Quote: As readers of this column know, links play an incredibly important role in rankings. While a search engine can scan the contents of a web page and get a good idea regarding the topic of a web page, this isn't sufficient because it doesn't provide the right type of signals to indicate which pages are the most important ones for any given topic (i.e., of web pages on the same topic, who to rank first, second...).
Links act like votes for a given piece of content, and as a result content with the best link profile usually does extremely well in the rankings for related terms.
The problem is that there is so much money related to search that this approach caused the birth of link buying industry, other types of spam, and corresponding problems for search quality. Accordingly, the link based ranking algorithms adapted to do a better job of handling this type of activity. But there are still problems with the link-based algorithms, and this has caused the search engines to look for other signals, such as signals from social media sites.
This has led to many theorizing that natural link building is dead. Or that links are no longer as valuable as a citation and other signals are needed. Read more: http://searchenginewatch.com/3640951 Over time, of course Google is going to move to reducing the impact purchased links have on a website's position. There is a flip side to this though. I think most search engines will start to place a greater emphasis on human controlled directories that have a strong focus on a niche.
I think there are some industries where there are very few options other than getting listed in a good directory, so there is no way these options will go away completely. I agree with you most search engines will start to place a greater emphasis on human controlled directories that have a strong focus on a niche and I beleive general directories with contents.
I am surprise that search engines still reward marketing sites stuffing keywords everywhere they could with no contents or so few, then the same marketing sites using cross linking from each others. A lot of useless websites outrank good and much better sites in search engines just because the role of backlinks!!!
If a SEO wants he can make a no value site change in to a google top site!
This is very unethical!
Google should think of new ways so that it can find ways to eventuate the value of backlinks and should give no value to bought links and spam links. I have to respectfully disagree! Have a link profile which is made up of 100% of links you have built will not likely be as good as producing something viral or popular link bait. So, the old strategy still works well and always will. You can't fake that.. People have been manipulating search engines for years.. there has always been money in it and the big boom recently is mainly due to Google making such a good search tool and content network. I just saw a site the other day that got a cease and desist order from a big name corporation, it was on a popular tech site, and now they outrank some MAJOR players on their keyword. So.. to say that is dead is absolutely ludicrous. Google will reward you for natural links, always have, always will.
The real issue I see is that people are not building REAL links as much as they used to.. micro-blogging sites like Twitter and Facebook are where the majority of your "props" or "shout outs" are now.. so if people aren't giving out "real links" then what? Maybe one day Google's index will be determined by citations.. who knows. Google is on top of it, and if they aren't, someone else will be.
Google will simply devalue any link they deem manipulative. Period. Quote: Originally Posted by BradCallen If people aren't giving out "real links" then what? Webmasters will rarely give out real natural links to another just like that without asking something in exchange and most of them will try to sell it.
The average visitors bookmarking a site in social network like Twitter, Facebook, etc The owner account of Twitter, Facebook, etc will be indexed for his tittle, period! They are nofollow links and will not give you the privilege to count as backlinks.
We can talk about sponsored links vs. natural Links, unfortunately natural links are not the majority anymore, because everyone is trying to make a few bucks on internet.
As far as an online store you will have rarely natural links, because nobody is going to link to your page products.
Is the death of natural links? No, but will remain a small part. I am sure there is not any other way better than backlinks for ranking results. I am sure about it and if Google wants to determine backlinks less important on ranking results it will be return to current position after some months. People started to sell links on their websites and blogs that leads to a non quality contents. Search engines should take a step in this regard otherwise websites will be full of spammy material. Quote: Originally Posted by jamshed_11946 People started to sell links on their websites and blogs that leads to a non quality contents. Search engines should take a step in this regard otherwise websites will be full of spammy material. You can see most search engines looking like Christmas tree full of ads.
Don't forget that internet was mainly successful because people did not see ads everywhere they go, now it is almost impossible because the big corporations see an opportunity to make money, then "people say to themselve why not me?"
There are hardly any sites left that don't have advertising. Don't get me wrong everybody needs to make a living, but sometime it is too much. Quote: Originally Posted by Natural Elements You can see most search engines looking like Christmas tree full of ads.
Don't forget that internet was mainly successful because people did not see ads everywhere they go, now it is almost impossible because the big corporations see an opportunity to make money, then "people say to themselve why not me?"
There are hardly any sites left that don't have advertising. Don't get me wrong everybody needs to make a living, but sometime it is too much. definitely! The way Google collects information and serves ads it's really amazing and people no longer mind giving up their private data as a result. The real industry to watch is not SEO, but rather "new media" in my opinion. Quote: Originally Posted by BradCallen definitely! The way Google collects information and serves ads it's really amazing and people no longer mind giving up their private data as a result. The real industry to watch is not SEO, but rather "new media" in my opinion. SEO will be less important in the future I agree with you, because when search engines disvalue internal links, buying links, long tail keywords, sponsors links, directories links to fight spammers, what is left? Natural links? So we will not have a lot of them lol
The way search engines push e-commerce to advertise on their sponsors listing will not fly for two reasons:
1) Many e-commerce will not suscribe in the casino sponsor advertising system because they cannot afford that, or because the market trend will not let the e-commerce to have enough marging to afford skyrocket ad prices
2) If the search engines are too greedy for their PPC (that's what happen right now), plus the higher tax business fees and high cost shipping will not make internet more affordable than brick and mortar businesses.
People buy from internet to get better deals or find what they can't locally. But we all know there is a limit of what people can afford these days. We are all on tight budget, and squeezing even more small business online will have certainly a negative impact.
So why removing the e-commerce tools? Anyboby cannot work without tools...
Links act like votes for a given piece of content, and as a result content with the best link profile usually does extremely well in the rankings for related terms.
The problem is that there is so much money related to search that this approach caused the birth of link buying industry, other types of spam, and corresponding problems for search quality. Accordingly, the link based ranking algorithms adapted to do a better job of handling this type of activity. But there are still problems with the link-based algorithms, and this has caused the search engines to look for other signals, such as signals from social media sites.
This has led to many theorizing that natural link building is dead. Or that links are no longer as valuable as a citation and other signals are needed. Read more: http://searchenginewatch.com/3640951 Over time, of course Google is going to move to reducing the impact purchased links have on a website's position. There is a flip side to this though. I think most search engines will start to place a greater emphasis on human controlled directories that have a strong focus on a niche.
I think there are some industries where there are very few options other than getting listed in a good directory, so there is no way these options will go away completely. I agree with you most search engines will start to place a greater emphasis on human controlled directories that have a strong focus on a niche and I beleive general directories with contents.
I am surprise that search engines still reward marketing sites stuffing keywords everywhere they could with no contents or so few, then the same marketing sites using cross linking from each others. A lot of useless websites outrank good and much better sites in search engines just because the role of backlinks!!!
If a SEO wants he can make a no value site change in to a google top site!
This is very unethical!
Google should think of new ways so that it can find ways to eventuate the value of backlinks and should give no value to bought links and spam links. I have to respectfully disagree! Have a link profile which is made up of 100% of links you have built will not likely be as good as producing something viral or popular link bait. So, the old strategy still works well and always will. You can't fake that.. People have been manipulating search engines for years.. there has always been money in it and the big boom recently is mainly due to Google making such a good search tool and content network. I just saw a site the other day that got a cease and desist order from a big name corporation, it was on a popular tech site, and now they outrank some MAJOR players on their keyword. So.. to say that is dead is absolutely ludicrous. Google will reward you for natural links, always have, always will.
The real issue I see is that people are not building REAL links as much as they used to.. micro-blogging sites like Twitter and Facebook are where the majority of your "props" or "shout outs" are now.. so if people aren't giving out "real links" then what? Maybe one day Google's index will be determined by citations.. who knows. Google is on top of it, and if they aren't, someone else will be.
Google will simply devalue any link they deem manipulative. Period. Quote: Originally Posted by BradCallen If people aren't giving out "real links" then what? Webmasters will rarely give out real natural links to another just like that without asking something in exchange and most of them will try to sell it.
The average visitors bookmarking a site in social network like Twitter, Facebook, etc The owner account of Twitter, Facebook, etc will be indexed for his tittle, period! They are nofollow links and will not give you the privilege to count as backlinks.
We can talk about sponsored links vs. natural Links, unfortunately natural links are not the majority anymore, because everyone is trying to make a few bucks on internet.
As far as an online store you will have rarely natural links, because nobody is going to link to your page products.
Is the death of natural links? No, but will remain a small part. I am sure there is not any other way better than backlinks for ranking results. I am sure about it and if Google wants to determine backlinks less important on ranking results it will be return to current position after some months. People started to sell links on their websites and blogs that leads to a non quality contents. Search engines should take a step in this regard otherwise websites will be full of spammy material. Quote: Originally Posted by jamshed_11946 People started to sell links on their websites and blogs that leads to a non quality contents. Search engines should take a step in this regard otherwise websites will be full of spammy material. You can see most search engines looking like Christmas tree full of ads.
Don't forget that internet was mainly successful because people did not see ads everywhere they go, now it is almost impossible because the big corporations see an opportunity to make money, then "people say to themselve why not me?"
There are hardly any sites left that don't have advertising. Don't get me wrong everybody needs to make a living, but sometime it is too much. Quote: Originally Posted by Natural Elements You can see most search engines looking like Christmas tree full of ads.
Don't forget that internet was mainly successful because people did not see ads everywhere they go, now it is almost impossible because the big corporations see an opportunity to make money, then "people say to themselve why not me?"
There are hardly any sites left that don't have advertising. Don't get me wrong everybody needs to make a living, but sometime it is too much. definitely! The way Google collects information and serves ads it's really amazing and people no longer mind giving up their private data as a result. The real industry to watch is not SEO, but rather "new media" in my opinion. Quote: Originally Posted by BradCallen definitely! The way Google collects information and serves ads it's really amazing and people no longer mind giving up their private data as a result. The real industry to watch is not SEO, but rather "new media" in my opinion. SEO will be less important in the future I agree with you, because when search engines disvalue internal links, buying links, long tail keywords, sponsors links, directories links to fight spammers, what is left? Natural links? So we will not have a lot of them lol
The way search engines push e-commerce to advertise on their sponsors listing will not fly for two reasons:
1) Many e-commerce will not suscribe in the casino sponsor advertising system because they cannot afford that, or because the market trend will not let the e-commerce to have enough marging to afford skyrocket ad prices
2) If the search engines are too greedy for their PPC (that's what happen right now), plus the higher tax business fees and high cost shipping will not make internet more affordable than brick and mortar businesses.
People buy from internet to get better deals or find what they can't locally. But we all know there is a limit of what people can afford these days. We are all on tight budget, and squeezing even more small business online will have certainly a negative impact.
So why removing the e-commerce tools? Anyboby cannot work without tools...