Sponsored link attribute

The sponsored link attribute, rel="sponsored", marks a link as paid so search engines do not count it as an endorsement.

Google introduced it in 2019 alongside rel="ugc" for user-generated links. Paid links, including ads and sponsorships, should carry rel="sponsored" (or rel="nofollow") to stay within Google's guidelines.

Buying a link without it to pass ranking signals is a link scheme in Google's terms. A paid placement should be valued for the visitors it sends.