[rfergie]

Most of the SEO's I talk to would not advise paying for backlinks (directly, with cash). But most of their advice is intended for larger companies who have more invested in their website than just where it ranks in Google. So the downside of getting this kind of business a penalty is quite large.

There are people who make a tonne of cash buying links to websites (not just those who sell the links!) but these businesses set themselves up so that if a domain is penalised it doesn't really make much difference to them.

For a blog, particularly one you want to grow organically, I would not buy links as you build equity in the blog domain through other channels (recognition on HN for example). Buying links represents a risk in this case and for little reward.

Ethics doesn't come into it as long as you accept that spending money on marketing is ethical.