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[News] Google cracks down on large scale article-based and blog post-based linkbuilding

by writeaway
23 replies
  • SEO
    • |
Google recently updated its link schemes page with little fanfare. Know what this means or get hit hard by its consequences. Here's the article from searchengineland: Google Warns Against Large-Scale Guest Posting, Advertorials & "Optimized Anchor Text" In Press Releases

What's the practical effect of all this?

Large scale linkbuilding using articles and guest posts may get penalized hard.
Advertorials will face penalties.

Keep in mind that it's all about LARGE SCALE linkbuilding at sites that don't have editorial control. ie., you submit and a link is created automatically.

I don't think this will affect manual and selective SMALL SCALE linkbuilding using quality content.

Be careful when building links, guys.
#articlebased #blog #cracks #google #large #linkbuilding #news #postbased #scale
  • Profile picture of the author onqdirector
    yeah this is bad news for private networks too. Basically they're taking away value from link profiles heavy in article links, especially those over optimized for anchors (above a certain magic threshold) The most interesting thing here is the Press Release change. I wonder how this will affect previous press releases built years ago with optimized anchors. Additionally its crazy that they're going after guest posting when Matt Cutts himself suggests guest posting can be a way of obtaining natural links. Though he does warn that spun content or excessive guest blogging will be targeted
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    • Profile picture of the author PerformanceMan
      Originally Posted by onqdirector View Post

      yeah this is bad news for private networks too. Basically they're taking away value from link profiles heavy in article links, especially those over optimized for anchors (above a certain magic threshold) The most interesting thing here is the Press Release change. I wonder how this will affect previous press releases built years ago with optimized anchors. Additionally its crazy that they're going after guest posting when Matt Cutts himself suggests guest posting can be a way of obtaining natural links. Though he does warn that spun content or excessive guest blogging will be targeted
      Press releases have already been presumably devalued. Now they can cause penalties.

      Optimized anchor text in 'PBNs' will be getting devalued next.

      The loopholes are closing fast.
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      • Profile picture of the author writeaway
        Originally Posted by PerformanceMan View Post

        Press releases have already been presumably devalued. Now they can cause penalties.

        Optimized anchor text in 'PBNs' will be getting devalued next.

        The loopholes are closing fast.
        The ULTIMATE loophole is when they start using crowdsourced information from the Disavow Tool to start penalizing sites. SEO Armaggedon?

        If people aren't building authority sites yet, this is a GOOD TIME to start.
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        • Profile picture of the author PerformanceMan
          Originally Posted by writeaway View Post

          The ULTIMATE loophole is when they start using crowdsourced information from the Disavow Tool to start penalizing sites. SEO Armaggedon?

          If people aren't building authority sites yet, this is a GOOD TIME to start.
          That's been my strategy since May and it's paying off big time.

          They've been using that tool for months now. Unfortunately I have a lot of first hand experience with the negative effects.

          The Disavowal Tool is Google's secret weapon. They use it to find dodgy sites and then they penalize them. Lots of sites have been completely deindexed this year, and many more on the way. Armageddon is upon us
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          • Profile picture of the author nik0
            Banned
            Originally Posted by PerformanceMan View Post

            That's been my strategy since May and it's paying off big time.

            They've been using that tool for months now. Unfortunately I have a lot of first hand experience with the negative effects.

            The Disavowal Tool is Google's secret weapon. They use it to find dodgy sites and then they penalize them. Lots of sites have been completely deindexed this year, and many more on the way. Armageddon is upon us
            Where you get the info that lots of sites were deindexed this year?

            I run a blog network and didn't have a single site get deindexed in the last couple of months.
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            • Profile picture of the author Kevin Maguire
              Originally Posted by nik0 View Post

              Where you get the info that lots of sites were deindexed this year?

              I run a blog network and didn't have a single site get deindexed in the last couple of months.
              Most of his info, he pulls from here,



              But after reading his stuff for a while, I think I have successfully Doxed his real identity,

              It's Charlie, he's really...real...

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              • Profile picture of the author PerformanceMan
                Originally Posted by Kevin Maguire View Post

                Duh...I'm from Ireland...uh, yeah... I'm a big time SEO....duh, buy my spam program....duh
                ]
                Hey Kevin,

                F You.

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                • Profile picture of the author Kevin Maguire
                  Originally Posted by PerformanceMan View Post

                  Hey Kevin,

                  F You.

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                • Profile picture of the author Kevin Maguire
                  Originally Posted by PerformanceMan View Post

                  Oh not just SEO, I've got my fingers in so many Pies, every day feels like Christmas at my house.
                  But with my slice of the SEO pie, I do just fine thanks.
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            • Profile picture of the author PerformanceMan
              Originally Posted by nik0 View Post

              Where you get the info that lots of sites were deindexed this year?

              I run a blog network and didn't have a single site get deindexed in the last couple of months.
              Good for you man. Cross your fingers and hope your luck holds out
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            • Profile picture of the author Mike Anthony
              Originally Posted by nik0 View Post

              Where you get the info that lots of sites were deindexed this year?

              I run a blog network and didn't have a single site get deindexed in the last couple of months.
              Nik he just makes it up as he goes along. I have hundreds of customers who have bought domains and built their network and have heard of like 4 get deindexed out of the thousands they have collectively bought. Furthermore those that did get slapped told me it was because they didn't follow good practices on the deindexed sites.

              Truth is Barry got slapped silly buying links at the most obvious link buying site on the internet so now he is hoping and praying and day dreaming everybody will share his fate
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              • Profile picture of the author mjm2950
                Mike, loaded question since it is your product but is your course on private blogs aged domains for $119 still current? New to a lot of this and many of the SEO info I see on ranking a site says do this this and that and oh by the way we used just a few back links (from our private high PR blog network) So this seems to be a valuable and necessary step. Hard to find complete info on how to do it and keep the existing PR when buying domains. (Thanks)
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                • Profile picture of the author Mike Anthony
                  Originally Posted by mjm2950 View Post

                  Mike, loaded question since it is your product but is your course on private blogs aged domains for $119 still current? New to a lot of this and many of the SEO info I see on ranking a site says do this this and that and oh by the way we used just a few back links (from our private high PR blog network) So this seems to be a valuable and necessary step. Hard to find complete info on how to do it and keep the existing PR when buying domains. (Thanks)
                  I do update videos from time to time but to be honest the main aspects of building a network have not changed. The places you buy them are the same, how you should set them up etc.

                  Now tools change and I did update videos for that. I just received word a week or two ago that a plugin for godaddy is no longer working but then there are recent videos for registercompass up already.

                  So short answer is yes but with a couple changes for tools done in update videos.
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                  • Profile picture of the author dblgdee
                    It appears that anything other than organic growth may become suspect.
                    From a recent Article..
                    " by definition even the word Search Engine Optimization (SEO) means to "game" the Google search engines (and others) to get your valuable content ranked higher than it would be if left alone to the forces of the Web.

                    @ adammorgan
                    "Google is all about quality. Many marketers are manipulating the algorithm by guest posting. On the other hand, if you guest post with high quality and original content, then I believe you'll be just fine."

                    The problem now is who decides quality? Google.. , or somehow readers can be influenced to vote via the social connections, likes, shares, etc
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                    shorten long ugly links
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      • Profile picture of the author kindsvater
        Originally Posted by PerformanceMan View Post

        Press releases have already been presumably devalued. Now they can cause penalties.
        If that it the case, and I doubt it is, then one starts pumping out press releases for competitors with an obvious keyword campaign.

        Google would have a problem if it penalized sites based on incoming links.

        .
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  • Profile picture of the author yukon
    Banned
    Old news & obviously posted in the wrong forum, then moved to the SEO forum.

    Link schemes update from Google-Beaware of it
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  • Profile picture of the author KirbyRaymund
    it's always just the anchor text
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  • Profile picture of the author webdevpro
    Then whats left behind?? No appealing anchor text, no relevant backlinks.. almost everything nofollow...
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    • Profile picture of the author chris_87
      Originally Posted by webdevpro View Post

      Then whats left behind?? No appealing anchor text, no relevant backlinks.. almost everything nofollow...
      I discovered this too. I was able to do some guest blog posts on several high authority blogs in my niche because of my expertise (not SEO or internet marketing related).

      They all turned out to be no follow. Even though the webmaster told me the links would follow through. It does seem like its becoming harder and harder to find good quality "do follow" (I hate that term isn't even a real thing in html code) back links. Even with manual leg work, forming relationships and doing all this by hand.
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  • Profile picture of the author seonutshell
    Large-scale article marketing or guest posting campaigns with keyword-rich anchor text links
    Why do large scale though? Why not do it on a small scale and make the ones you do DO large quality? Im guessing this warning is for those people that spin tonnes of articles and submit to tonnes automatically. which is blackhat anyway
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    • Profile picture of the author Kevin Maguire
      Originally Posted by seonutshell View Post

      Why do large scale though? Why not do it on a small scale and make the ones you do DO large quality? Im guessing this warning is for those people that spin tonnes of articles and submit to tonnes automatically. which is blackhat anyway
      Exactly... The scaremongers seem to leave that first line out of their argument. As it does not fit into their own agenda.

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    • Profile picture of the author Michael Carlin
      Originally Posted by seonutshell View Post

      Why do large scale though? Why not do it on a small scale and make the ones you do DO large quality? Im guessing this warning is for those people that spin tonnes of articles and submit to tonnes automatically. which is blackhat anyway
      Yep it was clear last year that having smaller more focused and separate networks was the way to go.

      Google would have to have an army of real people to try and find all the 30 site networks out there. But 30 PR links do make a difference!
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  • Profile picture of the author adammorgan
    Google is all about quality. Many marketers are manipulating the algorithm by guest posting. On the other hand, if you guest post with high quality and original content, then I believe you'll be just fine.
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