See something Shawn posted in the following thread that SiteTutor dug up for some reason, Post # 70 http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?p=132006#post132006 It is about a site that got banned for buying and selling links.
Bottom line is anything you to to artificially raise your ranks (especially purchasing links based on PageRank), is not "cool" with Google. AYOR ( at your own risk )
I guess we read that thread in different ways Anthony, as I see no general agreement that the site was dropped for buying links, in fact the site had its pages drop out of both Yahoo and Google at the same time. Can someone please explain to me how a Google ban is going to affect Yahoo?
Yes that is the official Google line, but if that is really the case are you going to be at risk for optimizing your page titles or adding H tagged headers to your page? I really don't think so even though both are clearly examples of things which are done soley to raise your rankings.
That thread was dated June of 2004 Mel, when did the switch over happen and what the hell does that have to do with Shawn's statement about the danger of buying and selling links to get SERP's and PR
You can split hairs all day if you wish, Mel. It doesn't alter the fact that search engines can and do penalize certain practices... or are you really trying to claim that anything goes and that nothing you do to a page will jeopardize SE ranking?
If we are just going to accept whatever Shawn says as Gospel then I guess it says nothing, but if we are going to think for ourselves then I would suppose that it would give pause to those sorts. As for when did the switchover happen you are the one who suggested that it was after that time, so you can look it up.
You asked me how it was possible that both engines could drop them at the same time, make that 3 or more engines since Yahoo, MSN, AOL and many others were all using Google results at the same time Mel.
Please explain how/where I am splitting hairs?? I am simply saying that 1. broad statements like anything you do to raise you ranking is suspect are misleading at best. 2. I am quite prepared to believe that Google has in the past penalized some pages for this or that. I am even willing to believe that pages get severe penalties for buying links, but ONLY if someone can in fact produce something besides vague third party reports . Examples. Google does not like hidden text and has in the past penalized pages for it, yet you can still find lots of it in googles index and ranking well. Google does not like cloaking but there are apparently exceptions and google itself was recently caught doing just that in an apparent attempt to raise the ranking for one of its pages. Not everything is black and white.
As this thread was started by me ages ago lol, I thought maybe I should chime in a little. I can tell you that the site this happen to was ban by google for link purchases. I got an email from google stating this fact that I believe I posted either on this forum or the other really bad forum..lol. There is a site now which is using those same tactics that was used on my site by the same seo who did it to mine. It has climbed fast as my old Atlanta site did and I am watching it to see if it falls. If it does it should be concrete proof that google will penalize for purchased links. Time will tell us here shortly.
Mel, Google does not need reports to find out who is buying and selling links, like I told you before they can see patterns in the data they get from data mining the search index and all the links on web pages.
Come on Anthony no point playing dumb. I am sure that you are aware that Yahoo dropped google results in January of 2004, and thus this is not a possible cause.
All I have to say is I am amazed at a thread I create gets over 4000 views lol. What is the world coming to.
Good Wayne, but as I recall that email, in typical Google fashion, it did not actually say that you were banned for buying links did it? Perhaps you could post a copy in this thread to refresh our memories. As I recall the situation there were many more factors involved including heavy interlinking of several sites including that of a particular SEO and other realtors.
May I request that you followthat advice yourself, Mel? We all know and even you know that the post was about buying links -- don't play dumb and don't split hairs or resort to your usual technique of twisting words around so you can attack something no one besides you ever said. So what are you saying exactly then? That Google does frown on link buying? Or that Google doesn't frown on link buying? Or can you even remember which point you are trying to argue by now?