Google Webmaster Guidelines UPDATE - Link Selling is EVIL

[beu]

Anyone else notice, Google has updated their guidelines to include "selling" links?

"Buying or selling links that pass PageRank is in violation of Google's webmaster guidelines and can negatively impact a site's ranking in search results."

http://www.google.com/support/webmas...y?answer=66736


What implications will this change in guidelines have on the industry and can SEO survive?

[AnthonyCea]

Google has always had rules against "selling links" (Go back to the Search King issue back in 2002), no follow tags are their way to let webmasters know you can "sell links" without getting de-indexed or losing PR.

Anyone can go on DP and see the scams in the directory forums and link trading forums that go on daily.

Is this what being a webmaster should be about ???

Webmasters need to wake up and so do "so called SEO's" who have become link peddlers running link brokerage firms.

[beu]

Originally Posted by AnthonyCea

Google has always had rules against "selling links" (Go back to the Search King issue back in 2002), no follow tags are their way to let webmasters know you can "sell links" without getting de-indexed or losing PR.

Great point! I'm like you and don't understand why this whole issue seems to have caught so many folks by surprise.

[Marcia]

Originally Posted by beu

Great point! I'm like you and don't understand why this whole issue seems to have caught so many folks by surprise.

It's probably the amount of widespread attention and publicizing it's been given recently. Many people probably didn't give it a second thought until the message got louder from very visible and audible source(s).

What implications will this change in guidelines have on the industry and can SEO survive?

If, in fact, there's a genuine tightening up, for buying and selling links,

-More will go underground
-More will be obfuscated by whatever means available, and
-There will probably end up being more back room deals made

It might depend on which part of the "industry," since not all function by the same model, and the differences in the way they function. I don't believe the days of SEO are near over, but it could start taking a lot more creative thought than ever before.

[AnthonyCea]

We should all admit that these interlinked paid directories are nothing more than one big link farm network, the problem being that many "so called SEO's" are involved with or accepting these scams as legitimate advertisers on their blogs and websites.

Unfortunately some webmaster and search marketing forums allow these criminals to con their membership and spam their directory forums non-stop with idiotic promotions of these interlinked link farm networks.

This leads to new webmasters doing the same thing, jumping in to start more and more "paid link bidding directories" and the ponzi scheme and house of cards just keeps getting larger, it fell once, but there are many still at it, this house of cards will fall again and fail like the pixel craze did.

[beu]

Good points AnthonyCea! Do you think "pay to play" only, PR passing directories are anything more than lists of offenders for Google to go after?

[AnthonyCea]

Well, look at this and decide: [..]

This is a prime example of a interlinked link farm directory network and how they work and link to each other, these guys were devalued for a reason.

One great way to find out if a directory is a good one is to look at their submission form, if they offer to link you to 500 other directories, run for the hills, if they want you to reciprocate for a discount, get out while you are ahead.

[beu]

I'm inclined to agree in many cases, if that is what you are saying. Interesting to note, the URL in your previous post has 0 of 10 PR.

[everythingisplanned]

hi

yes, Link Selling is EVIL

[j0nyDzine]

Ok, I kind of see 2 sides to this issue. First, the link farming- evil, no doubt.
However, if I "partner" with a large web site, and all this really is, is a form of paid advertisement, what really is the difference? Are they going to penalize sites for linking to their paid partners, which many legitamite businesses actively engage in all the time- Who gets to say what is a legitamite partner of a site, and therefore, a legit link?
On top, there are people who don't really know the finer ends of linking, and it seems like a lot of people who don't know they're doing some kind of "great evil" are going to get caught with this...
It just seems a pretty messy thing to penalize over, but that's just me. I do realize there has to be a way to cut down the link farms though...

[beu]

Originally Posted by j0nyDzine

However, if I "partner" with a large web site, and all this really is, is a form of paid advertisement, what really is the difference?

All valid concerns j0nyDzine, just wanted to point out that paid advertisements are fine as long as their links aren't passing PageRank.