Don't let your blog end up in search engine jail.
[This is part of the The Blogger’s Essential Guide to Search Engine Optimization Series.]
We’ve spent the last few posts in this series talking about how building your link profile is one of the most important strategies for you to grow your blog, to gain new visitors and readers, and to ultimately become more profitable long-term.
And I also shared some very organic and strategic ways to grow the number of backlinks as well – and these are the legit and above-board tactics that’ll prove valuable to you for years to come.
But, there are definitely some ways to increase your ranking, at least temporarily, that might end up getting you banned from search engines, perhaps indefinitely. One of the biggest offending practices is paying for links.
It’s Just Not Worth the Risk!
Search engines aren’t stupid (and neither are your readers). See, here’s the thing. Google, Yahoo!, Bing, and all the rest have shared explicitly that they build in their search engine software checks for paid links so as to not mess up their search returns which are based more on their quality and own merit than a purchase order.
Here’s one example of how Google explicitly states that purchasing links (paid links) is against their webmaster terms of service:
Buying or selling links that pass PageRank is in violation of Google’s Webmaster Guidelines and can negatively impact a site’s ranking in search results.
Why risk it? Sure, it’s near-impossible to discredit all links that have been paid for the quality of detection is becoming better every single year and offenders that might have gotten away with it are quickly becoming caught. It’s simply too risky of an endeavor for you to even consider engaging with it.
And besides, building a blog from scratch that has great content and that earns it’s place among the blogging elite through it’s own merit and not through manipulating of dollar figures is a far better story anyways!
Here are some thoughts in a nutshell about paying for links:
- It’s too risky.
- You could get away with it but the risk is never completely gone.
- The impact of getting caught is too great to even consider – your brand, blog, business is worth too much!
- It breaks terms of service agreements. Don’t do that!
If someone or some random business sends you an email stating that they are willing to pay for some links on your site or do some sort of sketchy paid swap then I’d mark it as spam and go on your merry way. No need to waste any more time with that loser!
Finally, it is my commitment to you that I’ll never accept paid links on this blog, for the reasons listed above as well as for the value of my community. If you want more info on my stance of advertising check out this blog post on disclosure policies!
Thoughts?
[This is part of the The Blogger’s Essential Guide to Search Engine Optimization Series.]
I run a big christmas site and because it’s for kids I dont carry ads of any sort on there (and say so very clearly) – yet the number of dumb seo people that email asking how much a link costs… Don’t they teach you to read in seo college?!?!?!
haha. what college would that be?
Wise for sure if you care about SEO.
When I had my PR5 Movie Site, it was that way for 2 years and I have plenty of paid links, that is how I made my money.
After that it dropped to a PR2 pretty quick.
now that sucks.
I agree.
But, how does Google see the difference between advertising and paid links? Because advertising is a paid link.
I’m with Trevor. Not quite sure I understand the difference here. So…what is the difference between paid links and advertising?
Also, and speaking from the viewpoint that this is all relatively new to me (I’m a newbie), what is morally wrong about having someone or some business pay you to put links on your website? Again, I guess I just don’t understand what you mean by paid links? How is this different from Chitika, Kontera, Adsense, or even a 125×125 picture/advertisement in the sidebar?
Charles
And what if you had a disclaimer that explained these links?
You guys stole my question…
the issue is less about paid links and more about paid links that pass pagerank. most links within blog posts pass pagerank… so that’s abuse. but advertising (like sidebar ads) doesn’t (shouldn’t) pass pagerank.
Thanks for clarifying that posts vs. sidebar question.
But what about companies like Adsense, Kontera, Chitika, etc., that have advertising links in the body of the post itself? Is this the same or something different?
those are definitely paid links and i’m not a big fan of those. some big sites can get away with it and that’s fine but it’s ugly as anything…!
adsense has links but it’s not in the body of content contextually.
Yeah, I would never pay for links. It’s not only risky, but also morally bad.
People go to websites that matter, not the ones that paid to matter.
what is morally bad about them?
Just asking is all.
good question…
I’m with Trevor. Not quite sure I understand the difference here. So…what is the difference between paid links and advertising?
Also, and speaking from the viewpoint that this is all relatively new to me (I’m a newbie), what is morally wrong about having someone or some business pay you to put links on your website? Again, I guess I just don’t understand what you mean by paid links? How is this different from Chitika, Kontera, Adsense, or even a 125×125 picture/advertisement in the sidebar?
Charles
And what if you had a disclaimer that explained these links?
did i clarify this charles?
The issue can be that the links are on topic. If they are on topic and used correctly Google will not know.
I had a steady income from them at one point until I got greedy and added some Casino links hahaha – boom no more PR juice for me.
the house always wins.
What about when people have links that say “sponsors” for their blog roll with text links, or when someone sells advertising spots in 125×125 banners? Those are technically paid links, but they are also technically advertising? Where is the line?
paid links i’m talking about are in the body of the content. adsense has paid links and i’m using a few on my blog here!
I’m kind of in the middle here, maybe a little more towards disagreeing. I mean, like you said, it’s difficult for Google to differentiate between paid links, and other links. I think if you’re buying paid links on relevant sites, the risk is not all that high.
Though I am not a big fan of doing buying links, as I prefer to naturally build my backlinks, I do not believe the risk is that all that high. Just my two cents though!
it’s about pagerank being passed. with that in mind it makes more sense.
Is this the same as paying someone to submit your site to multiple social bookmarking sites? Is that just farming out your seo work, or is that considered a paid link?
the former it would seem!