If you think Google does it out of purely noble intention, giving everyone an equal chance to rank high, regarding the capital you invested in buying links — you are wrong. Google does not really care weather you pay or not, however, they care WHO you pay to. Ideally, pay them, and advertise via Adwords.
Let’s see how it started the past months
First Matt Cutts writes openly in his blog, calling webmasters to report paid links. Following that, we see some ranking collapse, best and most well known example is John Chow not only not ranking for the term “make money online”, but it looks like Google kicked him out even for the term “John Chow“. Same happens to Text Link Ads, that no longer rank anywhere for “text link ads” and many other sad examples.
PageRank Apocalypse
The hysteria continues when all the top bloggers and top ranking sharks lost -1, and even -2 of their toolbar candy, and that is, with PR Q3 not even being finalized. Unofficially, Google confirms the penalty being rolled out and case by case websites and advertisers get kicked out of top ranking as well as now pay for their criminal past of buying link with live, green, vivid PR.
Google’s message to webmasters: Don’t sell PageRank, your site will lose ranking.
Google message to advertisers: Don’t buy PageRank, your site will lose ranking.
…And, the aftermath?
Naturally, advertisers are afraid to buy links via semi-banned and penalized Text Link Ads. They afraid to do it in some other networks as well for same reason. Naturally webmasters removed the “buy links here” text, they don’t offer it openly in forums anymore and as a result, link sales slowed down. Webmasters report that their Text Link Ads revenue collapsed, with all the advertisers pulling back. But, who did win here? Of course Google. If you want to make sure you advertise and 100% comply with Google’s strict ranking policy, you can advertise via Google Adsense. This brings traffic, not links (since the script is Java-based, however, if you need to keep promoting, you will take this option.
Links sales revenue collapsed, Adsense revenue raised. Many webmasters had seen the obvious increase in Adsense revenue, and no wonder. Bottom line, it all came down to monopolizing the whole buy-and-sell-and-publish-links and search-and-rank industry.
However, if Google takes it case by case, looks like there is still plenty of work to do…
10 Users Responded in " This is why Google does not want you to buy and sell links "
Great post. I can attest that link sales have actually increased for our service. Maybe it’s because tla was kicked, but it just doesn’t make sense why it’s wrong to have a text ad for cars on a car website. who cares if it helps rankings, that’s the whole point. I’ll keep myself anonymous but I think you hit the nail on the head, it comes down to the bottom line.
So who is right and who is wrong? That is a tough question. How do create a policy in which you make this one follow but not that one? I see this practice over and over again. Your example of adsense is a major one. It is ok to display adsense in its own search results containing thousands of porn links example “asian girls”. Secondly it is ok if you display adsense in pages containing porn and munipulate and stretch the adsense code to cover the full width of your page, As long as you produce enough traffic revenue. “example olxfriendster, relationships, you find asense right below porn. I think the web is great but … policies should apply to all in equal fashion.
Sorry for my many words, and that you for dofollow
Dee
Thanks for your comments!
Dee, you are absolutely right, Google has fought on one front and totally forsaken another, try searching Google pictures for ANY sexy girl’s name and you will find porn if not on the first, then definitely on the second page.As a result Google just loses credibility in many people’s eyes.
Anonymous, I lost more than 8 advertisers via Text Link Ads over the past month and that it’s a rather unusual result considering that the traffic and Alexa rank only improved. On the other hand, I made a record with Adsense revenue, but of course it probably varies with every publisher.
Funny this is, if you search Google for “buy Pagerank link”, you will have “sponsored links” on the side offering openly to sell you a link on PR6 page. This only proves that if you advertise it via Adwords, it can get uhm overlooked..
Google doesn’t hate paid text links, they hate paid text links that exist for the sole purpose of manipulating serps and pagerank. Can you blame them? They’re a business, and their business is making sure serps and pagerank mean something.
What is more important to you, a monthly check from TLA, or a neverending flood of traffic from Google? I have to side with Google on this one. My relationship with them seems a lot more important than some easy paid link money, links that have nothing to do with the content of my site to boot.
No matter how much TLA pays, it’s a site killer if it buries your serps. Good and plentiful content, good design, and advertising that is relevant to your niche may not make money as quickly, but in the long run it’s a better recipe for success.
I don’t believe that the Pagerank mafia can go or will make any sense. There are bots, but there also are humans checking links and watching the changes throughout the internet database of Google.
Anyway, nice post! I guess the problem with the TLA was that affiliate were obliged provide Dofollow links, which could be double advertising: you get PR and Advertisement at the price of one.
Good post. It’s something I now learned about Google taking such serious action. I am not surprised though as Google is always making changes or taking actions as often as we change clothes.
Peter Lee
Home Business Ideas and Opportunities
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