Comments on: Goodbye Text Link Ads http://freepressblog.org/blog/2007/07/23/goodbye-text-link-ads/ A collection of my thoughts and other random stuff I found interesting. Wed, 03 Dec 2008 08:05:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Jared http://freepressblog.org/blog/2007/07/23/goodbye-text-link-ads/#comment-13199 Jared Sat, 27 Oct 2007 06:51:00 +0000 http://freepressblog.org/blog/2007/07/23/goodbye-text-link-ads/#comment-13199 No, because normal links (not paid for) are "natural" and a part of why Google's algorithm works. It's only the paid links that disrupt that, which is why paid links are required to use nofollow in order to avoid that problem. That's why other ad systems (including Google's) use nofollow on their text links. No, because normal links (not paid for) are “natural” and a part of why Google’s algorithm works.

It’s only the paid links that disrupt that, which is why paid links are required to use nofollow in order to avoid that problem. That’s why other ad systems (including Google’s) use nofollow on their text links.

]]> By: Ndaru http://freepressblog.org/blog/2007/07/23/goodbye-text-link-ads/#comment-13196 Ndaru Sat, 27 Oct 2007 06:40:22 +0000 http://freepressblog.org/blog/2007/07/23/goodbye-text-link-ads/#comment-13196 True. But even if I remove TLA from my site, how about my other external links? The ones that'd already existed before TLA. Should I manually insert "nofollow" tag for each and every one of them now? Either way, lesson learned. Big G has the last vote. I'm going to drop TLA from my site. True. But even if I remove TLA from my site, how about my other external links? The ones that’d already existed before TLA. Should I manually insert “nofollow” tag for each and every one of them now?

Either way, lesson learned. Big G has the last vote. I’m going to drop TLA from my site.

]]> By: JB http://freepressblog.org/blog/2007/07/23/goodbye-text-link-ads/#comment-13044 JB Thu, 25 Oct 2007 01:12:58 +0000 http://freepressblog.org/blog/2007/07/23/goodbye-text-link-ads/#comment-13044 It doesn't matter whether the links are "relevant" or not. If you are selling them to game the PageRank system (which is the whole point of TLA's ads), then you are violating Google's policies and they have every right to adjust your ranking in their system accordingly. You can try adding nofollow to your text link ads, but then you would be in violation of your TOS with them, because their whole point is to sell PageRank. It doesn’t matter whether the links are “relevant” or not. If you are selling them to game the PageRank system (which is the whole point of TLA’s ads), then you are violating Google’s policies and they have every right to adjust your ranking in their system accordingly.

You can try adding nofollow to your text link ads, but then you would be in violation of your TOS with them, because their whole point is to sell PageRank.

]]> By: Ndaru http://freepressblog.org/blog/2007/07/23/goodbye-text-link-ads/#comment-13002 Ndaru Wed, 24 Oct 2007 11:39:07 +0000 http://freepressblog.org/blog/2007/07/23/goodbye-text-link-ads/#comment-13002 OK, I have some text link ads from TLA. Each of them links to relevant sites, no viagra, no online casinos, no dubious stuffs. And still Big G demoted my site from PR6 to PR4 (fortunately this doesn't seem to affect my organic traffic). So what should we do? I mean, we're not supposed to sell text links, yet there is no way G's algorithms can tell the difference between natural and paid links. Unless they do manual reviews. Paranoia sets in. From now on we won't dare not to put nofollow tag. We want to play safe, no? I wonder what would happened if everyone begins to use nofollow tag for all external linkings? :D OK, I have some text link ads from TLA. Each of them links to relevant sites, no viagra, no online casinos, no dubious stuffs. And still Big G demoted my site from PR6 to PR4 (fortunately this doesn’t seem to affect my organic traffic).

So what should we do? I mean, we’re not supposed to sell text links, yet there is no way G’s algorithms can tell the difference between natural and paid links. Unless they do manual reviews.

Paranoia sets in. From now on we won’t dare not to put nofollow tag. We want to play safe, no?

I wonder what would happened if everyone begins to use nofollow tag for all external linkings? :D

]]> By: JTPRATT's Blogging Mistakes http://freepressblog.org/blog/2007/07/23/goodbye-text-link-ads/#comment-8990 JTPRATT's Blogging Mistakes Fri, 17 Aug 2007 18:34:16 +0000 http://freepressblog.org/blog/2007/07/23/goodbye-text-link-ads/#comment-8990 Thank you for writing this, I had just enabled TLA on my site for the first time in a year when I saw this post. Thank god I read it first, now I've taken them down again. In face, reading your article inspired me to do some more research and blog about <a href="http://www.jtpratt.com/2007/08/17/google-penalty-for-using-text-link-ads/" rel="nofollow">Google Penalty for Using Text Links Ads</a>. I hope others read it (and your article) and do the same. Thank you for writing this, I had just enabled TLA on my site for the first time in a year when I saw this post. Thank god I read it first, now I’ve taken them down again. In face, reading your article inspired me to do some more research and blog about Google Penalty for Using Text Links Ads. I hope others read it (and your article) and do the same.

]]> By: FreePress Blog » Blog Archive » TLA - beginning of the end http://freepressblog.org/blog/2007/07/23/goodbye-text-link-ads/#comment-8949 FreePress Blog » Blog Archive » TLA - beginning of the end Thu, 16 Aug 2007 17:44:13 +0000 http://freepressblog.org/blog/2007/07/23/goodbye-text-link-ads/#comment-8949 [...] a follow-up to the articles I posted earlier (first, second), it appears that Google has begun to penalize sites for selling PageRank via text links, [...] [...] a follow-up to the articles I posted earlier (first, second), it appears that Google has begun to penalize sites for selling PageRank via text links, [...]

]]> By: FreePress Blog » Blog Archive » TLA disconnect http://freepressblog.org/blog/2007/07/23/goodbye-text-link-ads/#comment-8131 FreePress Blog » Blog Archive » TLA disconnect Wed, 01 Aug 2007 05:23:07 +0000 http://freepressblog.org/blog/2007/07/23/goodbye-text-link-ads/#comment-8131 [...] For some reason, TLA keeps selling ads for me, even though I canceled my account a week ago. [...] [...] For some reason, TLA keeps selling ads for me, even though I canceled my account a week ago. [...]

]]> By: Alex Choo http://freepressblog.org/blog/2007/07/23/goodbye-text-link-ads/#comment-8005 Alex Choo Mon, 30 Jul 2007 07:07:01 +0000 http://freepressblog.org/blog/2007/07/23/goodbye-text-link-ads/#comment-8005 JB, Dan. I try to make useful comments on this nofollow issue where I can. Is this worse than 'Well done!' as a comment? However, I understand your concerns. Thanks for your reminders guys and I will keep this in mind. :) I was astounded to see more than 19,000 links with the phrase "wp text ads" on Google. But a large majority of the posts are duplicated or scrapped content. Dan, there is a Marketplace for WP Text Ads users to connect with advertisers. It's still in its infancy though. JB, Dan.

I try to make useful comments on this nofollow issue where I can. Is this worse than ‘Well done!’ as a comment?

However, I understand your concerns. Thanks for your reminders guys and I will keep this in mind. :)

I was astounded to see more than 19,000 links with the phrase “wp text ads” on Google. But a large majority of the posts are duplicated or scrapped content.

Dan, there is a Marketplace for WP Text Ads users to connect with advertisers. It’s still in its infancy though.

]]> By: FreePress Blog » Blog Archive » More TLA trouble http://freepressblog.org/blog/2007/07/23/goodbye-text-link-ads/#comment-7978 FreePress Blog » Blog Archive » More TLA trouble Sun, 29 Jul 2007 20:54:53 +0000 http://freepressblog.org/blog/2007/07/23/goodbye-text-link-ads/#comment-7978 [...] When you really think about it, it’s no better than any of the other spam techniques widely despised by the internet community, and this was the reason I personally decided to drop them recently. [...] [...] When you really think about it, it’s no better than any of the other spam techniques widely despised by the internet community, and this was the reason I personally decided to drop them recently. [...]

]]> By: JB http://freepressblog.org/blog/2007/07/23/goodbye-text-link-ads/#comment-7887 JB Fri, 27 Jul 2007 19:02:22 +0000 http://freepressblog.org/blog/2007/07/23/goodbye-text-link-ads/#comment-7887 Looks like GReader picked that last one up after about 20 minutes, which isn't too bad. Looks like GReader picked that last one up after about 20 minutes, which isn’t too bad.

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