Now is the time for related links

[login]

We currently see reports from web masters complaining drops in serps. This is web masters that are selling and buying links. Google is hitting down on the link business and I think from now on we have to be more careful to who we link to and where we buy our links.
I will not sell links to unrelated pages any more or buy from unrelated pages. Links from unrelated pages will probably not hurt you, but they will probably not count either so they are a waste of money. if I link to unrelated pages the links can be seen by Google as sold and they can give my site a penalty.

Its new times and we have to adjust either we like it or not.

[thevirus]

My question is how can Google tell if you are linking to a page on a similar subject. For example I own a webmaster forum, and I could perhaps purchase a link from a SEO company. Not the traffic on that website would be targeted to mine, but if my webmaster forum does not have an SEO topic how does Google know that they are similar topics and not completely different if they don't share similar keywords?

Basically I want to know how google identifies content as similar if they don't contain similar keywords just similar subjects.

[mightyb]

I agree with you. I always went for quality rather than quantity and bought smart backlinks. This is why i never had problems with SERP fluctuations etc. However i still believe that you can buy links as long as you use common sense. Google will never know if you paid for the link or not of you just take a bit more time to find the right deal.

[login]

My question is how can Google tell if you are linking to a page on a similar subject. For example I own a webmaster forum, and I could perhaps purchase a link from a SEO company. Not the traffic on that website would be targeted to mine, but if my webmaster forum does not have an SEO topic how does Google know that they are similar topics and not completely different if they don't share similar keywords?

Basically I want to know how google identifies content as similar if they don't contain similar keywords just similar subjects.

How do Google do things ? he he, if i knew that i would be a billionaire.

The thing is that google want their algoritm to act like a human, google want to understand that the link you talk about should be ok. How they do it, thats another story.
At the least they want to understand that the links that are good for the human visitor are good for them.

[trichnosis]

My question is how can Google tell if you are linking to a page on a similar subject. For example I own a webmaster forum, and I could perhaps purchase a link from a SEO company. Not the traffic on that website would be targeted to mine, but if my webmaster forum does not have an SEO topic how does Google know that they are similar topics and not completely different if they don't share similar keywords?

Basically I want to know how google identifies content as similar if they don't contain similar keywords just similar subjects.

i think google will check the keywords on both web sites.

if sites are related , both must contains the same keywords .

i think google will check it

[wabbit123]

They can tell.

[login]

Very few people comment in this thread. It look like everybody agrees in this.

[Savweb]

if I link to unrelated pages the links can be seen by Google as sold and they can give my site a penalty.

Its new times and we have to adjust either we like it or not.

I don't think they give a penalty for unrelated links, you just spread your particular page's theme in google's eyes.

[xrbreal]

"Links from unrelated pages will probably not hurt you, but they will probably not count either "

I agree with that .

"if I link to unrelated pages the links can be seen by Google as sold and they can give my site a penalty.
"

But I don't think Google will find this and give a penalty. Linking to an unrelated site is not a good reason to punish you.

[ferret77]

i don't think it matters,

in fact check any top ranked site in Google and look at its back links very rarely will they all be related

[addaminsane]

what happens when someone simply likes your site and puts a link on a blog page or something that has hardly any reletive content?

[login]

i don't think it matters,

in fact check any top ranked site in Google and look at its back links very rarely will they all be related

Yes, you are 100% correct. I am talking about the future:)

[hugodiaz]

Related links are certainly the way to go.
Thanks for your advice.
+ repped you. ;)

[zangief]

Today I noticed that related sites are updated more quickly , this can be a sign.

[login]

Today I noticed that related sites are updated more quickly , this can be a sign.

Interesting. How did you notice that ?

[mrcrowley]

Yep its always good to get links from sites related to your own. Google can tell the difference because of the keywords used on the pages. If they are relevant to your own it goes in your favour :)