While doing competitor analysis on backlinks I see a lot of pages coming up on Google (as backlinks) where the site is no longer listed. My guess is that they had an ad (via Adwords) on there at some point, and the page was cached by Google. I'm guessing this because these pages have adsense on them. I know PR isn't passed from adsense listings, but it clearly does count as a backlink (in Google's eyes anyway), despite the fact it's not a direct link. So is this a strategy being used to get IBLs?
Adsense/Adwords adverts won't pass PR and also don't show up as a link. Maybe the links were coop or link vault links?
Interesting, I hadn't considered that. But its very strange that these pages turning up in Google as backlinks have no direct links on them - they're all adsense. Isn't that just too weird?
I saw the WPW post as well but am not convinced. Until somebody posts a link:www.domain.com query that actually shows a page with one of these Adwords "links" on then I am not going to be convinced. However - the Adwords adverts are 302 redirects so may pass PR if the spiders can see them. Looking at a text only cache of this forum the adverts are shown. Still don't think they are counted as links though.
Maybe it's only for those who are premium publishers and use SSIs, using the XML feed of adsense? I'm totally confused, otherwise it must mean google reads javascript. EDIT: seems like people on the other forum think so as well.
Adwords links do not count because the spiders read the source of the web page not display it in a browser. With that said anything that requires javascript(adsense) to show will not be shown in the source code just the code to display it not what it displays.
bprearson: Yes, but you're missing my point. If you are a premium, then you can use SSI technologies to include the ads in your page source. I must also add, though it is not concerning this, that there are now proof of that Google reads javascript.
Google may read javascript with there new bot, but I would thank they would discount all adword links or not surveing ads when the google bot hits the page. I under stand the adsense premium but how many of the pages you ads are on is premium? Unless you are doing site targeting for premium sites that are useing SSI to serve ads whice would be an expensive way of building links IMO. If you want rotating links like what adwords will give you just use the coop.
if there is a link from a javascript no search engine can see that link!!! Adsense/Adwords using javascipt !!!. so no pr will pass