Coop and the new Google Patent

Many of you will be aware of the new Google Patent application.
http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=12518

It has been around since December 31, 2003, long before the DP co-op was started. However, the patent application considers the likes of the DP Co-op and has specific ways of dealing with it.

Of specific concern is the information relating to link churn, and how Google would like to penalise pages than have too much link churn.

Co-op works well, but for how much longer?

While the co-op works very well for me at the moment, I forsee a time that Google will use this link churn factor more.

I therefore consider it wise for the Co-op to more more towards having 5 permanent links added per page on our sites, rather than the random allocation as present. This would mean that when Google looks from one month to the next, the same links will be there and there will be no penalty considered.

Big drops are also not good, so the instability of the Google API at returning link counts is not good - my suggestion was that where there was a substantial change, that the Co-op revalidated several times when people had their API key installed (to try and get different datacenters), then emailed the user if more than say 20% drop.

Comments please.

 

It will still work as an "advertising" network -- adapt.

 

Geez, not another "what does google think about the coop" thread!

We already have 10,000 similar threads

 

Google are most likely stock piling patents for their own protection, I doubt they plan to sue anyone based on this patent.

[Edit: I just re-read your post, I think you must have edited, because my response made no sense!]

 

I only have one site that has gotten a boost in google from the coop

why don't people create threads about "msn and the coop"

 

Geez, not another stupid one-liner from Fryman.

We already have 10,000 similar comments.


Ostrich symdrome anyone?

Oh - I forgot - it's JUST an advertising network - no one cares about the SERPs, it's those sales we get from people clicking the ads. Yeah right! Pull the other one. Why do you refuse to face the inevitable? Google will, sooner or later, devalue the links from the co-op, the writing is on the wall - even a fool like Fryman should be able to see that. If you really don't care about that, then you are one lucky SOB.

You can keep telling yourself that it doesn't matter, but I'd bet that if/when it DOES happen, you will find that the co-op starts to shrink - rapidly. Then where will your wonderful ADVERTISEMENTS be?

Times are changing - some might argue it would be wise to move with them.

You seem to think these comments are an attack on the co-op. WRONG! (again) The reason people bring this stuff up is because they LIKE the co-op and want it to continue to grow and provide all it's members with the same benefits it provides now, if not - more benefits! Whether you like to admit it or not - fact is - some (a lot?) of the members of the co-op are in it primarily for the backlinks.

 

I think the bigger point E Doc Tong is that the issue has been discussed a LOT, and this information is nothing new. Yes, one day the links will probably be devalued, yes some people think they already are. But how many times does it need to be rehashed?

 

Nothing new, been discussed 1000 times, but creatures like that poor E Doc Tong just can't understand it.

 

Sure as hell makes the co-op forum a hell of a lot of fun though

I think I am going to retire from the co-op forum

 

Sure you are. That is like a fat kid saying he isn't going to eat cake.

 

I just can't take the hype and the hysteria that this creates on the forum circuit, man I am good at the forum game but I am getting old and can't keep fighting with these guys.

The co-op is a legitimate program and if people don't like it they can drop out and join another program, it is that simple.

 

Youll find ignorant troublemakers everywhere, just ignore them as the pests they are...

 

That seems to be the case - from the results I've seen so far. Co-op hasn't impacted my google rankings one bit, but the effect it has had on MSN and Yahoo has been fantastic - amazing what a couple hundred thousand backlinks do...

Some members have reported that the co-op has helped them in Google, and seems that lots of members have seen great results on the other two. Also seem inevitable that MSN and Y! will eventually catch-up and do the same.

Fryman - if anyone has shown themselves to be an ignorant creature - it is you. You seem to think you know everything and anyone with an opinion that differs from yours, gets the one-line flame from you. If you disagree with people's comments so much, why *don't* you just ignore them? but you can't can you - because sitting on the forums all day, trying to compensate for your lack of a life is all you ever do.

 

At some point it might make sense to include the rel="nofollow" attribute on the coop ads. At some point MSN will follow suit and reduce the impact the coop ads has in the SERPs and/or the coop ads will begin to do some real damage to SE rankings.

 

Who knows? We could even make some thread series
- Google and the Coop
- Yahoo and the Coop
- MSN and the Coop
- Shawn and the Coop
- The Coop revolutions
- My website and the Coop

The last one would be great 'will my website be upset by changing links everytime someone refresh a page? isn't this too much work for my website to do? will it be mad at me?'

 

I've only been in the co-op for just over a week.
I see no change in SERPs, but I have already seen some traffic from various sites - not ones I normally have links on - which can only have come from my Ads.
I don't care where the traffic comes from - SERPs or ADs, traffic is traffic after all.

 

Why don't you care where the traffic comes from?

Do you know what those visitors did once they came to your site?
How long they stayed, how many pages they viewed, whether they came back again later, etc etc.

Traffic is (just) traffic, nothing more - targeted traffic that leads to conversion is another thing.

I wouldn't be surprised if the visitors that clicked on the ads just scrolled to the bottom of the page to check that the ads are there ie - fellow co-op members.

I track all my visitors - sure, I've had some clicks - but none of them have converted to sales. Your results may well be different, just pointing out the obvious

However - the backlinks moved one of my sites from 3rd page to #1 position on MSN for LOTS of competitive keyphrases, which so far has directly resulted in an extra 1000+ highly targeted visitors a day and sales of over $20K - now you tell me which is more important!

The REAL value of the co-op is the improved SERPs - we all know it, but some just refuse to acknowledge it. I'm just being straight with you - don't get pissed because it's not in line with the 'official' reason for the network. DP would be foolish if they advertised the co-op as a way to manipulate the SERPs - that's just asking for trouble, and sure - there is SOME value to the links in the context of direct advertising. But - come on - we all know what's really going on here. Why are you so reluctant to admit it, or even embrace it?

I love the co-op - it makes me money because it improves my SE rankings (MSN+Yahoo). I hope it stays that way for a long time to come!

The original post brought up some interesting points - sure they have been mentioned before, but I haven't really seen any sensible discussion about it. What's the point in just slamming the door on people who want to discuss this stuff. If you really don't care about it - don't participate in the discussion.

 

I may be misundstanding you fryman. Are you refering to E Doc Tong?

I found his post calm and cool. COOP members should have thier fingers on the pulse. If the day comes where we are being penalized as a result of the CO OP relating to Google's new algos we should know this ASAP, agree?

It makes sense so that:

A) DP can make necessary changes to COOP
B) COOP members can decide on an educated basis if they wish to say or go

If your comment wasn't towards E DocTong...sorry...you get my 2 cents anyhow

 

I have just noticed my important terms that relied on the co-op dropping in the last week or so. I still have a positive effect (probably), but dropped to second page on several terms. Probably since its now around my 2nd/3rd month for some terms and so Google has seen the big variation in links.

Since you know about it Shawn, how about some more programming brilliance to get around it. I, like E Doc Tong want the max out of this fab coop.