Google says Stop selling/paying for text links to your site!!

[lpstong]

Came across Matt Cutts Blog who is an engineer for Google since 2000. He just put this up on his blog as of yesterday. So think twice. Whether you are selling spots because you have the PR, traffic etc. Google Police are partrolling.

One thing I heard at SES London was that people wanted a way to report paid links specifically. I’d like to get a few paid link reports anyway because I’m excited about trying some ideas here at Google to augment our existing algorithms. Google may provide a special form for paid link reports at some point, but in the mean time, here’s a couple of ways that anyone can use to report paid links:

- Sign in to Google’s webmaster console and use the authenticated spam report form, then include the word “paidlink” (all one word) in the text area of the spam report. If you use the authenticated form, you’ll need to sign in with a Google Account, but your report will carry more weight.
- Use the unauthenticated spam report form and make sure to include the word “paidlink” (all one word) in the text area of the spam report.

As far as the details, it can be pretty short. Something like “Example.com is selling links; here’s a page on example.com that demonstrates that” or “www.shadyseo.com is buying links. You can see the paid links on www.example.com/path/page.html” is all you need to mention. That will be enough for Google to start testing out some new techniques we’ve got — thanks!

 

[lazyleo]

Yep thats sad now you should always have anchors with diffrent texts google has stopped the googlebombing algo ...many should notice a change in serp traffic over the next few days ..i am pretty sure i will be badly effected..but its a good stpe to stop non deserving websites to reach the top of the search engines..and i dont think any "webmaster" would report a link sale..thats just too much.

 

[Steven]

This is not good.
Some people like to buy the links to advertise their website.

 

[kwan]

That's BS coming from Google. 99% of their income comes from paid links (= Adsense). What's the difference between that and paying someone to place your link on their website?

 

[lpstong]

The way think about is if you have Google Analytics = Targeted keywords etc = better traffic via Adwords. They want people to use all their tools. Monopoly just like Microsoft. Googlopy

 

[CrazyTech]

Hate to say it, and I like Google, but this is a case of a bunch of smart guys not using common sense. This is going to make it quite difficult for smaller sites to do well because buying text links is really the only way smaller websites can get larger ones to link to them.

 

[fopshizzle]

Monopoly just like Microsoft. Googlopy

No match for domain "GOOGLOPY.COM".

Someone grab it. LOL


This is some crap, just like the QS with adwords because this past sat they did another adwords/adsense update and now some of my sites with 100% complete custom content that is more then revelant to the kewords now get poor QS which makes it $1.00 just to get on the adwords PPC for the keywords we were paying 5cents for this past friday

Check out the comments on matt's blog very lol

 

[bluearrow]

Well seems ridiculous. ok lets say buying links is bad then what about PPC ad's ? Is'nt it another form of "link selling" ? I bet they would do any baning about PPC lol. Google seems getting Ugly just like Microsoft.

 

[Keral_Patel]

Well in some months they will say that now stop buying banners

Aren't they selling the adwords themselves. I know adwords are not links but still. What if some webmaster just wants to advertise on some site similar to his own.

Should the link offering webmaster give it for free?

Should there be something like link credits instead of money involved in this transactions? Google link credits? :D

This is not going to work. I don't know how this kind of rules come in existence.

 

[Makis.TV]

Google gets very deep into website managment.
They decide what i sell to who and why?

 

[techie474]

I know it is not a good news, Regarding Google selling adwords, they also want us to do it via redirects, nofollow or javascript and not static links.

 

[lpstong]

I think its just a big push for people to buy into adwords and to have less control over their links and banner space on their websites and blogs.

 

[Skinny]

I frankly don't totally agree with this but it doesn't meant the end of link selling.

Google wants people to stop link selling to get PR and get higher in the SERPs.

Having said that selling links on high traffic sites will still be going on. Traffic is still worth something, (something Google doesn't really care about).

I think it will be harder to detect a paid site. I mean what if I have like partner sites or sites I like section. How will they know if I sold links to someone or if I just put them there myself.

It gets kinda murky.

Skinny

 

[gotlinks]

This really is low, but I doubt its real to be honest..

Google has paid links!

 

[UneekTT]

Not sure if it is real or not, but now days, you have to be careful what you believe.
Also, be very careful where you read it!

Might have been a late April fools joke?

lol

Personally, I would not be so concerned, but thats just me.

 

[SJM211]

To be honest I don't think that this will work but I still find it scary. What proof do google need in order to penalise a site or devalue their links? My guess is probably none and that they wont bother telling the site that it's been penalised, give them a chance to rectify the situation or let them argue their case.

They are actively encouraging people to inform them about websites buying/selling links and I'm guessing that a few dodgy people will use this opportunity to report their competitors in order to get them penalised. :td:

 

[jdR!pper]

Nah... Google will not be able to distinguish all paid links from natural links. I'd say, there's least they can do about this.

--Joe

 

[lpstong]

Shandaman and UneekTT. The blog link that was given is a Google Engineer that is involved with SEO work PR etc.

This really is low, but I doubt its real to be honest..

Google has paid links!

Not sure if it is real or not, but now days, you have to be careful what you believe.
Also, be very careful where you read it!

Might have been a late April fools joke?

lol

Personally, I would not be so concerned, but thats just me.

Yes it would be hard to track down everyone who is selling. But it is for profit for google, to use their adwords campain, and to weed out the spammers etc. Googlopy in the making and the downfall of a much wanted empire.

They are actively encouraging people to inform them about websites buying/selling links and I'm guessing that a few dodgy people will use this opportunity to report their competitors in order to get them penalised. :td:

I soooooooooooooo agree.

 

[Damion]

Ah great, all the SEO sharks are now creating fake request link for sale profiles/requests and putting up links to their competitors...

And then report them 8-X

Easy as pie and there is nothing you can do to prove you did not make the request and paid for the link.

Webmaster:"But i didn't request for a backlink to my site"
Google:"Oh yeah, we have the report right here"
"Included is a post on a forum where you request for a backlink and i see a price tag together with an email address that matches your domain"
"Also a confirmation with a follow up post from you thanking the seller for doing business"
Webmaster:"It isn't so! It isn't so "
Google:"Prove it!"
Webmaster:"Forgive but i can't Oh powerful Google..."
"I can't prove i didn't do it because it never happend, how can i prove a negative?"

Big question that remains unanswered by Matt Cutts is what is being done if a paid link is "detected" by their link columbos?

Does the link loose it's PR power?
Or does it mean a penalty for the overall SERP of the page or even the whole domain?

 

[enlytend]

There's a lot to read on that blog - both in the follow-up comments and some relevant information on the post before it on hidden links.

Reading between the lines, it doesn't sound like they're using the paid link reports to punish anyone, just to collect data. Wouldn't be the first time Google has used human feedback to refine an algorithm - a couple of years ago they were paying people like $10/hour to look at search results in certain abuse-prone sectors (travel, etc.) and report sites which would be considered spam according to their guidelines (a project which leaked a VERY interesting document on how Google identifies a page as spam ).

The other thing I get from all this reading is that they're not planning to BAN anyone for paid links, but they will devalue the links themselves so they don't pass a PR or serps boost to the buyer. Their webmaster guidelines have always said that you shouldn't participate in link schemes to improve your page rank or search rankings, this would be in line with that edict.

Matt goes on to describe methods of having a paid link that would be perfectly OK - "nofollow" attributes, redirects with the redirect program blocked by robots.txt, javascript links ... or, a note stating that some links or a particular link are paid (and he cites this article about an announcement from the Federal Trade Commission, which could be the motivation behind this... or not ....)

So it sounds to me like Links For Traffic = In, Links for Page Rank = Out. Which was the case all along, but they're looking to enforce it.

People who's entire business plan consists of buying and selling links for page rank won't be happy campers, the rest of us (knock on wood) should be able to adapt and muddle through as always ...