Sell Links, Drop PageRank

Filed in: Google, SEO Beginner — November 2nd, 2007

Over the past week, many webmasters and bloggers got hit by Google by decrease their websites’ PageRank. Many top blogs got slapped as well, such as Engadget.com, tuaw.com, Problogger.net, and CopyBlogger.com (the later two got their PageRank back).

Matt Cutts (head of Google’s Webspam team) confirmed that the PageRank update was a penalization against links selling that pass PageRank.

Malaysian blogs are not spared

A few of Malaysia top blogs got their PageRank decreased as well, such as 5xmom(PR5 to PR3), Sabahan(PR5 to PR3), and HongKiat(PR4 to PR2). [list stolen from BytesWired]

Remember, the two PR7 blogs in Malaysia? Zeo still maintains PR7 but his donation page dropped from PR6 to PR5. Ades, on the other hand, is not as lucky. His site lost the precious PR7 and become PR5.

Oh, my LiewCF Tech Blog also lost PR6. It dropped to PR4 from PR5, then climbed up to PR6, now PR5 again.

How to rescue your PageRank?

If you are an innocent victim of PageRank update who don’t sell links, you can “request reconsideration” on Google Webmaster Tools. Google may return your PageRank if your site follows Google’s quality guidelines.

Bye-bye Paid Links, or no?

Earlier this year, I blogged that Google dislikes paid links. We have been warned. Then, I did seriously consider to remove paid links on this blog but I didn’t do so in the end.

This time, I will remove all paid links on this blog. As a result, I need to make a refund to the clients and losing hundreds bucks(USD) of extra income. There goes my dedicated server monthly hosting fee~ Well, if I still want to be in the game, I would better follows the game rules.

However, there are bloggers like Ades and 5xmom who decided to keep paid links and paid posts. They are confident that their sites can live without the Google PageRank.

Do you keep or dump paid links?

Related book: The SEO Book

google, pagerank, search engine, seo

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http://aronwong.blogspot.com/ aron wong

hello!! like ur blog very much!! n just wanna thank u for sharing alot of good ideas!! enjoy ur weekend!! n wish ur page rank will up soon! cheers!!! anyway i am new to this blogging world!! still along long way to go…. heheeh
http://aronwong.blogspot.com/ aron wong

hello!! like ur blog very much!! n just wanna thank u for sharing alot of good ideas!! enjoy ur weekend!! n wish ur page rank will up soon! cheers!!! anyway i am new to this blogging world!! still along long way to go…. heheeh
http://www.onlinemarketerz.com/ Zaiful Zin

I dont care about PR anymore even though MY PR rank up from 2 to 3 and its nothing big effect to my traffic.Ive seem many niche blog out there at PR0 still can rank higher in SERP. For me the more important is how much and fast google will index my site especially after finished updated my blog and how much traffic i can generate from that.

Just FYI, since Ive join 3 waylinks by jonathan legger(you can view my post for that) and all of site from 3waylink network seems doesnt effect by new google PR updates. From their forum, all has reported that their site gained new higher PR then previous.

What im thinking right now is either its possible for us to build 3 waylink link building manually without cost a single penny?

p/s Note if you visit my post about 3 waylink the analysis done only for google malaysia(google.com.my) and i will update how about my position in google.com
http://www.onlinemarketerz.com Zaiful Zin

I dont care about PR anymore even though MY PR rank up from 2 to 3 and its nothing big effect to my traffic.Ive seem many niche blog out there at PR0 still can rank higher in SERP. For me the more important is how much and fast google will index my site especially after finished updated my blog and how much traffic i can generate from that.

Just FYI, since Ive join 3 waylinks by jonathan legger(you can view my post for that) and all of site from 3waylink network seems doesnt effect by new google PR updates. From their forum, all has reported that their site gained new higher PR then previous.

What im thinking right now is either its possible for us to build 3 waylink link building manually without cost a single penny?

p/s Note if you visit my post about 3 waylink the analysis done only for google malaysia(google.com.my) and i will update how about my position in google.com
http://sweetsurrender.99.com.my/ Irene

I’m so lucky… My blogs maintained at PR3 and PR2, the rest from N/A to PR2 and another still stuck at N/A. None of them drop. Actually one of them did drop from PR2 to PR1 but check back few days later, it got back to PR2. I’m doing paid posts and sell links for all of them except one I recently started which originally has a PR3 Phew.. lucky lucky but I’ll be taking measures to no-follow those paid post links that are more than 6 months old soon, provided if I’m in the mood to do it. Losing PR really a big ego hahaha…
http://sweetsurrender.99.com.my Irene

I’m so lucky… My blogs maintained at PR3 and PR2, the rest from N/A to PR2 and another still stuck at N/A. None of them drop. Actually one of them did drop from PR2 to PR1 but check back few days later, it got back to PR2. I’m doing paid posts and sell links for all of them except one I recently started which originally has a PR3 Phew.. lucky lucky but I’ll be taking measures to no-follow those paid post links that are more than 6 months old soon, provided if I’m in the mood to do it. Losing PR really a big ego hahaha…
http://ok-lah.blogspot.com/ Adam

2 of my best earnign blogs dropped by a point each but this was more or less offset by the PR climb on the rest of my blogs. My oldest blog is now PR 5 and my earnings did jump up.
http://ok-lah.blogspot.com Adam

2 of my best earnign blogs dropped by a point each but this was more or less offset by the PR climb on the rest of my blogs. My oldest blog is now PR 5 and my earnings did jump up.
Khairy

you guys are lucky to lose some pagerank, but still getting traffic from google.

3 of my websites are gone for good ! no more traffic from google, instantly after the pagerank update. 3 of them use to have PR6,5,4 but now all makan telur (zero). FYI, i manage to sell 28 paid links and write paid post like crazy to earn my living full time from internet, and now just because somebody go and report this activity to google (highly suspected), all my websites get banned !

and now i can’t barely survive with my current traffic, i’m stuck !

seriously, better play by the rules … don’t end up like my situation .. this really caught me red handed.

it’s sad that i need to look for a day job, still got mouth to feed ….
Khairy

you guys are lucky to lose some pagerank, but still getting traffic from google.

3 of my websites are gone for good ! no more traffic from google, instantly after the pagerank update. 3 of them use to have PR6,5,4 but now all makan telur (zero). FYI, i manage to sell 28 paid links and write paid post like crazy to earn my living full time from internet, and now just because somebody go and report this activity to google (highly suspected), all my websites get banned !

and now i can’t barely survive with my current traffic, i’m stuck !

seriously, better play by the rules … don’t end up like my situation .. this really caught me red handed.

it’s sad that i need to look for a day job, still got mouth to feed ….
LcF

@Khairy: that’s sad case. paid links and paid posts are the easy ways to make money online but search engines dislike them.

If a site is depends on search engine traffic, better stay away from the paid links/posts.

Wish you luck, Khairy!
LcF

@Khairy: that’s sad case. paid links and paid posts are the easy ways to make money online but search engines dislike them.

If a site is depends on search engine traffic, better stay away from the paid links/posts.

Wish you luck, Khairy!
http://www.andrewooi.com/ Andrew Ooi

Khairi, that’s the scariest thought of all for all bloggers making a living from online revenues. It’s easy to say ‘don’t depend on Google’ but there are so many websites that depend on the big G for traffic.

I guess I’m lucky enough because I’m too small and don’t get much traffic from Google. I make money from having multiple small websites.
http://www.andrewooi.com Andrew Ooi

Khairi, that’s the scariest thought of all for all bloggers making a living from online revenues. It’s easy to say ‘don’t depend on Google’ but there are so many websites that depend on the big G for traffic.

I guess I’m lucky enough because I’m too small and don’t get much traffic from Google. I make money from having multiple small websites.
http://pinktwilight.uni.cc/ Khayte

Gawd, mine had gone to N/A too, I hate the fact that they have to reduce our PR’s just because we monetize our blogs. What’s the catch anyway? They do the same thing, too I guess on their ‘other’ websites perhaps. Damnn, it makes me go all crazy. –,
http://pinktwilight.uni.cc Khayte

Gawd, mine had gone to N/A too, I hate the fact that they have to reduce our PR’s just because we monetize our blogs. What’s the catch anyway? They do the same thing, too I guess on their ‘other’ websites perhaps. Damnn, it makes me go all crazy. –,
http://www.canong9.net/ canon g9

thank for interesting information
http://www.canong9.net canon g9

thank for interesting information
http://www.canong9.net/ canon g9

from online revenues. It’s easy to say ‘don’t depend on Google’ but there are so many websites that depend on the big G for traffic.

I guess I’m lucky enough because I’m too small and don’t get much traffic from Google. I make money from having multiple small websites.
http://www.canong9.net canon g9

from online revenues. It’s easy to say ‘don’t depend on Google’ but there are so many websites that depend on the big G for traffic.

I guess I’m lucky enough because I’m too small and don’t get much traffic from Google. I make money from having multiple small websites.
http://www.greenliveforever.com/ Irene

My blog history.
First time go to 0, next to 1 then go to 3
Recent updated X pagerank
Suck !
http://www.greenliveforever.com Irene

My blog history.
First time go to 0, next to 1 then go to 3
Recent updated X pagerank
Suck !
http://johanfirdaus.zo-ka01.com/ Johan Firdaus

Just a few day ago, my page rank drop from 3 to 2, i dont know that selling link could make your pagerank drop

Well. its not it really matter anymore coz i dont really pursuing pagerank, i just blog for fun, if people came and read it good, but if no one read it, its still ok

doesn’t matter anyway

Thanks for the info anyway
http://johanfirdaus.zo-ka01.com/ Johan Firdaus

Just a few day ago, my page rank drop from 3 to 2, i dont know that selling link could make your pagerank drop

Well. its not it really matter anymore coz i dont really pursuing pagerank, i just blog for fun, if people came and read it good, but if no one read it, its still ok

doesn’t matter anyway

Thanks for the info anyway