DISQUS

Brown Baron · 2 years ago

I think that they just burned a lot of bridges with this move. Of course they're not worried now - they're still on top. The backlash when it does come will be nasty.

Mike · 2 years ago

The fact that the news coverage went mainstream won't have pleased Big G shareholders, I wouldn't have thought. I think Google underestimated just how much flak would come their way as a result of these changes. I'd not considered the legal avenue before but you're right. It'll be interesting to see if anyone takes them on, though.

John · 2 years ago

Google got where it is because webmasters promoted it over and above Lycos, Altavista, Infoseek and all the other first generation search engines.

It's just as possible for webmasters to fall out of love with Google and to promote a new favourite...

We just need a new favourite to appear on the scene...

Everton · 2 years ago

As a blogger I'd already fallen out of love with adsense, as I hated been tied to one scheme and I've successfully addressed that.

If I had a way to lessen my reliance on Google for search traffic I would do the same.

Sofna · 2 years ago

Does anyone have a link to the actual article on this new google update?

Sofna · 2 years ago

Oops, forgot to mention I just read a post on DP where a few webmasters have confirmed changes in PR at 2 datacenters and I believe they were increases and not a decrease due selling links.

Everton · 2 years ago

http://andybeard.eu/2007/10/pagerank-update.html

keikun17 · 2 years ago

my 1 year old forum's PR went down to 2 from 3. my one month old blog's PR went from 0 to 4 so it's a mixed reaction for me.

Kylyne · 2 years ago

same question that has been creping into my mind lately, since, from the looks of it all of their action is creating a domino effect. Oh well, for a new blogger like me, I guess i need to re-think all this for a while.

Mikhail Tuknov · 2 years ago

I wouldn't worry about it guys! Just continue doing what you have been doing in the past! Google is trying to scare you all! They need us!

Karthik · 2 years ago

Everton, I'm saddened to see you lose PR - do you have any intentions of removing the links when you change to the new theme and submit a re-inclusion request? That's what I would do - because at the end of the day, we still do need the traffic that G sends us.

Hope you get over this soon!

Everton · 2 years ago

@karthik

It's still early days as I don't think Google's 'madness' is over yet, but my search engine results haven't been impacted - just my PageRank i.e. Google is penalising the PageRank of sites it thinks has been using that arbitary number to sell adverting or to pass rank on. whatever they really use to rank pages hasn't been affected.

I intend to do nothing for now. If I lose some advertising then so be it, but I think I'll be ok as I'm getting to the point where most advertisers are buying traffic not rank.

Karthik · 2 years ago

@Everton
phpBB.com was hit by the penalty too - they were one of the worst hit - they dropped from PR10 to PR8 a couple of weeks back. Just a while later, they were brought down to a PR5. I would think next in line would be that the penalized sites *may* be removed from the SERPs although its a very delicate matter. But at the end of the day, its a private search engine and they can do as they please - whether we use them or not, we can't blame them for running things the way they want.

I truly respect the fact that you don't want to bow down, nor that you need the traffic that Google sends to a high degree - but I would still request you to make the links nofollow - if as you say the advertisers are paying for the traffic, they wouldn't mind that the links are nofollow'd would they? Plus, you would have a better leverage in the advertisement pricing if your PR is higher, although you set the links as nofollow. Not to mention the "authority" status that comes along with it and the edge in the SERPs placement.

But its purely a personal choice, whichever decision you make - I'll continue to visit this blog, no matter what your PR is.

Everton · 2 years ago

Agree about the future Karthik I might consider making future ads nofollow. But I don't intend to make any changes to existing advertisers, even though thinking about it, none of them that have approached me directly have ever specifically requested a follow link so I can go and change them....now you've got me thinking

Karthik · 2 years ago

I'm glad I did! :) [Hope none of them are reading these comments! ;) ]

But do let them know you're changing them to nofollow, if you don't mind me telling you - offer them a compensation package if they are disappointed that you are nofollowing the links, perhaps a partial refund or an extended contract period - whatever. Of course its your discretion as to that - I just wanted to fill you in on the possible options...

I'm sure it would keep everyone happy, of course it would mean a partial slack in your profits, but I'm sure its going to be well worth it. Wish you the best of luck!

Everton · 2 years ago

I've just changed a few of the ads to nofollow. I don't intend to remove TLA or Linkworth though. I will decide to do that when they are no longer delivering - at the moment they accout for about 25% of my non-direct advertising revenues so that would be a very big hit to take. Now, if my TLA advertisers start to leave becuase my rank has fallen then that will be a different matter

Karthik · 2 years ago

Great - good to know you're taking counter-measures, erm, just to clarify - I don't work for Google!

---
Yet another proud reader of ConnectedInternet.co.uk

Ganesh · 2 years ago

I neither sell links nor buy links. But the pr of my site starmatrimonials.com has dropped to 3 from 5 during the last two updates. But the traffic to the site is steadily increasing.

Forrest · 2 years ago

The search market and the advertising market are two different industries. Kodak does fairly well in the film market, but that has zero effect on Starbucks' position in the coffee market ... right?

Text link "ads" were selling page rank and not legitimate advertising. Essentially changing other peoples' grades for a fee. Google's own ad sales use javascript in the client to prevent any seo benefit; they're simply asking other web sites to do the same in exchange for free inclusion in the index and the free traffic that brings.

Honestly, I don't see anything unreasonable, let alone anti-competitive. Sorry to disagree; that's just how I see it.

alluniversit · 1 year ago

then eventually the tree, were punished I know every I went