Comments on: Google Stop The Rot Please

By: David Leonhardt

David Leonhardt — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 02:31:22 +0000

Yeah, it’s a rant. And I agree that it’s a mess. I get a dozen emails like that every day and I’ve learned a long time ago that they aren’t worth the paper they’ll never be printed on. But the fact is that whatever Google does, these guys will be there, riding their coattails.

Ironically, I think Google watches more closely those authoritative sites (PR8, PR9, for example) for signs of link-selling.

By: Barry Welford

Barry Welford — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 06:16:16 +0000

Thos003, I don’t feel your government example is an exact analogy. It was Google alone that said that inlinks have importance as a measure of the relevance of web pages. By saying that, rather than keeping their finding a trade secret, they caused a major distortion on the way the Internet has developed. It wouldn’t matter if they were ASK and had only a minor share of the search market. It becomes catastrophic when they dominate by far the search market. They planted the seeds that would destroy the value of their approach. By now, I think the PageRank approach has little merit. However it’s become their key marketing tool and they are unlikely to abandon it. If they did, what distinguishes them from Bing and Yahoo?
.-= Barry Welford recently posted: Google Duplicate Content And WordPress – An Unresolved Problem =-.

By: Thos003

Thos003 — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 23:17:10 +0000

What you are suggesting is that Google created its own mess…? Not sure that I fully agree. Google tries to set rules to govern their search results. They have said over and over that buying or building artificial links is bad and your site will be penalized for it. Webmasters on the other hand look at the situation and see the sign that says “Sharks. Swim at your own risk.” and decide to jump in and take the risk since there is a treasure chest sitting on the ocean floor.

Can we really blame the government for speeding just because they set a speed limit? Or perhaps the speeding is a result of insufficient police officers to patrol the streets.

I feel that perhaps it is a group effort. I believe that google is doing the best they can. I am as frustrated as anyone else that links rule the world, but I do see the logic behind it.

And a little tip from SMX, there are many that are hearing Google’s underlying message that directories and content farms are being weeded out.
.-= Thos003 recently posted: Pest Control Links =-.

By: Barry Welford

Barry Welford — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 01:49:10 +0000

In reply to Roland.

I fear, dear Roland, you were not reading carefully. I was not suggesting that all inlinks should be disregarded and I never mentioned paid links.
.-= Barry Welford recently posted: Google Duplicate Content And WordPress – An Unresolved Problem =-.

By: Barry Welford

Barry Welford — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 00:42:36 +0000

In reply to Roland.

Hardly a magical key. 🙂 Just a small suggestion for improving results.

By: Roland

Roland — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 22:22:51 +0000

While I think that Google’s algo isn’t perfect, to think that you somehow hold the magical key that will somehow eliminate spam, paid links, and create a better index is simply absurd.

Google knows more about the positives and negatives to their approach than you do, and I can guarantee that they deliberate how to improve things on a regular basis.

Search would be nothing without taking into consideration inbound links, bottom-line. There is currently no other way to determine who ranks. Maybe you have outsmarted the entire Google search team and have a unique idea, probably not.

Do you even practice real seo?

By: Barry Welford

Barry Welford — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 18:24:44 +0000

In reply to Cathy Reisenwitz.

That’s a good point, Cathy. However I believe that the PageRank concept for non-authoritative web pages has been completely polluted by the mass link creators. So yes I do believe that they should rely on content. Of course their competitors must do so as well, so the playing field is level.
.-= Barry Welford recently posted: Google Duplicate Content And WordPress – An Unresolved Problem =-.

By: Cathy Reisenwitz

Cathy Reisenwitz — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 17:17:23 +0000

What about small, new, local sites who would logically mainly get links from other small, local sites? Should their rankings should be based soley on content? Shouldn’t such a site with more low-pr links get higher rankings than another, similar site with fewer low-pr links?
.-= Cathy Reisenwitz recently posted: Add a privacy policy for that extra SEO oomph =-.

By: AJ Kohn

AJ Kohn — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 16:52:33 +0000

I agree and have written about this a few times in the past year.

http://www.blindfiveyearold.com/the-link-bubble

http://www.blindfiveyearold.com/google-heisenberg-problem

Google did create the problem and I think they’re beginning to address it. They’re attacking the type of links you reference – the low value, astroturf type of link generators. Have neutralized these from the algorithm? No. But I think they’re making progress.

I’m more concerned with the bigger players. Folks like Demand Media, who I see less as a content farm and more as a link factory. Bigger enterprises can create processes and networks that drive faux trust and authority, drowning out the real signal.

How will Google address link factories, or links between parent and subsidiary companies? Or will Google find a different, or better way to measure trust and authority?

I don’t know, but Google should figure it out … and quick.
.-= AJ Kohn recently posted: Google AJAX Search Results =-.