From time to time Google will update their Webmaster Help Center. The Help Center is a guide for people who are trying to optimize their sites. Recently Google issued a new warning about reciprocal links being cause for being banned.
Here is what Google says…
“However, some webmasters engage in link exchange schemes and build partner pages exclusively for the sake of cross-linking, disregarding the quality of the links, the sources, and the long-term impact it will have on their sites.”
So if you have anything that even remotely sounds like the above I suggest you remove it now. I would also suggest reviewing those link trains that go around to game Google.
What do you think of this new policy?
Matt Propst
August 10, 2007 10:53 pm
Doesn’t this policy counteract any reason behind the idea of link exchanges?
blogadmin
August 11, 2007 10:18 am
Yes they believe that it is gaming the system.
Matt Propst
August 11, 2007 10:32 am
I’d say its a fair assumption that 1/4 of just about any blogroll is screwed then. (Myself included)
Jeff Kee
August 12, 2007 2:04 am
It’s such an arbitrary thing to decide whether the links are just for link exchanging, or because the pages have relevancy.
blogadmin
August 12, 2007 2:04 am
I agree it sounds like a witch hunt to me.
Sandy Lincoln
August 13, 2007 11:55 am
I sell custom jewelry and I’ve link exchanged with hundreds of related websites over the years. I think its outrageos that a search engine would say how I can obtain traffic aside from search returns. I used to think Google was great for webmasters. now I am just disgusted with google.. they are getting to powerful and are upsetting decent site operators like me.
well I dont take it.. I will keep my links pages online. I could survive without traffic from google and will continue to obtain decent traffic through relevent reciprocal linking.
if they are going to continue to make stupid comments like this, the least thing they could do was be more specific and not lump all types of link exchange into the same basket. google you have lost lots of credibility with me.
Christian
August 13, 2007 5:48 pm
Reciprocal Links go against everything google is trying to do with google adwords.
And yes they (google) have gotten much to powerful.
Matt Propst
August 13, 2007 6:38 pm
To take up the Devil’s Advocate for a split second I can see where Google is coming from to a degree…
But then back to the rational world that existed pre-Google Empire…. What about friends who link to one another’s sites because they are just friends. Not everyone’s out to make a buck and get the top spot on Google. (That’s nice and i’d be lying if i say i don’t, but its not all Google and Adsense/Adwords)
blogadmin
August 13, 2007 6:40 pm
I wonder how they are going to police it.
Christian
August 14, 2007 7:06 am
Lots of cheap labor in Mexico, India and China. ;)
Other questions to ask g00gle come to mind.
1. Define What is a Paid Link
2. How Will you Identify a Paid Link?
3. How Will you Monitor and Mediate?
4. What about these blog contests BlueFur and john chow have, will that cause bans?
My biggest fear with what g00gle is doing, would be that a competitor sees a great opportunity to sabotage my sites by filling a false claim.
Will they investigate or just plain out ban like they do to so many with adw0rds.?
Whats the next step? g00gle.
Banning people for using keywords?
For having not enough pictures and too much text?
For having links to g00gles competitors search engines?
With that much power they can do anything. And the will.
I wonder if we should ban g00gle ourselves.. Imagine that.. they wouldnt have any websites left to ban. :P
Its not like their isnt at least another 100 search engines…. right?
Matt
August 14, 2007 5:15 pm
I’ve found that Google is by far the best search engine. It’s easy to find exactly what you need, and it’s quite a fresh index. New pages can show up in the index within an hour or two usually, not a day or two.
blogadmin
August 14, 2007 10:32 pm
Although I find for local searchs all of them to be a nightmare.
A Search Engine who can help me find a local business w/o using the Yellow Pages will win my daily searches.
Christian
August 15, 2007 6:41 am
I find that clusty does a great job at finding local business.
Matt
August 15, 2007 11:44 am
Choosing “pages in Canada” helps a little.