Comments on: Google Zigs… Let The Whining Commence. http://www.soloseo.com/blog/2007/04/18/google-zigs-let-the-whining-commence/ SEO for All Wed, 09 Jul 2008 03:42:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Kevin Henney http://www.soloseo.com/blog/2007/04/18/google-zigs-let-the-whining-commence/#comment-2802 Kevin Henney Thu, 19 Apr 2007 02:57:10 +0000 http://www.soloseo.com/blog/2007/04/18/google-zigs-let-the-whining-commence/#comment-2802 As far as I can see, there has been no "decision to discount the ranking influence of paid links" on Google's part. All we have is a Google employee, on his personal blog, suggesting a method for reporting paid links to Google's webspam team. The definition of a paid link is a bit murky, and if Matt wants people to report paid links, it might have been prudent to provide some guidelines for identifying them. Are we talking about: Under-the-radar SEO link buys? Text Link Ads? ReviewMe and PPP? Affiliate links? JohnChow.com's "contests" which require a keyword rich backlink in order to enter? Links to any company that you have a financial arrangement with? I think it would have been more constructive to start a discussion about what constitutes a "paid link" before beginning the hunt. As far as I can see, there has been no “decision to discount the ranking influence of paid links” on Google’s part. All we have is a Google employee, on his personal blog, suggesting a method for reporting paid links to Google’s webspam team.

The definition of a paid link is a bit murky, and if Matt wants people to report paid links, it might have been prudent to provide some guidelines for identifying them.

Are we talking about:
Under-the-radar SEO link buys?
Text Link Ads?
ReviewMe and PPP?
Affiliate links?
JohnChow.com’s “contests” which require a keyword rich backlink in order to enter?
Links to any company that you have a financial arrangement with?

I think it would have been more constructive to start a discussion about what constitutes a “paid link” before beginning the hunt.

]]>