What Do You Think About Paid Links?

WebProNews catches up with the Head of Google’s Webspam Team and Software Engineer, Matt Cutts and the Features Editor of Search Engine Land, Vanessa Fox at PubCon 2007 in Las Vegas. The interview spans a number of topics from two of the top names in the field. Both discuss page rank reduction, site hacking and how you can stop it.

They also talk about subdomain changes, especially related to Google. Fox tells us about her current endeavors and what she looks forward too in her career. Cutts and Fox talk about the changes in WebMasterTools as well and how they are expanding to different languages all over the world. For all of the details of the interview, check out the video right here on WebProNews.



By: Mike McDonald

What's interesting to me though is the reaction we see from our readers. Some are vehemently opposed to what they consider Google strong arm tactics and then there are those of you who think Google is performing a service to the internet community by cracking down on paid links.

What Do You Think About Paid Links?

As such, I wanted to post some of the more interesting comments we've received to the issue so far and basically ask for some more feedback from WebProNews readers on the subject.

Are paid links a necessary evil? Are they necessary at all? Is Google taking a proper stance when they say 'NO', or should they maybe try to find some middle ground? Keep in mind, Google has created the 'link economy' with it's algorithmic emphasis on links=quality... so is Google really serving the 'greater good' or just looking out for number one here?

» Natural Products Says:

Great interview. Seems like big brother is putting the hammer down on paid links. Thanks for the video.

» Submitted by Bill Inman

Google decided to become a dictator a long time ago. Trying to control every aspect of our web sites, where we now spend more time worrying about what Google is going to do with our web site, than we do trying to design a site that will best serve the needs of our potential customers.

Google created the whole issue of "links" which has resulted in all the silly link pages everyone created, and now thew paid links.

My advice to Google is to get out of the role, and the opinion, that the world should revolve around them, and controling everything about our web sites.

Google is a good idea gone mad!

» Submitted by Dave Robinson

I think Google's stance on the whole link debate is fair and honest. The reason for linking being seen as a measure of a sites importance has it's roots in academia where peer reviewed papers would reference other works of note. Google wasn't playing some game, it created a system that rewarded hard work. Now this has been circumvented it's only right that Google tries to address this.

IMHO

» Submitted by SEO book Uk

There us a way to get even with google just pull adsense from your sites if 1 Million website pulled adsense for just a day google would notice a drop in revenue and will think twice before make webmaster angry again

» Submitted by David Jenkins

I'm all for the demise of paid links having spent over seven years building an information site that has never paid for a link and never will.

I am delighted that Google is taking this stance and would be glad to see "content is God" dominating the search results again.

» Submitted by Jim

In reference to Google's insistence that they are a private company and can do what ever they want. Les we forget, the power of Google is granted by the web users and masters. Currently web masters are the biggest users of the Google browser. It is web masters pages posting Google adds, and Google searches that built Google's popularity. The foundation of Google rest with the web master, combined we propelled Google to the top, and combined we can kick the feet out from under it. Change you adds to Yahoo, Change your search engines. In short, stop using Google, and Google shall fall.

» Submitted by Nicole on Tue, 12/11/2007 - 14:53.

As a small business web-site owner, AND as an in-house SEO writer for a large company, I frankly am happy that Google is downgrading paid-link sites that pass on link juice. When wearing my small biz hat, I can't afford to buy paid links and it gives bigger companies an advantage I can't yet afford. I think Google is indeed living up to their 'do no evil' company motto by doing this.

» Submitted by Kevin Hillman

People that support Google in any way just further the scam. Every link on any Google site is there because Google was paid to place the link there. They just like to make every site conform to their heavy handed rules. They want to own the entire internet and will crush any website they don't agree with.

Do you agree or disagree with the above comments? Are paid links just part of business, or are they something evil when they influence search results?