I'm really debating on removing my co-op ads or not. I've been reading around about all the problems with Google (THE incessant tragic hero, starting to feel like the big G will always be fatally flawed) that are similar to the problems with my site. I lost my #1 / #2 position that I've held for almost 2 1/2 years now. I've lost it in the past, but only from SERP bouncing, and I usually had it back in a couple of days. With my other sites I've learned to only panic if things get progressively worse. This keyword went from #1 to #2 to #28 to #49 to now #92 since last Thursday. It will probabaly disappear if I don't do something fast. I have both inbound CO-OP ads for this keyword and outbound co-op ads on my page. I've labeled the co-op ads in a DIV tag titled "Resources" although that was originally titled "Sponsored Ads" (and I know that I need to change the "Resources" back to ads and will be doing that as soon as I finish this post). I continue to publish new original posts daily and keep current on my comments. I'm also working on a linkbait project to see if that helps. I don't sell any other links but I do link out quite a bit since its my personal blog and I write about other sites frequently. I also notice a few domains that I'd rather not see on my own site, not due to co-op violations, but rather due to content or marketing or strategies I personally don't completely agree with. So... 1) I'm keeping the co-op up for another week or so to see what happens. I'm still indexed, so I'll use this opportunity to experiment. If I can't get anything to happen I'll pull the co-op. 2) I'll keep the incoming links coming in, no questions there. 3) My co-op ads are in the sidebar, so I wonder if switching the layout may help (move them higher, more prominent position, etc). 4) I wonder if anyone working with Text-Link-Ads or LinkAdage has experienced similar SERP losses because I've heard rumors that Google was on a link-seller hunt. As far as other networks go, I know LinkVault is under water. 5) I wish there were a way to ban domains from getting a link on your site. Not global blacklists (since that already exists for the worse cases), but local list that will only keep out sites I choose. A lot like Adsense Competitior URLs.
All I can say is that I'm exactly in the same situation as you. And with the same questions... We've had very good SERPs with competitive keywords but after last Thursday I was pushed in the #30-60. It's clearly a penalty, even for our company name, a rare used word, www.companyname.com is pushed in #30!
And are you using co-op ON this domain (i.e. putting the links on your site) or pointing ads TO your domain (i.e. getting backlinks from co-op). or both?
Both. Don't really see why the big deal that everyone is making about one or the other. I figure its an advertising network, why only use half of it?
Like I said, I'm in the same situation as roadies - both. I think 2 possible reasons for the filter could be: -links from our domain to low quality sites from coop -the huge variations in number of back links to us