View Full Version : Is domaintools using nofollow?
View the source code of:
http://209.85.207.104/search?q=cache:http://whois.domaintools.com/google.com&hl=en&strip=1
How many nofollows do you count?
AussieWebmaster
04-28-2008, 08:48 PM
none.... but what are the links sellimg for?
http://vpslink.com/?utm_source=domaintools&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=dtsmall1
Well hidden (as in under "sponsored...") link using anchor "Cheap VPS Hosting".
Obviously an ad in the "real" page:
http://whois.domaintools.com/google.com
AussieWebmaster
04-28-2008, 08:52 PM
and the links in the footer
no next to the google search box, top of the page but yes there could be others. Others arent nearly as blatant...
You'll never guess what site ranks number one for "Cheap VPS Hosting"!!!!!!!!! hmmmm :)
Posted more on my blog:
http://www.beussery.com/blog/index.php/2008/04/google-whois-domaintools-paid-links-passing-pagerank/
jimbeetle
04-29-2008, 12:58 AM
Well, nobody 'cept Google actually knows if that sponsored link is passing PR or not. I don't really know how Google handled the weighting of sponsored and affiliate links before nofollow reared its ugly head, but assume they have to have some mechanism in place somewhere along the line.
As to whether nofollow should be used in this case, well, I'm definitely in the no nofollow camp. If Google can't see that this is an ad then that's its problem.
AussieWebmaster
04-29-2008, 01:20 AM
use another widget or get the links dropped
As to whether nofollow should be used in this case, well, I'm definitely in the no nofollow camp. If Google can't see that this is an ad then that's its problem.
Sure, my problem is that there are no nofollows on the page. It's hard for me to believe there are no paid links contained on domaintools.com website. It sends mixed signals for Google to tell others not to do something that there "partner" is doing openly and I thought they should know.
AussieWebmaster
04-29-2008, 03:39 PM
Definitely a good catch mate.... am interested to see how long before there is a Google response to this activity... or lack there of
j0nyDzine
04-29-2008, 05:56 PM
Sure, my problem is that there are no nofollows on the page. It's hard for me to believe there are no paid links contained on domaintools.com website. It sends mixed signals for Google to tell others not to do something that there "partner" is doing openly and I thought they should know.
Yeah, completely, totally and utterly there, BEU. Otherwise, it's "Do no evil... unless you're our friend, then it's OK..."
jimbeetle
04-30-2008, 11:25 AM
It's hard for me to believe there are no paid links contained on domaintools.com website.
The link to the "Cheap VPS Hosting" site sure appears to be paid and is clearly labeled as a "Sponsored Ad."
As for the others that might look like they're paid, if you dig down you'll find that all lead to what appear to be associated sites. Looks to me like it's just linking to its siblings.
AussieWebmaster
04-30-2008, 12:41 PM
free stock ticker???
jimbeetle
04-30-2008, 04:23 PM
free stock ticker???
Yep, uses domaintools SSL cert.
AussieWebmaster
04-30-2008, 04:33 PM
yeah I have a pile of non relevant sites... can I juice them from my other sites without looking like a spammer
jimbeetle
04-30-2008, 05:03 PM
Now I didn't say it was good practice, AW ;) just that those links are probably not paid.
UPDATE:
Matt Cutts, confirmed earlier today that the problem is now resolved:
"When I checked this morning it looks like the ad at
whois.domaintools.com/example. ...
now has a redirect through "/go/", which has a robots.txt blocking /go/ ."
- http://blogoscoped.com/forum/129858.html#id129917
:)
AussieWebmaster
04-30-2008, 10:30 PM
Brian this was a good find....
Thanks Aussie... (blushing) means a lot but nothing anyone else couldn't have found.