I think google has discounted links from ads for a long time, now they're trying to find links that does not look like ads, but are paid for. They do this simply because they think their ranking algo will improve. As always has been, the primary question you should ask yourself when buying a link is "will this give me more traffic", if the answer is yes and the cost-benefit calculation looks good you buy, if not don't. Google discounting paid links might at most change the way we calculate the cost-benefit, it will not put an end to paid links. Imagine if you could buy a post with a link to your site from Matt Cutts blog, knowing that Google would ignore the links while ranking your site, would you buy? If it was my blog (Alexa 742,666 ) and Google would discount the link, would you buy?
I disagree I'm afraid. It is about advertising. Everything you do to promote a site is about advertising, whether it's paying for links, banner ads, forum signatures, article promotion or whatever. All of that is advertising, doesn't matter whether you pay for it or not. What Google is suggesting - and they may very well not do it - is that their advertising is better than others. And the system as suggested would be very open to abuse. Can't compete with a competitor? Buy some links to their site and report them to Google. I don't advocate buying or selling links purely on the basis of any Page Rank the link might give your site though. It's all about traffic in the end after all.
Again, NO THEY DON'T, they just think that if ad-links are excluded from the ranking algo, the ranking algo will improve. THEY ARE NOT ABOUT TO STOP YOU FROM BUYING LINKS, THEY WILL JUST STOP INCLUDING THEM IN THEIR RANKING.
Do that and you will buy your competitor some traffic but no increased ranking, can I be your competitor? I'll pm you a few URLs if you want to try ps. Sorry for the double post.
Isn't that penalizing other forms of advertising though? Only if you send me some money first No problem about the double post.
What? Printing your url on your bussiness card? What form of advertising gets you better ranking in Google and is not a form of paid link? If anything devalueing paid links would be a way of encouraging/benefitting other forms of advertising. I think most ppl miss the fact that G wants to devalue paid links, and instead reading falsely that G will penalize paid links. You won't get punished buying links just devalued
That would imply that being 'devalued' is a pleasant thing. How many people in this thread are going "YAY, MY LINKS ARE DEVALUED!"
I have to disagree with you there. Should Google devalue paid links, they are implicitly saying that their advertising is better than other peoples. Why? Because, right at the very top of the Google search results, are two paid links - their own AdWords program. Now, if Google, should they proceed with such a policy, removed the Google AdWords paid links from the top of the search rankings, that would be substantially more fair. I'm not concerned about the fact that the AdWords program doesn't provdie direct links. It's a link, it's paid for, and it gets you to the top of the rankings. Exactly what they are supposed to be against.
Just read over at Web Pro News that Matt Cutt was to discuss things with Web Pro News. Now his emails come back as being on Vacation for the next month. It may have been sarcasm. But it would sound like something like what Google would do. Unleash fear, Much protest(like when the village came after Frankestein), take a month long vacation to make things cool down.
The right thing for Matt to do now is to help ensure that this program really works the way he envisioned it to. Not talk it to death.
This program will give him a chance to finally put some action behind his words. He has been doing a lot of talking, but improvement is one thing I have not seen. This program can work well, but it can´t be done halfass and has to be more than something to put fear into those who read the blog and take every word for face value.
According to the Web Pro News article. Where they had a set time to discuss. Than all the sudden they are getting emails saying he is on vacation for the next month or that he is to swamped.
Pray tell... 1. what "program" exactly? 2. who exactly reads his blog and takes everything at face value? ...speaking of doing a lot of talking with nothing to show for it...
according to your posts on this thread you see one every morning you look in the mirror. Hold on, maybe not ... I forgot you don´t shave.
Hilarious. Still trying to master the art of witty repartee, I see. But at least you can take some solace in having long ago mastered the art of posting without saying anything.
Other than repeating what Matt Cutts stated and being Google´s wannabe spokesperson, is there anything of value that you have to add to this thread?
First, you haven't even read this thread and we both know that. Second: Care to tell us exactly what that post was supposed to mean?
They are specifically saying that if you do not advertise with them or like them (nofollow, or java, big SPONSORED by text, etc) then your link will be penalized. As far as them saying they are better then everyone else, heh, that goes without saying It's not really about siteA, it's not really about siteB, it's not really about advertising though all three can be affected...it's about how the link is treated. If you pay for a link and do not do it just how they want it done, then the link is penalized.