Anyone been penalized by G for buying or selling links?

I have never sold or bought links for fear of the big G penalizing me. In specialty forums I see link sales going on all the time. Has anyone ever been penalized for it?

 

Text Link Ads "apparently" got kicked under the bus by google. I say apparently because I am not that well versed in this but one thing is for sure when you go to google and type in text link ads in any variation you wont find text link ads showing up at all until page 15 or so. When you don't show up in the number one position or at least on the first page of google then it certainly indicates that a "penalty" of some kind was applied. buying or selling text links is abhorent to google that is for sure, dp contains many who purchase and believe buying and selling text link ads while I would guess the majority here disfavor the practice.

 

You can get penalized for selling links. Especially if you use Text Link Ads or something like that.
For buying links I'm not sure, because you don't have control over all links.

 

It is against Goolge's polcy to buy or sell paid links for the purpose of passing link juice and therefore manipulating the search reults and they will penalize both parties (buyer and seller) for doing so

They do have ways of finding out in fact they actually have a system in place to report anyone who is selling or buying links.

Here is an excellent Blog dedicated to this very subject:

http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/2007/12/information-about-buying-and-selling.html

P.S
I've got 3 words of advise.... Don't Do It!

 

Yes, I have been penalized for PR recently. Google removed my PR, but didn't remove my site from SERPs (thank God)

 

I have never sold dofollow links, but have written an article that you might want to read. Paid Links: Good or Bad?

 

Yes, Google is fighting against link selling really hard, they suggest to use nofollow on each paid link or else....

 

I dont think google penalizes buyers because if that was the case you could buy links for your competition and than report it

 

If google catches you buying or selling dofollow links they will penalize you. Whether or not they will catch everyone is a whole different story though.

 

I think I may have been penalized for it, I changed all of them to nofollow today, I know google just did an update a few days ago, hopefully on the next update things improve a little.

All of this stuff is like playing a game and the kid with the ball changes the rules but doesn't tell anyone.

 

You raise a very good point, because Google claims that they have to consider sabotage when laying down slaps, so ultimately the Sellers site gets penalised and the links are devalued and become useless to the buyer (as far as garnering link juice)

P.S.
I believe that Google finds you Guilty until proven Innocent, therefore the Buyer will likely get penalized as well, IMO

 

yea!! i was penalized and my site got pr-0 from pr-3

 

text links are the only way to be on top positions on google, but you just to be patient. Build links day by day, slowly otherwise you will be banned.

 

I've been punished for buying links. Spam directory submissions, just as a test. ended up with a -50 penalty on all my ranking keywords.

 

You've got a great blog. I need to sign up for your RSS feed; you've got a whole lot of good information.

 

Google hates paid links and tries to bust all the networks that do
but there is still lots of selling and buying around to keep the industry alive

Everyone is doing it just not in the open anymore !!!

I was apparently penalized for selling links on http://www.gamesonline4free.net/
which I was not, I was just experimenting with the DP CO-OP network !!
and have never gained back my PR4 but the SERPs were not affected

if you put links on your site TOTALLY UNRELATED then google might think they are
paid, and penalize you. Think twice !!!

 

I think using the COOP is even worse than standard link selling, I wouldnt put it on any site i cared about.

 

its a gamble google can catch you or not or just not for now if there is to much at stake about your site then its not worth risking it

 

Here is the issue. I see niche boards that have link sales forums. I don't get it.

Note to G: I have never bought or sold a link. Seriously. I am just too scared

And if they penalize the PR but it does not affect rankings, what in the world is the point in the PR?

 

can someone explain term SERP?