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Is breaking Google's rules now a PR/link building tactic? WSJ didn't link to Overstock.com in their article, but if they did, then Overstock would have built a
by WillyF 16y ago
Is breaking Google's rules now a PR/link building tactic? WSJ didn't link to Overstock.com in their article, but if they did, then Overstock would have built a really strong, legitimate backlink as a result of their illicit practices.
I also think the article plays down what Overstock.com did. I'd love to hear what Matt Cutts has to say about it, but offering a discount to students and encouraging them and their universities to link to said discount page doesn't sound like it should violate Google's policies. Judging from some of the links posted in other comments, it looks like Overstock.com was being far more manipulative than that.
I'd also question whether this is actually a penalization? Or did Google just devalue the links that weren't kosher? I see those as two different things.
- slouch 16y agoGoogle has said in the past that they defuse links and ignore any pagerank they would pass if they determine their are paid or for the sole purpose of passing pagerank. So, yes, there is a difference between penalties and devaluing links. edit: here's some of that discussion http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/text-links-and-pagerank/ http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/text-links-and-pagerank/
- a5seo 16y agoYou be the judge... should links like these be devalued or penalized? http://support.coastal.edu/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=304 http://support.coastal.edu/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=304