A question that still comes up for us often is the issue of whether or not to have paid links for your website. In the day, i.e. the late 1990's and early 2000's, paid links were a way to be able to add traffic to your website, as well as increase ranking with search engines. In most respects today, those glory days are gone.
Part of the problem has always been the issue of verification. How can you know that the paid links are actually helping? In the business, we often perform correlation testing to try to determine is adding the links was better than not adding them. It sounds easy enough, but that was not always the case. In fact, it could often be hard to find any kind of correlation between increased rankings and adding paid links.
Another issue is that Google, Yahoo, and Bing started "dinging" your scores for having paid links. Part of the issue was that people were allowing any kind of paid link to their site. If you sold shoes on the Internet, why would you need a link to the top selling power tool site?
The links often tended to frustrate end users as well. People want to find answers and information quickly. No one is going to spend time clicking through 100 links, trying to find one relevant link.
Paid links for your website are not always helpful. If you are going to use paid links, it is better to do banner ads with a link. At least that way, you might get the traffic you desire.
That's my take on it,
Johnny Smoes
SEO Experts Australia
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Very useful info, thanks
ReplyDeletePaid links can be very frustrating and I'm not convinced they really worked. Banner ads is a better option I agree.
ReplyDeleteI personally think paid links serve a purpose. You say it can be hard to prove if links are really helping but since I started to use these on my website there’s been a notable difference that anyone can see… even without analytics or statistics. But you’re right about keeping them relevant, otherwise what’s the point?
ReplyDeleteSara – if there are no statistics, how do you know that paid links are really making a difference? And what difference are they making? More traffic, more comments, more money – all of these have several contributing factors, you can’t say for sure it’s the paid links…
ReplyDeleteWhat’s the point of paid links? 99% of the time there just irrelevant and annoying – i cant see why anyone would click on them deliverately and give the advertiser any money at all
ReplyDelete*deliberately
ReplyDeleteI don’t use any paid links and my website’s doing fine thanks very much
ReplyDeleteWell if Taylor says it is okay then nobody needs to used paid links. Thanks for such a statistical insight!
ReplyDelete"In the day, paid links were a way to be able to add traffic to your website, as well as increase ranking with search engines... those glory days are gone." Too true, things are a bit more difficult now
ReplyDeleteSo paid links don't add to your SEO now... (looking at quote in comment about)... why not?
ReplyDelete*Not about, above
ReplyDelete“Another issue is that Google, Yahoo, and Bing started “dinging” your scores for having paid links.” WHAT?
ReplyDeleteDinging is essentially a slap on the wrist - it could be anything from lowering your ranking to banning your site from appearing on its searches (and its ads appearing on your site). Basically, something to be avoided
ReplyDeleteSaw this posted as comment on other blog: "make sure the amount of visitors you’re getting are paying your money spent on buying links on other websites." good advice
ReplyDeleteThanks Clive for that explanation - always wondered what dinging was.
ReplyDeleteIf you sold shoes on the Internet, why would you need a link to the top selling power tool site? - too true
ReplyDeleteHave never and will never use paid links whats the point?
ReplyDeletebanner ads with a link, thats the answer yes
ReplyDeleteAh, the glory days of paid links. When the days were hotter and people were much more polite...
ReplyDelete