Google just dropped your site by 1 PR point - Might they suspect you sell links?

Discussion in 'Google' started by Trakker, Oct 7, 2007.

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Might Google suspect you of selling links?

  1. Yes, it's quite likely

    4 vote(s)
    50.0%
  2. No. I don't sell links and have no/few outbound links

    4 vote(s)
    50.0%
  3. Maybe. I don't sell links but have many outbound links and they may be mistaken.

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  1. #1
    You may be in danger!!!

    Of course it's not the full PR update so many have been anxiously awaiting, but many have posted that their site tool bar PR was dropped by 1 point. None have gone up, and I haven't seen anyone report a drop of more than 1. There is some discussion on the 3rd/4th quarter PR update thread here:

    http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=374454&page=364

    I'm surprised there isn't more curiousity about why Google did this -1 mini update. Maybe nothing, but what if this was done as part of their war on paid links - to sniff out link sellers? The possible scenario -

    1. Google drops ToolBar PR of suspected link sellers by -1

    2. Google waits a few weeks and observes those pages

    3. Buyers cancel links on pages that have dropped PR

    4. Google sees a significant change in links on suspect pages as confimation of paid links. That page loses all link juice passing power

    5. Google factors these newly identified link selling pages into the next full PR update.


    Maybe I'm imagining things, but if I had any pages that lost -1 PR and sold links, I'd think twice about removing any links until after the next full PR update.
     
    Trakker, Oct 7, 2007 IP
  2. sweetfunny

    sweetfunny Banned

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    #2
    No i've seen sites that have never bought or sold a link in their life, nor do they have any outbounds drop by PR1. Looks like just a calibration of some sort.
     
    sweetfunny, Oct 7, 2007 IP
  3. Trakker

    Trakker Peon

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    #3
    Ah, perhaps just my imagination. It seemed like many that posted about a drop were directories, and possible sellers.
     
    Trakker, Oct 7, 2007 IP
  4. sweetfunny

    sweetfunny Banned

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    #4
    Nah, sites like MSN, Apple, Archive.org etc all went -PR1 along with alot of sites i know the webmaster and they wouldn't know what PR or buying/selling links even was and don't have outbounds.

    I seem to remember Google doing this same sort of adjustment in the past, don't ask me when because they get fuzzy from 2 updates ago back to the first one.
     
    sweetfunny, Oct 7, 2007 IP