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[Dan]

Danny Sullivan, basically articulating the entire web's frustration with the whole link building idea.

The problem, somewhat created by Google, and now controlled by them through updates which decide what particular links are worth, is highlighted in a very funny way.

Link building is difficult. Let's all face it and have a good laugh

Danny's Rant: http://www.websimple.com/blog/danny-...inks-rant.html

[YMC]

Oh, he so only scratched the surface of my frustration and confusion level.

I can remember when the web was young. The search technology was virtually non-existent. Links were virtually the only way to find sites. People traveled the web from site to site. Alta Vista and Yahoo might get you started but to find the really good stuff you relied on what now have become downgraded to link farms but where in actuality an early form of niche directories.

Then came Google and people began to realize that they could make money on this thing called the Internet.

First we were told to get links.

So we started getting links anyway we could. It quickly became a game of he who has the most links wins.

Then Google decided they didn't like cloaked links and a number of other things that were given the name "Black Hat."

Then those of us who never used cloaked links in the first place watched our competitors who did outrank us. Sure they eventually got penalized but until they did they made money at our expense.

Then Google decided they didn't like link farms.

Probably the beginning of the end of Geocities and those early link lists that allowed us to find things online.

Again, the people following the rules watched as sites who did what Google said not to outranked us.

Then Google said that page rank scores were used in the rankings.

We all chased PR for a while.

Google said don't buy links for PR.

Again, those who stopped chasing PR, fell in the rankings. Some who chased PR were penalized and others continued to make money.

Then came "nofollow", no networks, no this no that. Links contained in the body copy of blogs must be paid therefore all should be nofollow otherwise it will be assumed they were paid for and an attempt to gain PR.

Many scurried to comply. Others ignored the latest rounds of "Thou Shalt Not". Meanwhile the "white hat" folks like me watched as the black and grey hats continued to make money and rank higher.

Then came the 2007 directory purge.

Then footer links and sponsored templates for directories are bad. Footer links and sponsored templates for blogs seem OK.

Then came Panda.

All the while Google kept saying backlinks can't hurt you because someone else could be getting them to your site.

Footer links on templates are deemed evil.

Again, G continued to say backlinks can't hurt you.

Then came Penguin.

Now all of a sudden G says, well certain backlinks can hurt you and site owners need to get rid of them even if you weren't the one who obtained them. But, remember link building will continue to be a key component of SEO and your search engine rankings.


As with all of the other Thou Shalt Not edicts some people get penalized and others continue to flourish. Those of us who have tried to follow them are left to wallow somewhere in the middle.

We continue to be told content is king but in reality backlinks are king and I often feel like quality content is left to the court jester or resident fool.



I'm tired. I'm confused. I don't know how the heck I'm supposed to get backlinks anymore and I keep asking myself how in the hell we got here.

[BobP]

While in my mind's delusions Realitist dot com is a high quality directory G doesn't think so, but bing does so I pay more attention to bing then G these days.

Though I will say PR goes a long way in how much one can charge for a review and how often you will be asked to do one.

My other sites vary in quality. I like to buy a site or script and then add to it rather then build from scratch.

My seo formula is to hand submit to PR-1 and higher. Pay for a few higher PR-5/6 reviews for quick quality back links. Pay for about 3,000 bulk submits, though only to directories not classiffieds or blogs. This works better if one does some categories homework making it easy for the bulk submmitter. Out source a squid if the site meets their rules. Buy 100 social book marks, enough to be picked up quick while flying under the radar of G looking for the big buyers black hat . Bulk submit the site to remaining search engines (avoid the worst), except for hand submits to B and G, Jayde, Scrub the Web and Gigablast. Search for the site title or key words daily on b and g and visit the site for at least 3 minutes clicking through from the search. If/when the search instead finds the rss feed page or privacy page instead of home, click to home as the page loads, resubmit in a week if this nonsense continues. Make sure site isn't tripping morality filter. Do site searches while signed out or b and g will customize results only for you making your place in the faked serps meaningless.

Budget to promote a new site, about $120. Does it work, yes.

BobP

[ModCars]

Yeah, YMC I know how it feels. I'm not sure Google knows what it wants anymore

[James Donovan]

The life of link building strategy is near to end now. Google is preferring its other ways and tricks. Moreover only relevant niche links are there to be considered, else your site is there to be penalized.