DISQUS

Affiliate Marketing · 2 years ago

If I want to start a website, and do NOTHING BUT review other websites, isn't that my business? Perhaps you find my website reviews entertaining, or perhaps you find them spammy, and a waste of space.. if the ladder is true.. why not just .. avoid my website.. unless of course, you've already finished the internet.

I can sort of see google's POV, they want webmasters to look at the net from a surfers viewpoint. But can they see my point of view.. free market? whereas I for instance sell THEM space on my websites via adsence.. I don't particularly care for porn, or a few other topics that come to mind but I'm not trying to say I just flat out don't want to see them, they are spam.

And here's another POV for google. They say tht the paid for links are not a true measurement of website content value.. that's why they don't want them.. it's cheating.

If I paid you to review my website, isn't that some sign that I am putting forth quality content.. or at the very least making a true effort to share useful information.

Affiliate Marketing · 2 years ago

If I want to start a website, and do NOTHING BUT review other websites, isn't that my business? Perhaps you find my website reviews entertaining, or perhaps you find them spammy, and a waste of space.. if the ladder is true.. why not just .. avoid my website.. unless of course, you've already finished the internet.

I can sort of see google's POV, they want webmasters to look at the net from a surfers viewpoint. But can they see my point of view.. free market? whereas I for instance sell THEM space on my websites via adsence.. I don't particularly care for porn, or a few other topics that come to mind but I'm not trying to say I just flat out don't want to see them, they are spam.

And here's another POV for google. They say tht the paid for links are not a true measurement of website content value.. that's why they don't want them.. it's cheating.

If I paid you to review my website, isn't that some sign that I am putting forth quality content.. or at the very least making a true effort to share useful information.

free dating · 2 years ago

Hello
First of all giving us a article so comprehensive and detailed about paid links.
Well i heard that Google wont be considering paid links from now on. I don't know how much this holds true. I have started a free dating. I was considering buying paid links and i hope this article helps me a lot in considering to again buy a paid link.At least it will bring me some traffic.
Btw can you pls confirm this whether the paid links are still considered in SERPS and for PR or not.It would be a gr8 help
Thnx

AndyBeard · 2 years ago

I would say buying pure links should be the realm of someone with experience.

Buying paid reviews you should target only highly on topic sites.

free dating · 2 years ago

HI Andy
Thnx for the reply. Well i do beleive in buying links from topic sites as whatever little i know i have heard that google doesnt give importance to links which are not coming from relevant topic sites(I can't confirm this becz i am not a SEO expert like you). But yes i am trying to learn SEO and just want to get some paid links from some relevant sites so that i can atleast get a head start and then i can build on that and i hope there is nothing wrong in that.
As you have seen i have started that site which is completly free and its not used for any affiliate marketting or some adsense.I just made this site for fun and do want it to prosper.
Thnx

free dating · 2 years ago

Hello
First of all giving us a article so comprehensive and detailed about paid links.
Well i heard that Google wont be considering paid links from now on. I don't know how much this holds true. I have started a free dating. I was considering buying paid links and i hope this article helps me a lot in considering to again buy a paid link.At least it will bring me some traffic.
Btw can you pls confirm this whether the paid links are still considered in SERPS and for PR or not.It would be a gr8 help
Thnx

AndyBeard · 2 years ago

I would say buying pure links should be the realm of someone with experience.

Buying paid reviews you should target only highly on topic sites.

free dating · 2 years ago

HI Andy
Thnx for the reply. Well i do beleive in buying links from topic sites as whatever little i know i have heard that google doesnt give importance to links which are not coming from relevant topic sites(I can't confirm this becz i am not a SEO expert like you). But yes i am trying to learn SEO and just want to get some paid links from some relevant sites so that i can atleast get a head start and then i can build on that and i hope there is nothing wrong in that.
As you have seen i have started that site which is completly free and its not used for any affiliate marketting or some adsense.I just made this site for fun and do want it to prosper.
Thnx

Chris · 2 years ago

There is a huge reek of hypocrisy around this whole paid links argument, and as you say it is far from a level playing field.

What it needs is for someone like Ebay or Amazon to acquire PayPerPost.....

AndyBeard · 2 years ago

I think it will be Yahoo, MSN or maybe even Ask... or Google preventing one of them buying PPP.

Best match would be Microsoft. Then they will just run $20-$50 ops to write about Microsoft new products, and maybe supply samples. I have discussed that possibility a few times.

The only negative is that PPP with their most recent cash injection raised the purchase price bar a fair bit higher.

Chris · 2 years ago

There is a huge reek of hypocrisy around this whole paid links argument, and as you say it is far from a level playing field.

What it needs is for someone like Ebay or Amazon to acquire PayPerPost.....

AndyBeard · 2 years ago

I think it will be Yahoo, MSN or maybe even Ask... or Google preventing one of them buying PPP.

Best match would be Microsoft. Then they will just run $20-$50 ops to write about Microsoft new products, and maybe supply samples. I have discussed that possibility a few times.

The only negative is that PPP with their most recent cash injection raised the purchase price bar a fair bit higher.

CrayonWeb · 2 years ago

Thanks for the info! I hope people will continue to benefit from it!

CrayonWeb · 2 years ago

Thanks for the info! I hope people will continue to benefit from it!

Patrick Gavin · 2 years ago

Andy, well written, completely agree with your point on how many links out in "nature" are actually paid links by larger companies.

Patrick Gavin · 2 years ago

Andy, well written, completely agree with your point on how many links out in "nature" are actually paid links by larger companies.

lucia · 2 years ago

I absolutely agree. In fact, I first learned of companies buying whole blogs to accumulate links when a porn site bought a feminist blog for the link juice. The blog had many, many deep links. Morever, because the blog topics included sexual violence, gay rights and other topics, the deep links often contained specific search terms porn sites find valuable.

Intrestingly, every link to the feminist blog would be was and still is editorial in nature and was granted without any monetary reward.

lucia · 2 years ago

I absolutely agree. In fact, I first learned of companies buying whole blogs to accumulate links when a porn site bought a feminist blog for the link juice. The blog had many, many deep links. Morever, because the blog topics included sexual violence, gay rights and other topics, the deep links often contained specific search terms porn sites find valuable.

Intrestingly, every link to the feminist blog would be was and still is editorial in nature and was granted without any monetary reward.

Josh Spaulding · 2 years ago

"that should happen regardless of whether a link is paid for or not"

Exactly!! We can submit our links to web directories, which effects search engine rankings, for free but we can sell advertising space on our pages??

What they are saying makes since but it turns into a double standard from hell!

What you said about purchasing links in the Yahoo directory is also a great point.

I know for a fact Google gives alot of "link juice" to those links.

And then, similar to my first paragraph, theres dmoz, which google uses for their own directory. They have editors that moderate the links and these editors aren't employees of Google. I've seen some TRASH links in dmoz. All they had to do was submit their site and theres a high PR link that Google gives alot of "juice." How is that any different than paying for a link? other than the fact that it was FREE.

Josh Spaulding · 2 years ago

"that should happen regardless of whether a link is paid for or not"

Exactly!! We can submit our links to web directories, which effects search engine rankings, for free but we can sell advertising space on our pages??

What they are saying makes since but it turns into a double standard from hell!

What you said about purchasing links in the Yahoo directory is also a great point.

I know for a fact Google gives alot of "link juice" to those links.

And then, similar to my first paragraph, theres dmoz, which google uses for their own directory. They have editors that moderate the links and these editors aren't employees of Google. I've seen some TRASH links in dmoz. All they had to do was submit their site and theres a high PR link that Google gives alot of "juice." How is that any different than paying for a link? other than the fact that it was FREE.

George · 2 years ago

Andy,

Great post. I totally agree with you.

I think Google needs to change their Search algorithm soon, or they are going to be left in the dust by the next "breakthrough" way of organizing and finding great content. Using links to determine the relevancy of web pages is WAY to easy to manipulate even without paid links.

Paid links aren't the problem, they just cut into Google's bottom line.

George · 2 years ago

Andy,

Great post. I totally agree with you.

I think Google needs to change their Search algorithm soon, or they are going to be left in the dust by the next "breakthrough" way of organizing and finding great content. Using links to determine the relevancy of web pages is WAY to easy to manipulate even without paid links.

Paid links aren't the problem, they just cut into Google's bottom line.

Ari Shohat · 2 years ago

Andy, thanks for another great post, always a pleasure to read them. There is hardly anything more I could add as you covered it so well.

Ari Shohat · 2 years ago

Andy, thanks for another great post, always a pleasure to read them. There is hardly anything more I could add as you covered it so well.

Monkey SEO · 2 years ago

great points all around.

you got me thinking...i work at a company that does web design and seo. whenever we design a new site we always add something along the lines of "web design by" w/ link back to our company site in the footer. i never even considered that could possibly be interpreted as paid links. though we don't pay them for the link, rather they pay us for the site and in turn we place a link on it. it's a win win for us of course, but there is money being exchanged none the less.

Monkey SEO · 2 years ago

great points all around.

you got me thinking...i work at a company that does web design and seo. whenever we design a new site we always add something along the lines of "web design by" w/ link back to our company site in the footer. i never even considered that could possibly be interpreted as paid links. though we don't pay them for the link, rather they pay us for the site and in turn we place a link on it. it's a win win for us of course, but there is money being exchanged none the less.

todd garland · 2 years ago

some awesome points here that I hadn't come across/thought of. buying paid links isn't cheap. in my experience, 9 times out of 10 the business needs to buy those links to get to the top and they actually do belong high up in the search results. Many times it is to get in front of spammy or irrelevant sites who have been able to leverage the PR of their base URL...

todd garland · 2 years ago

some awesome points here that I hadn't come across/thought of. buying paid links isn't cheap. in my experience, 9 times out of 10 the business needs to buy those links to get to the top and they actually do belong high up in the search results. Many times it is to get in front of spammy or irrelevant sites who have been able to leverage the PR of their base URL...

Doug Heil · 2 years ago

LOL

It's amazing to me how the "majority" of people/firms in this entire industry seem to not have a clue, or are being extremely naive.

Sorry; but the true hurts guys/gals.

Doug Heil · 2 years ago

LOL

It's amazing to me how the "majority" of people/firms in this entire industry seem to not have a clue, or are being extremely naive.

Sorry; but the true hurts guys/gals.

Dmitry HT · 2 years ago

Using SAPE and XAP systems you can get in 3 times more paid links!
Yours

AndyBeard · 2 years ago

Dmitry - you sneaky Russians are hiding all the link spamming tools from the rest of us ;)

Dmitry HT · 2 years ago

Using SAPE and XAP systems you can get in 3 times more paid links!
Yours

AndyBeard · 2 years ago

Dmitry - you sneaky Russians are hiding all the link spamming tools from the rest of us ;)

Marketing Consultant · 5 months ago

Interesting post, I haven't bought any links yet and I am climbing quite well organically. I may need to start buying links for more competitive terms, but I am not prepared to put any money in until my organic improvements start to tail off.

I would think that the better quality and relevant your website is, the lower price of a link that can be negotiated. Do you agree from your experience?

Regards

AndyBeard · 5 months ago

That was a 2 year old post before the Google crackdown in October 2007 - I would advise not to buy or sell links in the current climate for/on any site you are not willing to burn.