Jun
Text-Link-Ads Back On Top of Google - What Gives?
Last year, I wrote a piece about how Text Link Ads had basically disappeared in Google SERPs, and how TNX popped up to try to capture some of the link buying/selling activity.
That post has been getting quite a few comments along the lines of:
you’re an idiot, I can clearly see that Text Link Ads is first in the Google SERPs when searching for text link ads.
And if I had just posted that article yesterday, these scallywags would be correct. But I posted that back in 2007, well over six months ago. And a lot can happen in that amount of time.
So today I’d like to tell you a little story…
Many years ago, a new service emerged called Text Link Ads. It was setup to allow you to buy or sell links on websites, with a premise similar to most ad networks - you put your links out there and people click them. Pretty typical.
For years TLA was a popular service and managed to earn a PR6 from Google.
But then, on one fateful day, there was a big shakeup!
With Google’s ranking algorithm being based largely on backlinks and anchor text, people could “exploit” their PageRank system by buying backlinks (instead of gaining them “naturally.”) Google didn’t like that one bit, so they huffed and puffed and blew TLA deep into the dark depths of their SERPs (back to page 5 or 6, where no searchers bother to go.)
The next year was like an ice age for link sales. With the big woolly mammoth size TLA out of sight, a herd of new text link marketplaces (like TNX) popped up and ran free over the arid landscape.
But alas, they all succumbed to the great ruler that is Google. The new services were dead before they began.
Text Link Ads, on the other hand, were hard at work, despite their lackluster SERPs. They kept bringing in more advertisers and publishers, and they also expanded their services to various types of link sales, including feedvertising. (Feedvertising is the act of placing ads in an RSS feed.)
Feedvertising would not manipulate PageRank, so apparently TLA was trying to run an advertising business, not a company bent solely on exploiting Google.
So Google did something surprisingly heart-warming - they lifted the ranking penalty!
Yes, Text-Link-Ads.com is now back in Google for phrases such as “text link ads” and “text links.”
And everyone lived happily ever after!
(Except for the companies like TNX, who crashed and burned. Oh well. It’s hard enough to get on Google’s good side when you have a legitimate website.)
The Story, Part 2
As I was writing this story, Google did something that did not surprise me at all… they must have penalized TLA once again, because now they’re not in the rankings. Google is toying with them!
They just jerk us around with their infrequent toolbar PR updates, hidden link selling penalties, and constantly changing rankings!
Where will TLA rank tomorrow??
Photo credit: bobster1985 (earthquake) | Photo credit: rpongsaj (woolly mammoth) | Photo credit: Raymond Brown (snow white)
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Click here to buy me a beer, because damn, I need to get drunk to forget how much internet marketing sucks!
It all depends if they can detect the links on the users websites.
Sure they can destroy TNX’s rankings, but hundreds of thousands of users are already using it. If it works, those users already know where to go.
I find it hard for google to catch the people using the system because uses php and is converted into html before the search engine can see the site
Google put text link damper filter on. Every webmaster worth their salt has realized this. They’ve made the point they wanted to, but still realize the value of a link. They may have reversed some of the filter.
Since the day Google started publicly displaying PR values, webmasters have been chasing it. It’s 100% marketing in regards to public display. I feel bad for TLA, and the sites that suffer from algorithms that are manipulated by $$. As long as they reveal a sites PR, Google engineers will never be able produce the quality results they strive for.
I think we can all agree on why Google would penalize link sellers and text link marketplaces.
But the question is, why is TLA bouncing back and forth between #1 and #60 in the serps?
go figure this all out. There are some who still buy and sell links. Everyone knows these SEO companies. Those who do not buy these type of links are just scared that Google will catch on somehow.
If the paid links come from sites that seem similar there is probably no way for big brother Google to know. You would think.
I wonder if it’s possible to build a successful, money-making web site while completely ignoring Google?
@TigerTom
Sure, just spend millions on TV commercials
Although that usually leaves your prospects typing your URL into the Google search box anyway…
I don’t even know why people bother to buy text links. There are so many ways to get “legit” links for free. Plus you can also create your own link farms which costs nothing but time. I used to buy text links but I don’t bother any more.
I think it is only temporary penalty or loss of serps than complete penalization/ban from index as TLA still has an authority status and still got site links with google.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=www.text-link-ads.com&btnG=Search
I suppose link-scrounging and SEO are dull-but-sure ways of building up a site. However, it’d be nice to come up with something that ’sells itself’.
The trouble with TLA and TNX is the quality of links are not that great; you can get the same, cheaply, by other means.
As a website/blog owner getting a few bucks from TLA every month what’s the definitive answer re my having TLA’s on my site alongside pages with Adsense? There T&C seems confusing ( no change there then).
“But the question is, why is TLA bouncing back and forth between #1 and #60 in the serps?”
A kid moving it back and forth during his Google 30% time (or whatever percentage it is now, that keeps changing as well).
Simply said,
Google rules the internet. They as a company are free to mold their guidelines as per their convenience. This may not be convenient for many, but surely is for Google.
Let’s assume that if we want to do business with Google we must abide to their rules.
Don’t try to full Google and you will succeed.
A few weeks ago I was researching the big gun competition for one of my niche sites and I looked at who were the sources of backlinks to these sites, and what did I find? PAID LINKS!!! Big Money for a Big Backlink and so it goes…
I think text links are worth it, especially if they send traffic also and I think this is important on deciding what links to buy- will I get visitors from this also. I found the whole penalise sites selling links bizarre as if they penalise all sites and they all drop in pagerank this does not lower the value of text links as everyone is penalised. Just means the text link has lesser value but still the same if compared with all other sites selling text links. I think also google is getting a little money hungry on this point, nothing wrong with competition google.
Google rulez….
You know, you are at the top for the term “text link ads”. Woho, your post about TLA push you up at #1. Are you thinking to start your own ads campaign?
wow this post was on top! your on the #1 in google
I used TLA Last friday and by Thursday google slapped my site. I am completely off google.
I was going to start using TLA, but I found I never really needed to. I wanted buzz instead
Never associated your site with bad neighbours. This was the advice given by Google and it is pretty true. Ever since, Google slapped TLA, sites that placed TLA advertisements or links were being penalized too. This is a perfect example of associating with bad neighbour sites.
Google manages to scare quite a few people with the text link ad sales, but there are more than a few ways to sell or buy text links without triggering Google’s attention. It just takes an extra step or two now, is all.
There are plent of good reasons to be both a buyers and a seller of text links. Google obviously frowns on it, because they want a piece of the action and all advertising to flow through them. Google may have control on the internet now, but that will not always be true.
I don’t think that google will try to ban TLA as lots of people are using it , secondly lot of people are getting fed-up of adwords which only gets your competitors to come on your site. Simple plain advertising still works best.
@Alex
You are so wrong. Google will do anything to deliver the most relevant results to its users. Manipulation of SERPs through buying of links is regarded as a violation to Google.
Rif Chia
Yeah, whatever…in my oppinion Google want us all use only their service and want us to be happy with that no matter is right or wrong. I as publisher for long time stay away from both, google and TLA. Their 160×600 ad space on my side bar takes just to much place for nothing…instead offer permanent link each at $100 monthly. This is much better and atleast the link buyer knows its secure and worth. Buyers need to look a little more serious into this and stop wasting their money for link ads programs.
SEO Consultant is absolutely right. its normal to google that you buy/sell links for only advertising purposes. in these cases u hav to declare the links as nofollow so that google can identify them as paid links & exclude them from being counted as votes to the site.
if u try to manipulate seo with paid links google will penalize u.