Paid Links – How Google determines the Paid Link

Google head of search spam Matt Cutts released a reasonably careful video discussing the Google webspam team’s criteria for deciding whether or not a link is taken into account a paid link or not.

There are 5 basic criteria Google uses during this determination. The primary is that the most evident, is that the link a particular link for sale; then, the others area unit less obvious. The others include: however shut is that the price to cash, is it a present or a loan, what's the intent of the audience and is it a surprise or not.

Links that are expressly sold for cash are the foremost obvious. A webmaster sells a link to a different webmaster in exchange for a particular dollar payment. That’s clearly a paid link, and Matt Cutts said that's the foremost common paid link example, by far.

The next determination Google uses is to ascertain however close that is the price to cash. For instance, a present card is pretty near cash therein it usual will be is may be often changed for a dollar price. However if you provide somebody a free pen that's valued at $1, the possibilities are that the worth of that $1 pen won’t influence the user. However, a free brew or free trial to software is a smaller amount price to users than a $600 gift card.

If you provide somebody a laptop versus disposition them a portable computer or gift somebody a automotive versus loaning them a car, those are vast distinctions. Often, corporations can loan a school reviewer a tool or automotive or one thing so as for them to properly review the item. However if you provide them the item forever and not raise them to come back it, that's nearer to a paid link then a loan.

When conferences expose stuff, the intent of the audience is commonly to not link to the conference as a many thanks. For instance, once you attend a Sales Force conference and acquire a free trial of the computer code, that's usually not in exchange for a link. Additionally, once Google provides away a free Nexus seven, the intent isn't concerning links however concerning developers functioning on apps for the device. However if you expose laptops at events and expect bloggers to link to you in exchange, that's a nasty intent.

The final criteria is would the newsperson or blogger be surprised? For instance, if you're a picture show blogger and you're given free access to a picture show to review, that will not surprise the blogger. However if you're given a free car or laptop in exchange for writing concerning it, that will be a surprise.