Page Rank Wars!!!

I saw on another post that Google are on the warpath as regards paid links

actual post

My opinion

I dont see how they can possibly create any algorithmic technique that can detect wether a link on a site has been paid for or not,it has no different value(technical not monitary)than a link that has not been paid for.
The only way is if the website advertises the fact on the site that they are selling links, but even then Google have to prove the link was indeed paid for and not added freeley by the site owner.
But most of us get links via forums etc.So if they decide to trawl these for evidence then business will just be done via pm or email.
Either way even if someone does report you, then unless they have the url of the place of sale how can they prove it?
This is also double standards, why? If you pay for google adwords then as soon as your url appears on a website surely this then technicayl becomes a paid link!
The biggest problem we have on this folks is wether you are right or wrong if google decide your wrong then you dont stand a chance.

Whats your view?

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My view is the usual thing. I think this new rule proves that their PR thing has failed miserably and in order to avoid admitting that they (as every major corporation) are going to pass the buck on the "small guy" (us). Like You I don't think they ever will develop such an algorithm as it is very much impossible. Why? If a human cannot distinguish between a paid link and a normal link than he will not be able to program a computer to recognize that. I think what will end up happening is that they will start punishing everyone. Virtually every webmaster is paying for links. (those that do not have an unknown websites). Sooner or later they also are going to start doing that to forums and so on. After awhile places like the biggest directories and forums and Text-link-ads and so on are going to start loosing money as many will not be paying to have their link shown somewhere without any effect. I know that most of the links that I have bought and sold will not get any hits ever, but their number does help in that same stupid PR and the sites search popularity. If those links are going to be marked as nofollow and put into the supplemental results then they are useless and I am sure as hell not going to pay Yahoo $300/year for a listing.
To me this is simply another way that Google is helping to put a nail into their coffin.

I don't understand all this google thing.

What if a site is just selling links for traffic or buying links for traffic. How would Google determine whether this link was sold for PR or for traffic?? I'm really confused.

If someone did report that a site was buying or selling links, I guess Google would visit the site but how would they determine the links are being sold for PR and not traffic. Its all really wierd and annoying :angry:

Yes what bothers google if a link is paid or not??

Its the webmaster's money which is paid and why google bothers??? And how can they detect?? Is there a alogarithm to detect paypal or other transaction??

I don't think this clampdown on paid links will work anyway.

- MENJ