whole approach squarely within Google's definition of link spam.

This guide explains how it works, why it's risky and safer ways to strengthen the links you have.

Key takeaways

  • Tiered link building points low-quality links at pages that link to you.
  • Tier 2 and 3 links are usually automated or spammy.
  • It's designed to manipulate rankings, which Google's spam policies prohibit.
  • SpamBrain and manual reviews target these patterns.
  • Strengthen good links by earning more editorial coverage instead.
Tiered link building explained: tier 1 links point to your site, tier 2 and 3 links point to tier 1, they are usually automated and low quality, and the approach carries high risk under link spam policies
Tier Points to Typical sources Typical quality
Tier 1 Your site Guest posts, PBN posts, web 2.0 blogs Medium to low
Tier 2 Tier 1 pages Web 2.0s, profiles, comments, articles Low
Tier 3 Tier 2 pages Automated comments, forum spam, bookmarks Very low

The theory: more links to your tier 1 pages make them stronger, so they pass more value to you, while the spam stays one step removed.

Why it's risky

Google's spam policies define link spam as links intended to manipulate rankings, including automated programs that create links. Tier 2 and 3 links exist only to manipulate. Google's 2021 post on link spam describes using its systems to identify and nullify link spam.

Risks include:

  • tier 2 and 3 links being ignored, wasting effort and money;
  • the tier 1 links losing value as they look manipulated;
  • manual actions if the pattern is clear;
  • damage to the sites hosting your tier 1 links.

"Tier 1" just means links directly to your site. Good tier 1 links, such as editorial mentions, guest posts on real sites and partner links, don't need tiers beneath them.

Why people still sell tiered packages

Tier 2 links are cheap to produce in bulk, and short-term movement in rankings can look like success. Sellers rarely show what happens six or twelve months later.

Many sites buy a "link package" without knowing it includes tiers. The provider reports a handful of guest posts, but thousands of spammy links quietly point at those posts, and the client's link profile carries that risk.

Know exactly what your links are

Record every tier 1 link with its source, partner and cost.

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Worked example: evaluating a tiered package (example data)

The package below is invented example data.

Package line Quantity What it really is
Tier 1 guest posts 5 Posts on sites selling links openly
Tier 2 web 2.0 links 50 Thin blogs created for links
Tier 3 "power links" 5,000 Automated comments and profiles

Five tier 1 posts might be acceptable on their own, if relevant. The 5,050 links beneath them add risk and little value. The safer choice is to buy nothing from this provider.

  • Earn more coverage for pages that link to you. Share guest posts with your audience.
  • Promote content you've been featured in. Real traffic to those pages is a good thing.
  • Build internal links on your own site. Pass value from strong pages to weak ones.
  • Earn new editorial links. See white hat link building.

Spammy links pointing at your site, whether from tiered campaigns or attacks, are mostly ignored by Google. If you've bought tiered links in the past, see toxic backlinks and how to disavow backlinks.

  • Do you build any links to the links you place?
  • Do you use automated tools?
  • Can I see every link built, at every level?

How SEOENV handles this

SEOENV tracks the tier 1 links you're responsible for: the source, partner, cost and whether each is live and followed. It doesn't build links, tiered or otherwise. Keeping clean records of your direct links makes it obvious what you've paid for and what you haven't.

Keep a clean record of your direct links

Track source, partner, cost and status for every link.

Start free

Tiered link building tries to hide spam one step away from your site. Google's systems are designed to see through that. Spend the effort on links that stand on their own.

Build links that don't need propping up

Free for up to 20 links, checks on every plan.

Try SEOENV free

Sources

How we wrote this

The SEOENV Team wrote this guide from our day-to-day work tracking link exchanges, guest posts and paid placements, and checked the guidance against the sources listed above. Any numbers in worked examples are illustrative example data, not results from a real site or study. We review our guides when Google updates its documentation.

Frequently asked questions

What is tiered link building?

Building links to your backlinks (tier 2) and sometimes to those links (tier 3) to boost their strength.

Is tiered link building safe?

No. Tier 2 and 3 links are usually automated and intended to manipulate rankings, which Google treats as link spam.

What is a tier 1 link?

A link pointing directly to your site. Good tier 1 links don't need tiers below them.

Do tier 2 backlinks work?

They may cause short-term movement, but Google's systems aim to nullify link spam, and the risk outweighs any gain.

What should I do if I bought tiered links?

Stop the campaign, record what was built and consider disavowing clearly manipulative links if you have a manual action.