Google: buying links is bad (again)
David Rosam on Jun 15 2007 at 5:18 pm | Filed under: Google, Search Engine Optimization
Web Positioning Centre’s Paul Silver - our linking guru - has always been against buying links. Indeed, I can’t think of an occasion when we’ve done that for a client.
Recently, Google’s Matt Cutts has commented at length on paid-for links, and there has been much debate in the blogosphere.
If you want a more concise statement on Google’s view, there’s a great paragraph from Vanessa Fox on the Google Webmaster Central Blog:
Links are an important signal in our PageRank calculations, as they tend to indicate when someone has found a page useful. Links that are purchased are great for advertising and traffic purposes, but aren’t useful for PageRank calculations. Buying or selling links to manipulate results and deceive search engines violates our guidelines. (my italics)
I think that’s clear enough - if you’re interested in natural search engine results, don’t buy links.
What’s the difference between buying links and being listed in pay only directories? A listing in these sometimes highly pageranked directories is normally guaranteed listing for a price.
What is the consequence of buying those directory links. More often than not it is a high page rank and increased link popularity which subsequently leads to high search engine rankings for some of the most competitive keywords.
Is this not blatant manipulation of Google search results? and yet we see no action taken against the buyer or the seller of these links. So I am left we the obvious option in order to compete, do as they do and not as Google say….
Hi Shane
I read that as a rhetorical question, as you seem to have made your decision. It’s up to you.
We don’t buy links for our clients, as sooner or later they may get nobbled. There are viable alternatives to buying links, so we use them.