Entire Niche Slapped for Paid Links

Some very large poker affiliates where just slapped by Google and taken out of the top 10 SERPs for their own name. Also many poker blogs that had paid links to these sites vanished over night. It looks like google has figured out a way to know when sites are buying links. They obviously started with the Poker sites but could easily move on to other niches. Google also said that re inclusion is possible but by slapping everybody they are definitely sending a message.

1. Cards Chat: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=cardschat
2. Poker Source Online: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=poker+source+online
3. Poker Helper: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=poker+helper
4. Launch Poker: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=launch+poker
5. Compatible Poker: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=compatible+poker

This has HUGE implications to other niches!

 

I think the problem is not in paid links. If so, I could buy links pointing to my competitors.

 

I don't think it has anything to do with paid links either. I've got some tips and tricks to avoid being banned from google on my blog. You can check it out at http://www.semiperfectus.info/?p=59

Greets,

Semi

 

Actually, they started quite a while ago with bidding directories. So this is not a new practice at all.

Also, selling links in and of itself is not the problem. Selling PR is the issue.

/*tom*/

 

well, i got slapped with one of my sites...awful....from 2 to 4 today....and i was not purchasing any pr.....

 

you could also click bombed your competitor......your point?

 

A little new here, what is a click bomb?

 

I'm not surprised
here's the deal;
google makes his money because they show good search results, so to keep those results good they need to make sure that cheaters get filtered out ... that's why they devalue paid links

about pushing your competition out;
if youpay for links, you don't get penalized, the paid links just don't count, so those who rank without paid links, will keep their ranking even if you poitn a zillion paid links to them !!

 

Well purchasing links could be the problem, but other factors could also be in play. We don't know the extent of their marketing and exactly what techniques they might have been using.

Brad

 

My understanding is that google does not penalize you for links connecting to your site - theoretically you have no control over the sites that link to you - they just don't help your PR.

 

Exactly.

Anyways, all of those sites ARE RANKING #1 FOR THEIR NAMES. It could have been a hiccup on the SE's that you saw.

 

Google have said before its OK to sell links. It is NOT OK to sell PageRank however.

 

I don't see them ranking for their own names.

 

Hi,
That's can't be accurate since you can easily ban any of your competes.

That's inside Google and we still, will never know..

 

those are probably manual bans

 

Why are people so hung up on the idea that Google is all fair and square.
You can file DMCA to shoot you competitor down, you can click bombed his ads, so is linking from spammy site to your competitor. What makes you think that Google will stop protecting its interest just because "its not fair".

Google says its algorithm can distinguish bad link from good link pointing to you. Wouldn't Google use it if it has too?

See here http://www.adsensechamber.com/2008/tips/can-backlinks-hurt-your-site/

 

One of my friends site PR dropped from PR4 to PR0 during the previous update because of selling links. Google is watching all the sites for this kind of activity.

 

Here is an idea - Why not take your banned domains and 301 them to your competitors. They will appreciate that.