Vraag het aan de SEO Guru

Google updated their toolbar PR recently lowering the PR of many sites that appeared to be given a little negative nudge to encourage “certain” webmasters  to see that selling, leasing, trading, using as a personal hygiene implement, links priced on PR, intended to increase PR, to rub PR or to look sideways at PR was not going to come without a cost. 

FREAK OUT!!

Across the webiverse the typical circular debates ensued.  It’s a penalty. No it’s not. It’s for selling links. No it’s not, etc. etc. ad nauseum.

A few days later the link pimping penalty was confirmed by Googleguy himself, http://www.searchenginejournal.com/matt-cutts-confirms-paid-links-google-pagerank-update/5906/ Not ending the circular debates or the righteous indignation of course, just shifting the focus more to the, “I never sold a link for page rank” malarkey.

So, it’s true. Everyone really does get gitch slapped for selling links. Or do they?

You would think that when G sets out to put a little muscle into the, “don’t guck with the PR”  FUD  the most severe gitch slapping would be applied to the face of the most well-known, the most visible, the most advertised of the pimperati  right? Well then maybe you can explain the PR 7 for the best managed, best marketed and most visible link laundry out there, http://www.text-link-ads.com while a prominent competitor http://www.textlinkbrokers.com/ now lives with a measly 3.

I got an unusual request in response to my last article about my poor cancerous canine named King
http://massa.techndu.com/2007/10/25/OhMyGawdMyPageRankHasDroppedAndNowMyDogHasCancer.aspx

It was a unique request for a link in the form of “a mention” which I usually ignore, (unless somewhere in the subject line or body I see symbols resembling one of these - $), but this one was a perfect example of a technique I had mentioned in an earlier post about how to get well-known SEO's to do things for you for free. http://massa.techndu.com/Default.aspx#a2323c2bc-995a-4fee-adc5-ccda78d3238e

That post was telling you how to get people to do what you want by giving them what they want. Mostly, validation in the form of obvious, blatant flattery. And this email illustrated that concept very well and providing, once again, irrefutable proof that the Guru was right. (Always – did you ever doubt it?), So you know I’m gonna talk about that.

The email said:

Dear Massa,

>> 

>> I've been an RSS reader of your blog since the beginning in August.

>> I¹m so sorry to hear about your dog. Ok, today was the funniest

>> article you¹ve written yet.

>> 

>> I'm starting an internet company, and I'd like to ask you to mention it.

>> 

>> Starting today, Advice Network, will be running an article writing

>> contest, and we¹d like to offer you and your readers an

>> invitation-only chance to enter. If you could post about the contest,

>> I¹d really appreciate it. Let me know and I will link back to your

>> from my blog (www.advicenetwork.com/blog ) right away.

To which the Guru replied:

I don't mind mentioning your new internet company Alex. I appreciate

> your unique approach to asking.

> Massa

> 

> PS

> I have a good feeling about King's survival odds in spite of the fact

> that his tumor has now grown to a threemor.

So, there ya go RSS reader since the beginning. Even though I don’t know you, don’t do contests and aren’t familiar with your new internet company, I took a quick look at the site and it looked fine and will gladly give you that coveted link. Of course after your well worded ego booster it could have been a meta refresh to a German poker site and the Guru would probably still have shot you a little juice.

See ya later kids!

 If you don’t quit pickin at that it never will heal!

Peace Y’all
the seo guru

Google Launches Another attack on Link Pimps.

Reports abound about another Google attack on the toolbar PR of those who persist in attempting to profit from the pimping and outright prostitution of paid link placement on prominent pages for the passing of link putty.

http://www.searchengineguide.com/robert-clough/search-engine-guide-publisher-responds-t.php

http://www.gregboser.com/toolbar-hysteria/

http://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-drops-pagerank-for-many-sites-paid-links-or-new-algorithm/5890/

http://www.seroundtable.com/archives/015119.html

http://www.seomoz.org/blog/toolbar-pagerank-losses-for-hundreds-of-websites

Just to point to a few

{public notice}

NO LINKS IN THIS POST HAVE BEEN  PAID FOR, SOLICITED OR COMPENSATED FOR IN ANY WAY. PLEASE, PLEASE BELIEVE ME MY DOG IS HANGING BY A THREAD AS IT IS

*********************************

I Have Solid Proof!

Back in '02 my site, my baby, Searchking got whacked. It went from an 8 to a four. Now, here comes the spooky part.

The very next week my car had a flat! Coincidence ? HA! I think not!

Then, not having learned my lesson and still persisting in making a public nuisance of myself with PR publicity, my 4 got zapped to a 0. A ZERO! Well guess what? Within just 4 months I had to have a rectal exam and was left with no other options than to have a colonoscopy! Now if that doesn't convince you, well, you must just be refusing to see the finger in the dyke.

Seriously ----

Kids, the point of my being so facetious is that life goes on and if you are spending time right now, looking at, reading about, worrying about or being overly concerned with page rank in any shape or form, but especially the PR displayed in the toolbar, then your time is being mis-spent. Few people in the history of the internet have been dealt a harsher hand in regards to page rank drop for any reason let alone for the specific reason of selling links than I have. 

Fewer still have so obsessed over the penalty to take it to the lengths I did. After month after month and thousands of dollars spent, the one thing I learned above all other things is that life goes on. I don't see how my loss of page rank could have been anymore public or discussed at greater length and guess what? I didn't die, my car's flat got fixed and in regards to my colonoscopy, everything came out all right. 

I continued making money, I did not go out of business, and the only bad things that happened, I caused myself.

I realize that I am just a guy whose opinion has little impact and probably deserves less. But I am a guy that has lived through what many seem to think is the worst that can happen and all I can tell you is -- it ain't that bad.

Income Dependent on PR

If your income is dependent solely on what the toolbar says and the distance from left to right has shortened, then you are going to have to make a decision to either accept total defeat and try to get your old job back or buck up, evaluate your situation and move forward. If you choose the latter, then your time is much better spent thinking about your business and how to capitalize on the resources you have than it is spent on complaining, theorizing or especially worrying about page rank. I know it's easier said than done, but that is the truth and the real winners are going to be those who can see it.

We are all free to believe who and what we want but I'm telling you, PR, as we know it, means very little in terms of your business potential or even your placement potential. Page Rank was, (and still is), a brilliant marketing ploy but it's not your marketing ploy.

Links Have Great Value

Links have great value for a broad range or reasons. Page rank has very little if any. Sales and profit margins are all that matter. Links can help with that. Page Rank can not. Sales and profits, (or losses), are a reality. Page Rank is a perception.