Comments on: Text link follow-up http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/text-link-follow-up/ neat fun stuff Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:35:07 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Alexandros Z http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/text-link-follow-up/#comment-168687 Alexandros Z Thu, 27 Nov 2008 03:05:33 +0000 http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/?p=123#comment-168687 I'm reading your blog for some hour now, and I'd like to ask a question. we've developed a social network with subscribing users such as photographers designers and agencies. Subscribers additionally to some privileges could post a url to their website. At first we had this as follow links, however as the subscribers increased (and after reading the information about no follow) we decided to turn all links to no follow because of google. However in reality we believe that this is not fair to the subscribers as most of them have interesting sites, which we would “vote” for. However because of the subscription pricing we have removed follow links so that they'll not be interpreted as link selling etc. Moreover the subscribers don’t really know the difference between follow and nofollow so they don’t seem to care or notice. My question is this: have we gone to an extreme having no follow to our subscribers? Thanks in Advance, Alexandros I’m reading your blog for some hour now, and I’d like to ask a question.

we’ve developed a social network with subscribing users such as photographers designers and agencies. Subscribers additionally to some privileges could post a url to their website.

At first we had this as follow links, however as the subscribers increased (and after reading the information about no follow) we decided to turn all links to no follow because of google. However in reality we believe that this is not fair to the subscribers as most of them have interesting sites, which we would “vote” for. However because of the subscription pricing we have removed follow links so that they’ll not be interpreted as link selling etc.

Moreover the subscribers don’t really know the difference between follow and nofollow so they don’t seem to care or notice.

My question is this: have we gone to an extreme having no follow to our subscribers?

Thanks in Advance,
Alexandros

]]> By: Wayne http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/text-link-follow-up/#comment-122433 Wayne Mon, 11 Feb 2008 22:12:06 +0000 http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/?p=123#comment-122433 Google has created a monopoly by banning paid links, it's good for google but bad for everyone else. Google has created a monopoly by banning paid links, it’s good for google but bad for everyone else.

]]> By: mlankton http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/text-link-follow-up/#comment-113199 mlankton Fri, 21 Sep 2007 02:58:33 +0000 http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/?p=123#comment-113199 I started using Text Link Ads yesterday. Today I read several scary articles about potentially being penalized by Google for having them. The Text Links came off the site. I would like to run them, as they certainly pay better than the alternatives for a site getting off the ground. Eventually my site will rely on private sponsors because of my niche, but in the meantime I am experimenting with Adsense and others as placeholders. I do not want to undermine the work I've done to get this site off the ground. I am not stupid, and I realize that my relationship with Google is far more important than a few dollars a month for some links. Can I publish a half dozen text link ads on my site without fear, or is it better to leave them off? I started using Text Link Ads yesterday. Today I read several scary articles about potentially being penalized by Google for having them. The Text Links came off the site.
I would like to run them, as they certainly pay better than the alternatives for a site getting off the ground. Eventually my site will rely on private sponsors because of my niche, but in the meantime I am experimenting with Adsense and others as placeholders.
I do not want to undermine the work I’ve done to get this site off the ground. I am not stupid, and I realize that my relationship with Google is far more important than a few dollars a month for some links. Can I publish a half dozen text link ads on my site without fear, or is it better to leave them off?

]]> By: Attorney http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/text-link-follow-up/#comment-109234 Attorney Sun, 22 Jul 2007 03:02:07 +0000 http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/?p=123#comment-109234 Ok Matt. I went on an article writing campaign and yes I moved up. But I am still bummed because Findlaw websites get way better rankings from the paid links they offer (they just call them "listings") The thing is, the findlaw listing links have very little valuable content and no where near as good as my articles offer. Ok Matt. I went on an article writing campaign and yes I moved up. But I am still bummed because Findlaw websites get way better rankings from the paid links they offer (they just call them “listings”) The thing is, the findlaw listing links have very little valuable content and no where near as good as my articles offer.

]]> By: pauli http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/text-link-follow-up/#comment-96953 pauli Tue, 13 Feb 2007 11:55:17 +0000 http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/?p=123#comment-96953 I may be a little naive, indeed I do feel a bit like the little boy who thought the king was naked when everybody else was admiring his new clothes. If I ask a relevant site to link to mine and they insist on payment. I pay up. They link me. How does anybody know that I've paid? It's just a link. If I pay lots of irrelevant sites for links then, yes, the search engines will pick them up. So surely the issue is not whether you pay for a link but whether the link is relevant, n'est pas? I may be a little naive, indeed I do feel a bit like the little boy who thought the king was naked when everybody else was admiring his new clothes. If I ask a relevant site to link to mine and they insist on payment. I pay up. They link me. How does anybody know that I’ve paid? It’s just a link.

If I pay lots of irrelevant sites for links then, yes, the search engines will pick them up. So surely the issue is not whether you pay for a link but whether the link is relevant, n’est pas?

]]> By: Attorney http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/text-link-follow-up/#comment-95165 Attorney Tue, 30 Jan 2007 06:29:16 +0000 http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/?p=123#comment-95165 I am an attorney. I see merit to the anti trust violation arguments. It appears that Google is trending to make it impossible for sites to get high placement or traffic unless web site owners purchase pay for click ads. But at the same time, it also appears that Yahoo! and MSN will take over again because the Google search result quality will go down, as Google will sell a pay for click to anyone, even a porn or "spam" site. (so much for a free exhange or ideas) I have pretty much given up at trying to rank high in Google, as I find pay per click repulsive and a legal website like mine is almost impossible to get ranking with high PR unless you pay for high PR links. But now I am told I will be penalized if I do that! (unless I pay Google of course) I figure the market will favor Yahoo! and MSN and I am just gonna have to be happy with my first page rakings there and give up on Google. For that same reason I am probably going to stop using Google altogether. For those with unique sites Google may be cool. But a personal injury attorney site like mine won't do well unless you pay $5,000 or more per month to findlaw or Martindale Hubble for their links or are super old and trusted by Google or pay per click. Even though they are basically "selling" their links. It is all hippocrasy it appears. It's spam unless you pay Google or a big company like Findlaw or Lexis. /s/ a very frustrated lawyer. I am an attorney. I see merit to the anti trust violation arguments. It appears that Google is trending to make it impossible for sites to get high placement or traffic unless web site owners purchase pay for click ads. But at the same time, it also appears that Yahoo! and MSN will take over again because the Google search result quality will go down, as Google will sell a pay for click to anyone, even a porn or “spam” site. (so much for a free exhange or ideas)

I have pretty much given up at trying to rank high in Google, as I find pay per click repulsive and a legal website like mine is almost impossible to get ranking with high PR unless you pay for high PR links. But now I am told I will be penalized if I do that! (unless I pay Google of course)

I figure the market will favor Yahoo! and MSN and I am just gonna have to be happy with my first page rakings there and give up on Google. For that same reason I am probably going to stop using Google altogether.

For those with unique sites Google may be cool. But a personal injury attorney site like mine won’t do well unless you pay $5,000 or more per month to findlaw or Martindale Hubble for their links or are super old and trusted by Google or pay per click. Even though they are basically “selling” their links. It is all hippocrasy it appears.

It’s spam unless you pay Google or a big company like Findlaw or Lexis. /s/ a very frustrated lawyer.

]]> By: mohamed moslim http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/text-link-follow-up/#comment-93875 mohamed moslim Thu, 18 Jan 2007 12:16:37 +0000 http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/?p=123#comment-93875 The system that has been created by Google is wide open for abuse as it stands thanx The system that has been created by Google is wide open for abuse as it stands thanx

]]> By: Mukesh http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/text-link-follow-up/#comment-89997 Mukesh Wed, 22 Nov 2006 08:39:43 +0000 http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/?p=123#comment-89997 I hav a site and was recently approached by a very good site for selling ad space. I generally don't sell link space, but after a closer review I found tat the site was very good and deserved a link. I wanted to link to tat site for free. So I linked to him and the site owner paid me nevertheless. So in tis case, I am linking to a site bcause it is good. Isn't tat called a vote? Why sld I cover tat vote with a 'nofollow'? This is the very basis how google started. Links are counted as votes or more specifically speaking, the search engines don't hav brains to evaluate a site by looking at it's quality and hence rely on links given by other sites as it thinks the the sites hav given a link after a thorough evaluation of the site they are linking to. Isn't tat exactly wat I am doing here. I evaluate the site and giv the link under sponsored ads or any other caption for tat matter. The difference - siteowner decides to pay me for the favor. So where does the question of nofollow arise? And why sld I use a nofollow in my links anyway irrespective? Didn't google mention in it's webmaster guidelines to make site's for users and not for search engines?? So why sld I bother abt a rule like tis? Overall, using nofollow in paid links is one thing which I think no one should follow. It doesn't make sense unless you link back to junk/unrelated websites for money. In tat case, you are sending your traffic which has come to your site via search engines to bad sites which is bad for the visitors. So who suffers at the end? The visitors. I think google sld follow yahoo in following, no follow links in order to follow what the website is all abt. Decide wat the site is dealing with by checking all link backs. If the site links to porn or other illegal stuff, why hav it in an index (ranking higher in serps) and why point people to such a site? ? Hope everyone followed tat. Is there any one with no-follow? Ok get in touch with me at m_mukesh22 at the rate of the email program tat starts with y and don't forget to put a dot commerce extension. chao I hav a site and was recently approached by a very good site for selling ad space. I generally don’t sell link space, but after a closer review I found tat the site was very good and deserved a link. I wanted to link to tat site for free. So I linked to him and the site owner paid me nevertheless. So in tis case, I am linking to a site bcause it is good. Isn’t tat called a vote? Why sld I cover tat vote with a ‘nofollow’? This is the very basis how google started. Links are counted as votes or more specifically speaking, the search engines don’t hav brains to evaluate a site by looking at it’s quality and hence rely on links given by other sites as it thinks the the sites hav given a link after a thorough evaluation of the site they are linking to. Isn’t tat exactly wat I am doing here. I evaluate the site and giv the link under sponsored ads or any other caption for tat matter. The difference – siteowner decides to pay me for the favor. So where does the question of nofollow arise? And why sld I use a nofollow in my links anyway irrespective? Didn’t google mention in it’s webmaster guidelines to make site’s for users and not for search engines?? So why sld I bother abt a rule like tis?

Overall, using nofollow in paid links is one thing which I think no one should follow. It doesn’t make sense unless you link back to junk/unrelated websites for money. In tat case, you are sending your traffic which has come to your site via search engines to bad sites which is bad for the visitors. So who suffers at the end? The visitors.

I think google sld follow yahoo in following, no follow links in order to follow what the website is all abt. Decide wat the site is dealing with by checking all link backs. If the site links to porn or other illegal stuff, why hav it in an index (ranking higher in serps) and why point people to such a site? ?

Hope everyone followed tat. Is there any one with no-follow? Ok get in touch with me at m_mukesh22 at the rate of the email program tat starts with y and don’t forget to put a dot commerce extension. chao

]]> By: العاب فلاش http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/text-link-follow-up/#comment-89066 العاب فلاش Fri, 03 Nov 2006 12:46:47 +0000 http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/?p=123#comment-89066 The system that has been created by Google is wide open for abuse as it stands The system that has been created by Google is wide open for abuse as it stands

]]> By: Nick http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/text-link-follow-up/#comment-87866 Nick Fri, 13 Oct 2006 16:23:30 +0000 http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/?p=123#comment-87866 Let's be fair - some top good IM and SEO forums sell links, and if Google will penalize them - we will lose great communities. I think the threats will not touch big fish. Maybe only some middle size marketers. Let’s be fair – some top good IM and SEO forums sell links, and if Google will penalize them – we will lose great communities. I think the threats will not touch big fish. Maybe only some middle size marketers.

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