Because Google has neglected to make certain links from its site nofollow, webmasters are wondering how, exactly, they differ from paid links.
All you have to do to get a link from Google’s PageRank 7 Mini Enterprise Search Appliance page is buy the product, which runs just shy of $2,000. Buy a Mini and Google adds a link to your site along with your Google Mini "success story."
Would you call that a laundered link?
Search Engine Roundtable brought it to our attention, but we somehow missed Andy Beal dropping the dime back in June:
"While many of these success stories are for established and recognizable businesses who sincerely appreciate the advanced search capabilities the Mini provides, others are undoubtedly as pleased with their new link as their new Google Mini."
Google’s webspam team has been pretty vigilant this year about penalizing sites that buy or sell PageRank-passing links. And while this isn’t exactly a direct purchase, it is a bit ironic.
GoogleMiniPaid linksLaundered Links
More: continued here
Hah that’s really unfortunate.
Gotta love google
Yeah, go Google!
CRM’s last blog post..Make First, Second, Third Impressions Count
Thats very hypocritical of the big G. I hate the whole paid/not paid link “crack down” we’re seeing. I don’t buy any paid links but many do and they shouldn’t be penalized. I’m still shocked that G wants to “police” the internet. It seems crazy to me… why not just update the algorithm instead?