Matt Cutts on Paid Link’s: What does Google Think?

As we all know search engines, Google especially, wants to keep their results as clean and accurate as possible. Bringing the searchers the most relevant and best suited information to them. Over the past year we have watched as paid link websites have been removed from Google’s search engines and websites being removed for partaking in such an activity. So it comes to no surprise that Matt Cutts released a post discussing paid links and how Google approaches such activity.

I absolutely love search engines, and watching how the algorithms have changed over time. I remember when META tags were one of the most important aspects and then how incoming links were analyzed and added to the mix. It was all about incoming links at one time, regardless of where or how they came in. As such directories, and link exchange programs sprang up to help give some the edge over others. I mean just think about everything that was needed to do in the past to rank well in the SERPs. From contextual advertising, to three way link exchanges, banner advertising with DoFollow and other techniques.

Over time we have been wondering what exactly Google was doing. Watching sites get completely removed, then re added to the search results. It’s like watching a huge pest control company trying to eliminate the pests only for another batch to replace those that they already ‘squashed’. Websites like text link ads (TLA) and TNX getting removed and some websites getting punished for partaking in such link buying activities. After the last PR update you should have seen the message boards with people reporting drops of PR 6 to PR 1! After analysis the conclusion came down to selling links on their site, and or purchasing links for their site. So what did Matt Cutts say about it?

Do paid links violate Google’s quality guidelines?

Not necessarily. Cutts says the only paid links he cares about are ones designed to game search engines. He cites an example of a Linux site with a group of sponsored links for casinos, drugs, and gifts. Aside from apparent spamminess, the links are presented in image format, which Matt thinks is to avoid detection.

“I’m sure,” he writes, “some people will happily defend links like these, but in my experience people who search on Google don’t want links like these to affect Google’s search results.”

“Google is not interested in reports on affiliate links or directories, just spammy gaming attempts like the example mentioned.”

Well it appears that Google is only going after the ‘spammy’ websites. Although its tough to say what exactly dictates a spammy website or an overly zealous webmaster looking for backlinks. I’ve seen many websites simply get banned because the webmaster didn’t know better on his incoming link building strategy. Matt also stated that paid link report data is not being used currently (this has to be dated because of the drops in PR from the last update for people) and that nothing is really getting applied to the current algorithm. Maybe it comes down to a human interaction that decides given websites and if they should be removed? It’s tough to say although what about competition sabotage? How does Google tackle ‘blackhat’ techniques of trying to remove your competitor by sabotaging them?

“We’ve always tried very hard to prevent site A from hurting site B. That’s why these reports aren’t being fed directly into algorithms, and are being used as the starting point rather than being used directly. You might also want to review the policy mentioned in my 2005 post (individual links can be discounted and sellers can lose their ability to pass on PageRank/anchortext/etc., which doesn’t allow site A to hurt site B).”

So it appears that the game has begun to change as we know it. I personally believe that it has begun and it is here as of the last PR update. As search engines algorithms continue to become more and more complex with one single variable in mind, content relevance, we are going to see huge transitions. I think that we are beginning to see that now!

[tags]google paid link, paid link google’s idea, what google thinks of paid links, search engine results[/tags]