Since google is now cracking down on paid links I think these directory owners need to offer free ones or they risk getting snitched on. I already know some people that snitched on their competitors for buying obvious paid links..I'm sure google will look at the directory it's a part of and blacklist it, IF it's Paid Only, and not a long-ass-wait like yahoo or other high PR ones. We know the rules of google, play by the google gods or face getting snitched on by a competitor (why should they play by the book while your not?)...Buying your PR to the top is now not allowed; I can see both sides of it, and would buy some links if this new rule wasn't implemented...If you get these links that are from Paid directories ONLY you are at risk for screwing yourself over and the directory you got it from.
Your post does not make much sense and this issue has been discussed-to-death, I see you are a newbie please learn to use the search function....and the "sky is not falling".
And who's to say you bought/paid for the link just to gain PR? I or anyone else can pay for a link in a directory or elsewhere for pure advertising. All brick and mortar businesses as well as WWW based businesses (to include directories) are fully capable of buying a link for the purpose of advertising. It's business...plain and simple. If some one wants to cry to google, let them. Google doesn't have a leg to stand on in a court of law if they impose hardships to me, you or anyone else on the grounds I/we are buying "PR". I/we are buying advertising space. Period. tom
I feel the same way you do, however your taking google to court? Cmon that part is a little funny when you read it aloud...Google can sandbox your site if it suspects you of buying links and has evidence. What don't you understand? They don't allow buying paid links in directories anymore
is it rubbish? I'm just trying to figure out if I can buy my PR to the top, or if you guys should be worried about buying paid links. That's great you feel the way you feel, but does Google have a different stance? Let's argue some facts about it, rather than tossing my post up to rubbish lol..unless Matt Cutts is also rubbish?
You are a "Link Guru" so you already know the answer right? You got a lot of reading to do if you want to gain some real understanding of the issues you are spouting off about. Try using the search function and come back when you have a clue.
While it may be true that I nor you or most of us here can afford a huge litigation with google, given their deep pockets....it's still comes down to a simple fact of "proof that I bought the link for PR". Not google nor their litigation team can prove that I did buy the link for PR. I selectively purchase links all over both on directories and other "related" sites for reasons outside of PR. PR is great and sure it matters to an extent. However, my link andvertising purchases are seen by people whom don't use PR meters, people whom don't use google, etc. Point is..I'm advertising my site/business and directories are a advertising method that works and assist me in gaining mind share with the SE's...and not just Google. Proof in point...I personally use Yahoo as an SE first then google. With regards to sandbox....I can't control what google does with my sites. Yes, I would be upset if they did do so and yes, they have been taken to court before for manipulation and yes, they have lost. However, they have no control over Yahoo and other SE's. I'm not going to argue with you or anyone else over who's right and who's wrong over directories. Go read Googles own SEO documentation they have posted. When they sandbox you for using a Directory (paid or unpaid)..ask them to read their own recommendations. tom
after reading your post .. it sounds completely nonsense .... i dont know what have you been doing ... read Matt Cutt's blog for god sake when he clarifies ... google won't haunt paid directories that charge for a review rather than a listing.... and many paid directories charge for a review not a listing... you can't just submit any site to idk and get by it and i am very certain many other dir owners here won't let you get in their site if you don't meet their standards... Creed, Jeff, Chris, Rob of bloggeries, Rob of Dump, Amit of GII, Jude of dirsensei.... and many others .... so please dont think tht way ... if it is to be tht way ... than why would people advertise at all ... because any web page you advertise you get a backlink ... and u r getting a paid link ??
so your calling Google's bluff? I agree, no one knows for sure WHY you bought the link...maybe it looked pretty? But seriously, if they are saying they are cracking down, and people are laughing about it, they either need to enforce it or not talk about it. That was cute with the "LinkGuru" lol; I'm just some guy learning about SEO and doing all I can to further myself...anyone on this forum is someone I like to be around *at least in virtual forum space* cause they care about their site/product. Hey, if everyones laughing in Googles face about this crackdown, then fine...guess it's time to buy those PR7 links.
and this would be exactly what and why google is saying what they are saying.....you are buying the link for PR. That's the difference. Why does it have to be a PR7 page/site your buying the link from? Why not a PR0/1/2/3/4?? Why not a site/directory etc. that is relevant to what your site is/contains? You have proven my point exactly. End of story. Go buy your link now. tom
This section is has become notorious for folks posting silly end of the directory world threads and yours seemed like one of those. If you really want to learn about what is going on I would agree with smub, read matt's blog carefully and read gooogles seo guidelines. Also read up on exactly what is going on with the paid link report (gooogle has stated that they are just using those reports for testing purposes right now). In the long-run gooogle has a lot to lose by pissing off webmasters since we are their biggest clients for adwords and displaying adsense. They have bigger fish to fry with all the MFA sites out there so I don't think they will be doing a lot about paid links for a long, long time and even when (and if) they get around to it I doubt they will bother with web directories or even the little guys selling blogroll links and such. They will go after they ones selling PR8 and PR9 links and probably won't go much further than that.
From your words I see a)you are not a newbie...... in this field. b)you may be an SEO who are against directories. c)another distant point-you may be knowing very well about Google or you may be even related with Google(Distant possibility) ( may be dispatched by Google to know about directoty owners midset -JUST JOKING) From point of view you are an SEO against directories (who paid you to tell like this... Rand?)
hmmm anyone who buys a link in a directory for pure traffic should be shot...and no I'm not a direcotry hater or newb...im soon to be on page one of google for competitive keywords...my SEO resume is not what this post was about. Would you buy a directory link for traffic? If so I have a bridge I can sell you. Directories are notoriously becoming for PR purposes; granted that 4 clicks a month or even a year will help but you get the point. Ever hear of don't shoot the messenger? Google said you can't buy paid links, and if you do so you'll be dealt with. Rubbish? I think it's a pretty important statement - you can no longer buy links -. I guess it's easier to poke fun at forum names and chalk things up to rubbish...maybe if my forum name was Google SEO officer you would respect this post more and deal with the obvious issue at hand.
Blah blah blah... Come with some proof then your voice will be heard.. Its all i have to say about this issue and any other that serves no purpose,,, laterz malcolm
Coming here as gooogles messenger to save all us poor directory owners eh? You don't have a firm grasp of the issues you are trying to talk about, so how can anyone give you repsect. Respect is earned here at DP just like everywhere else in life.
No way a newbie can be on first page on Google for some competitive keywords in a short span of time(You are calling yourself a newbie) I said earlier itself that you may be related with Google ,Your post seems to confirm that ! Ask them to improve their algoriothim. I will say why directories are important and how they judge a quality of a site Out of 255 directory sites (both free and paid directories) www.indiaexplorers.com -got listed only in 9 directory sites(this site is a spam site /MFA/Content less and got listed only in 9 directories Let us compare it with another travel site(not a spam site) www.justbrazil.org -got listed in 30 directories A quality site would be listed in more directories than a spammy or content less site.This is were directories are useful Directories help us to find a quality of site where as a Search Engine like Googlefinds it difficult to judge a quality of site. Ask them to improve their Algorithim Some of the top sites While www.alivedirectory.com -got listed only in 115 directory sites (115/255) www.directorycritic.com-got listed in 68 directories(68/255) www.bigweblinks.com-got listed in 66 sites(66/255) This statistics would shut any one who is saying the directories are nothing but garbage Also if any one wishes I can even post the directories in which the spam site is listed.
the issue is so vague and open-ended that I have just a firm grasp on this as others...I'm simply playing Devils Advocate...welcome to the game . But seriously, I guess no one here is threatened or even feels buying paid links is a huge issue. I know 90% of the people on here are directory owners or have bought paid links, so I expected to be flamed. It's nice to know people don't think much of this new google law and guess nothing will really change. I hope to buy some links from you in the future , forgive my boredom and fear of the google gods.