Google Dislike Paid Links

Google enginner Matt Cutts recently made a few posts about paid links in Google’s point of view.

First of all, Hidden links are bad. If you want to sell paid links, Google suggest publishers using link redirection or using rel=nofollow attribute for the paid link.

Matt also advice providing human readable disclosure that a link/review/article is paid, such as “This is a paid review”. In short, make disclosure both readable to human and machine.

Matt Cutts agree 100% with sponsored themes in WordPress are bad.

He also ask people to report paid links to Google. To report paid links, one can sign in Google Webmaster Console or use unauthenticated spam report form with the word “paidlink” in the text area.

Many publishers disagree about the decision to report paid links to Google. Famous SEO Expert, Aaron Wall thought that it is a joke.

[via 10e20]

My two cents

I am not sure how far Google goes about “clearing paid links”. Nobody can stop Google if it wants to do it.

The first question came to my mind is that “Will Text Link Ads doom?“. I am making few hundred bucks every month from Text Link Ads (aff) sales. How many advertisers will stay if the paid links are “nofollow” (earn no PageRank point) ?

Since you are here, read also my Text Link Ads tips :)