Andy Beard - Internet Business Systems Discussion - Latest Comments in Will The FTC Investigate Google & Matt Cutts For Paid Links? (updated)

Re: Will The FTC Investigate Google & Matt Cutts For Paid Links? (updated)

MRSA — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 19:25:04 -0000

I doubt that they will but think that they should

Re: Will The FTC Investigate Google & Matt Cutts For Paid Links? (updated)

MRSA — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 19:25:04 -0000

I doubt that they will but think that they should

Re: Will The FTC Investigate Google & Matt Cutts For Paid Links? (updated)

thatedeguy — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 15:07:36 -0000

And lets not forget that now Wordpress is using Google Blog Search for their recent links bit on the dashboard. But still, the one sided link war is waged...

Re: Will The FTC Investigate Google & Matt Cutts For Paid Links? (updated)

thatedeguy — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 15:07:36 -0000

And lets not forget that now Wordpress is using Google Blog Search for their recent links bit on the dashboard. But still, the one sided link war is waged...

Re: Will The FTC Investigate Google & Matt Cutts For Paid Links? (updated)

Yvonne Nicholson — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 15:11:28 -0000

Alltheweb is better then google for search, at least in the last year. Google is too much into playing his IPO games.

Re: Will The FTC Investigate Google & Matt Cutts For Paid Links? (updated)

Yvonne Nicholson — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 15:11:28 -0000

Alltheweb is better then google for search, at least in the last year. Google is too much into playing his IPO games.

Re: Will The FTC Investigate Google & Matt Cutts For Paid Links? (updated)

Reztar — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 16:41:55 -0000

I agree with you Mike, I just read in a some forum that google will not penalize link sales. However, it will be treated something like "no follow". Well, who know the truth...

Re: Will The FTC Investigate Google & Matt Cutts For Paid Links? (updated)

Reztar — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 16:41:55 -0000

I agree with you Mike, I just read in a some forum that google will not penalize link sales. However, it will be treated something like "no follow". Well, who know the truth...

Re: Will The FTC Investigate Google & Matt Cutts For Paid Links? (updated)

Money Blue Book — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 23:21:20 -0000

Google is the 800 pound gorilla and is pretty much going to get what it wants until there are legitimate competitors. Being the biggest and baddest has its advantages and allows Google to set its own parameters. It's protecting its AdWords income stream and that's all that matters. I am waiting for more competition eventually to temper and humble Google....doubt it will happen though..... :(
-Raymond (MONEY BLUE BOOK)

Re: Will The FTC Investigate Google & Matt Cutts For Paid Links? (updated)

Money Blue Book — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 23:21:20 -0000

Re: Will The FTC Investigate Google & Matt Cutts For Paid Links? (updated)

Lord Matt — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 19:49:50 -0000

Google does well not because they understand the Internet at all but because they understand what it was like ten years ago better than anyone else.

Re: Will The FTC Investigate Google & Matt Cutts For Paid Links? (updated)

Lord Matt — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 19:49:50 -0000

Google does well not because they understand the Internet at all but because they understand what it was like ten years ago better than anyone else.

Re: Will The FTC Investigate Google & Matt Cutts For Paid Links? (updated)

Mike — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 07:15:18 -0000

Anyone who thinks that Big G's hard line approach to paid links is because they want a pure search engine is deluded. It's all about protecting their own cash cow - AdSense.

The TLA move to TinyURL is for their own internal links only and not for advertisers links so it's not being done to combat Big G.

Re: Will The FTC Investigate Google & Matt Cutts For Paid Links? (updated)

Mike — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 07:15:18 -0000

Anyone who thinks that Big G's hard line approach to paid links is because they want a pure search engine is deluded. It's all about protecting their own cash cow - AdSense.

The TLA move to TinyURL is for their own internal links only and not for advertisers links so it's not being done to combat Big G.

Re: Will The FTC Investigate Google & Matt Cutts For Paid Links? (updated)

lucia — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 10:12:54 -0000

Maurice... speaking of page rank. The toolbar pageranks aren't showing on the pages I have open on various tabs right now. Either the google dance is well underway or Google is deciding to de-emphasize? (Or something is wrong with the site serving page rank info. :) )

Re: Will The FTC Investigate Google & Matt Cutts For Paid Links? (updated)

lucia — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 10:12:54 -0000

Re: Will The FTC Investigate Google & Matt Cutts For Paid Links? (updated)

BigPappa — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 23:19:11 -0000

What about newspaper websites? They sell paid links in the form banner and display ads all the time. I am pretty ignorant on the subject so I'm asking the question. Does this count as a paid link? If so who gets the penalty?

Re: Will The FTC Investigate Google & Matt Cutts For Paid Links? (updated)

BigPappa — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 23:19:11 -0000

Re: Will The FTC Investigate Google & Matt Cutts For Paid Links? (updated)

Maurice (TheCaymanHost) — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 20:57:32 -0000

Hi Andy

Thanks for the mention and a very good post on the topic.

The switch by TLA to using TinyURL (not keen as they have been abused by too many users and just look kind of spammy imho) is very sudden and for some people it's probably going to involve a lot of work. I'm also concerned because I'm already using redirects on links like this, largely for nothing more ominous than tracking purposes, but as you say, this now means a redirect to another redirect....

At least I only had to change one link as opposed to finding each one individually across various blogs.

I still think the whole page rank fiasco is one thing Google got wrong (I'm not anti Google, they get a lot of things right) and now they want other people to grab a hold of it, muzzle it, and stop it biting them in the a**. Far as I can see, it's their Pitbull and they should control it properly or face up to euthanasia - no matter how much they love their pet.

Re: Will The FTC Investigate Google & Matt Cutts For Paid Links? (updated)

Maurice (TheCaymanHost) — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 20:57:32 -0000

Hi Andy

Thanks for the mention and a very good post on the topic.

At least I only had to change one link as opposed to finding each one individually across various blogs.

Re: Will The FTC Investigate Google & Matt Cutts For Paid Links? (updated)

George — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 16:41:23 -0000

I don't think the FTC is going to attack Matt Cutts for his lack of disclosure. If he worked for Microsoft it might be a different story...

Pretty interesting look at the situation. I am always surprised by Google's strong stance on paid links. People were buying links on the Internet before Google Page Rank and nofollow ever existed, but back then it was called "advertising".

Oh well...

Re: Will The FTC Investigate Google & Matt Cutts For Paid Links? (updated)

George — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 16:41:23 -0000

I don't think the FTC is going to attack Matt Cutts for his lack of disclosure. If he worked for Microsoft it might be a different story...

Oh well...

Re: Will The FTC Investigate Google & Matt Cutts For Paid Links? (updated)

lucia — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 14:05:24 -0000

I'm a bit puzzled by Matt's argument here:

Matt 1: He adds that the FTC has said that word of mouth marketing is like any other kind of marketing, and if youâ€™re being paid to say something you should disclose that.

I Googled and read the FTC's page. This is true.

Matt 2: Adequate disclosure means it is understood by both people and the machines.

First, says who? I haven't seen the FTC write or heard them say this.

Moreover, it's not clear it follows. After all, who says a link is necessarily 'marketing'? I can see how words surrounding the link, enticing your readers to click makes it marketing to those people. But the fact is, it's Google's founders who proposed a theory that links generally constitute "votes" for quality. Google has created a search engine based on this and they do very well. But before google, people linked both to things they disapproved of and things they approved of. They still do.

I my opinion, the fact that Google makes money relying on a positive correlation between "links" and "quality" doesn't mean we modify our practices to either maintain or increase the correlation for their sake!

Links are links. If google wants to use them as "votes" fine. That doesn't mean that's what they "ARE".

Re: Will The FTC Investigate Google & Matt Cutts For Paid Links? (updated)

lucia — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 14:05:24 -0000

I'm a bit puzzled by Matt's argument here:

Matt 1: He adds that the FTC has said that word of mouth marketing is like any other kind of marketing, and if youâ€™re being paid to say something you should disclose that.

I Googled and read the FTC's page. This is true.

Matt 2: Adequate disclosure means it is understood by both people and the machines.

First, says who? I haven't seen the FTC write or heard them say this.

Links are links. If google wants to use them as "votes" fine. That doesn't mean that's what they "ARE".

Re: Will The FTC Investigate Google & Matt Cutts For Paid Links? (updated)

Marc Beharry — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 13:14:49 -0000

I agree Michael!

Google forgot where they came from. Now they are like IBM and Microsoft. We should ship all of them to communist china or North Korea, where they will fit in perfectly.

Soo many contradictions, soo many vague guidelines which send us scrambling...

Once again, I cant wait til they are overthrown.

Maybe I will start referring to Matt Cutts as kim jung-il or Vlad Putin