Well, many people said Google is becoming clever and clever. Yet, i can see many websites (including my competitors) are improving in their SERPs although these websites only depend on VERY TRADITIONAL paid links or traditional link exchange (3-ways but they put it on resource web page so it's a very basic method). Of course these schemes are not preferred by Google and I have seen many webmasters say Google algorithm has been changing again and again. Some even said it's better to not buy any links OR trade sitewide links because Google now is bringing down all link sellers. Yes, I can see many link sellers PR are now 0 BUT it doesn't mean anything because their links are still helping the link buyers' SERPs. I have checked some of the websites that I suspect are buying links (my competitors) and I see that their links 90% come from paid links. Blog posts, site wide, and craps like that. And yes, their SERPs are improving (that's why I checked their back links through Yahoo Site Explorer and other tools because I want to know why their SERPs are improving). This is silly. Google algorithm is not changing at all, at least not in the last 8 months. Although many people lost their PR but what is important is SERPs. And like it or not, many websites still get very good SERPs although they buy links or trade links in a very traditional form (i don't think reciprocal link discount or such thing exists. I can prove it to you that one website get a very good SERPs although this website only depend on reciprocal links). I still remember how Matt Cutts promised to bring down all paid links last year in April or May but Google only penalized several link sellers who used TLA or other services. They are not able to identify manual paid links EVEN if these paid links are created in very basic form (i.e.: blog post or sitewide link in navigation bar). And even if these link sellers PR are brought down by Google, the link still transfers the value to the buyer so the link buyers can get very good SERPs.
I did reciprocal links last year and we did good and steadily grew and stopped the first of the year to try adding a blog to our site and working on back links and haven't seen anything really good from it and we are actually considering the reciprocal links again. I got them all orangically and from all over the world for a variety of our sites all relevant to our sites. We plan to have a meeting this weekend to reaccess the whole SEO process so I found your post interesting for the reciprocal comment.
The algorithm has changed. Links are the gold of the internet - and until the engines can recognize human behavior and see that the "system" is being gamed, it will always appear that nothing has changed. But conduct some searches in Google, and you'll now see results that include videos, images and other documents - almost essential on getting any critical keyword ranked today.
Yes, i can see that but you can see that as well since last year. I did not say nothing has been changing since 5 years ago but I said nothing is changing since at least 8 months ago and it's true. Many people here in DP said Google algorithm is changing every week, etc. but sorry mate, that is crap. yes, they keep changing their algorithm but not every week or even every month. Since Matt Cutts promised to cut all the paid links, I think there are only very few websites who got penalized because of their paid links (and they usually use TLA or that kind of service). But if they sell links manually (let's say they sell links here in DP), they won't get penalized. Maybe their PR are brought down to 0 but the link still passes all the value to the buyer. That's why I can see many people rank highly only because of paid links. The case is not different with reciprocal links. In Google webmaster area, you can see that Google do not want "excessive reciprocal links". But once again, i can see many people get better SERPs with "excessive reciprocal links". So basically I quite agree that Google algorithm has been changing a lot but the process is quite slow, much slower than most people said.
But that was the issue all along.... PR not SERPs. G wanted to put an end to the practice of selling PR, often for very big money. In doing so, some sites were banned, which of course effects SERPs. But changing SERPs was not the goal. Selling PR was. /*tom*/
No. People who buy PR are those who want to get better SERPs, not to get better PRs. Google wants to put an end to the practice of selling PR because this practice is manipulating their SERPs, not only PRs. So this is not what Google wants to do, but what Google can't do. Yes, some sites were banned but that's the real question. Why only SOME? There are so so many websites who sell links. Yet, they are still there passing all the values to the link buyers. Once again, Google wants to "eliminate" all paid links because Matt Cutts said this practice is manipulating their algorithm, not only PRs. But I don't see any progresses. Well, yes, i see a little bit progress, but it's extremely slow. I understand if Google can't detect any advanced paid links form but cmon....each blog post link to different external links with the keyword-targeting anchor texts? That must be paid links. Sitewide one way links with the correct anchor texts, what are those if not paid links (or 3-ways link exchange)? But Google simply can't detect these, they can only detect paid links which use TLA or other services. I am not arguing about why Google did not penalize the link sellers. But I AM ARGUING why my competitors are still there, get very good SERPs when they do nothing but buy and buy another crap links in very BASIC forms.
"But I AM ARGUING why my competitors are still there, get very good SERPs when they do nothing but buy and buy another crap links in very BASIC forms." Report them to Google
I don't think they are becoming clever. They just keep changing the algorithm. It's not better, it's just random spammy sites on the first pages
Why? Because I'm ranked first and I won't buy links, for what reason? But I'm afraid with them because their SERPs are increasing in my main keyword. Now they are on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th positions.