Hi all, I've been sending out free product samples for bloggers to review my products, to try to get our business name out there. I thought asking bloggers for a review would be fine, as long as I'm not asking for a link. I see google's exact words on link schemes include "Sending someone a free product in exchange for them writing it and including a link" I've also seen a Google article which seems to put the onus on bloggers to ensure the links are a no-follow and articles are marked as gifted Do you think I am likely to be penalised for sending products out for review? The bloggers are linking back to me, but I'm not specifically asking for links, just a review. I'm totally confused and worried that all the work i've done will actually negatively affect my website Any help greatly appreciated!
I have a hunch that it's not going to negatively impact your blog. If you bought a gig from fiverr where your products / links / excerpts were placed on blogs (hundreds of them), then yes, be afraid, be very afraid. But if you did it yourself, randomly without any serious spamming, you should be fine.
Of course not. Google won't penalize you for this. It is like Beta Testing (when you give your product to the end-users for testing and ask them for sharing their reviews). And, no one will link back to your website or product page if you are spamming or having a spammy website.
I don't think google is going to penalise you because this is OK. (Nothings coming free of cost in this world - This is the fact) and any other way, you are giving something for their work or time that they are spending for you.
What you are doing is 100% ok and you will not be penalised. I would not worry about it at all. You are giving out product samples for free to be reviewed, and some of your reviewers have decided to link to you. You are not requesting or demanding a link back.
There are many websites that automate this process: sending a free product, or money, in exchange of links. Some of the blogs where the links/reviews are posted are created specially for posting links. It is easy for google to figure out if those website are built only for links in exchange of freebies, but if you do it naturally, and the links are posted on real blogs, with real content, you should not worry.