Google new algorithm - negative penalties

[Alminc]

I found this statement about new negative penalties on several websites
dedicated to seo.

Negative Penalties (for SEO purposes)

If you are using the social media for the sole purpose of boosting your rankings,
Google might penalise your website. Google will not penalise your website if you

are using these channels for normal activities.

• Forums
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Directory Themes
• Article Submissions
• Blogs
• Too much 1 to 1 Link Exchange
• Paid Links
• FFA's (Free for all back links)

As I understand this statement, building links through forums, blogs and
article direcories could damage our rankings. That's exactly how most
of us are building backlinks (forum posting, blog networks, article
submissions etc.)

Does that mean that if we use blog networks (such as Linkvanna, BMR, etc),
mass submit articles to article directories or do extensive forum posting
for seo purposes, that google will penalise our sites?

If it is so, what on earth can we do instead?

.

[agravity]

Just stick to basics when you are confused.

[Aryan]

Any link to where you got this?

[logoonlinepros1]

Can penalize on putting anchor links on comments box of the other websites or blog.

[allsystems]

i would like to see the link where this info came from,someone on here posted a few days ago that the new google algo encourages social netweorks/bookmarks,guest blogging etc. In your post you say that we WILL NOT BE PENALISED for using the forums,blogs etc,then you say what should we do if DONT use the forums,blogs etc. IS this a typo,please reread your post and confirm what you mean and also post the link to this info

[markowe]

This is just more speculation - there is plenty of it out there already, simiraly unsubstantiated.

I mean this is like 'My auntie saw a ghost, so what do we do NOW?!" - we have no facts to go on, there's nothing to discuss.

Don't worry about it, we'll find out what's going on sooner or later. Maybe Google wants quality sites in its index and wants to fight link spamming. So we'll all be fine, right?

[newmooon]

Originally Posted by Alminc

I found this statement about new negative penalties on several websites
dedicated to seo.

Negative Penalties (for SEO purposes)

If you are using the social media for the sole purpose of boosting your rankings,
Google might penalise your website. Google will not penalise your website if you

are using these channels for normal activities.

• Forums
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Directory Themes
• Article Submissions
• Blogs
• Too much 1 to 1 Link Exchange
• Paid Links
• FFA's (Free for all back links)

As I understand this statement, building links through forums, blogs and
article direcories could damage our rankings. That's exactly how most
of us are building backlinks (forum posting, blog networks, article
submissions etc.)

Does that mean that if we use blog networks (such as Linkvanna, BMR, etc),
mass submit articles to article directories or do extensive forum posting
for seo purposes, that google will penalise our sites?

If it is so, what on earth can we do instead?

.

If google do so then we will be in a great danger. What all of you guys say? Then how can we make our website popular?

[dellingter]

seo basic work is directory submission forum posting articles submission blog comments social bookmarking if google not allow us to do this then all seo company going to close..i dont think so google penalise our site... does not make sense.you got a wrong information

[allsystems]

i dont know,i havnt really ever read matt cutss saying specifically to make backlinks in a certain way,he always just says make quality links. I still want to see where the OP got this info from

[muftdagyan]

Don't worry it just means that if you abuse social platform by not providing something worthy and just filling spaces with your links.
it doesn't mean that links from forum will make your site ranked less in search engine.

[nimmysnv]

Originally Posted by logoonlinepros1

Can penalize on putting anchor links on comments box of the other websites or blog.

I dont really think so. I mean in many blogs you will definitely find some links to the comment box and there is no harm in putting in the links. If a website/blog allowing you to add anchor text links than there is no problem in putting.

[SEOChief]

Great question, makes me think of statements that I make which equal thoughts like as Google goes so goes the Web. However, I do not believe that one should approach their marketing efforts in this way. Would you invest in just one area for financial prosperity? Not likely. Thus putting all your eggs in one basket within online marketing is also not recommended.

Instead... do your best to build naturally with all your projects and you should be okay. Google as other search engines (and humans too) simply want to give their readers the best content possible. If you focus on that within your work you will succeed in organica rankings as well as other areas.

[Nic Oliver]

There are lies, damned lies, statistics and SEO rumours, in descending order of veracity!

[Mike Anthony]

Originally Posted by Alminc

• Forums
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Directory Themes
• Article Submissions
• Blogs
• Too much 1 to 1 Link Exchange
• Paid Links
• FFA's (Free for all back links)

Unless these SEO sites link to a Google source they are merely speculating or reporting their findings . My understanding is some new algos ARE in the process of being rolled out but its too early to have hard facts about it.

Somethings on that list look offf. Google is not going to penalize any link . Disregard it or lower its importance maybe. Blogs? Google can;t penalize blogs maybe comments but I've yet to see that.

Paid links, FFAs, 1 to 1l links are old stuff not something new.

Of the entire list the only one I am inclined a bit to believe is Article directories. its pretty well known that they are not what they used to be. So much spun content garbage articles are thrown at some of the directories that you can barely find a good article on the whole site. No hard evidence but I wouldn't be surprised if google puts a few of the directories under the gun in terms of devaluing their importance.

[KristofferIM]

You can do all of the above. Just make sure you are PROVIDING VALUE to the internet while doing it and you'll be fine. It's that simple.

[bay37]

Google is not going to penalize you for building links. They can devalue some types of links, that's it.

[cashonly]

Do you have a link that says this is going on?

[Matt Ward]

Wow, thanks for the heads up! I guess this means those automated submission programs (Scrapebox, Article Marketing Demon) have gone from backlinking tools to weapons of mass destruction against your SEO competition.

[MarkPereira]

You can never have negative penalties for external links, at best Google will ignore those links. If Google started penalizing sites for external links it would be so easy to get high-ranking websites of your competitors penalized.

[bertyounger]

The sky is falling, the sky is falling! More misreading of the Google tea leaves and boy don't they encourage it. I just love it!

[cooler1]

Originally Posted by MarkPereira

You can never have negative penalties for external links, at best Google will ignore those links. If Google started penalizing sites for external links it would be so easy to get high-ranking websites of your competitors penalized.

What about the case with JCPenny getting slapped for the BH backlinking methods?

[allsystems]

Originally Posted by cooler1

What about the case with JCPenny getting slapped for the BH backlinking methods?

different point,JCPEnny is a HUGE comapny,when most of the fellas here say we will not be penalized for making backlinks we are talking about our own eprsonal websites. JCPEnny was brought to the attention of google and only then did google react. Also the link on JCPenny were so blatantly blackhat that even a newbie could tell something was wrong,there were new websites with only the JCPenny links, I firmly believe that if you post your links on websites/blogs/whatever and the OBL is less than 100 and the page is broadly related or even related to your niche,this is not crucuial as long as you dont make too many unrealted links we will be fine. Dont stress yourself too much. I also have come to the conslusion that whereever the OP got the original info from Its not to be believed,there should be some source such as google etc and alstly the list of forums,articles,blogs etc mentioned in the post,at the moment these are the ONLY (kindof there are a few more) links that we can make. Lastly as long as we keep to the basics we will be fine

[Aryan]

Originally Posted by cooler1

What about the case with JCPenny getting slapped for the BH backlinking methods?

JCPenny was screwed after manual checking. Its not the algorithm. Funnily the algorithm ranked Jcpenny very high.. In other words, Big G's algorithm still supports manipulated links!

[allsystems]

Originally Posted by Aryan

JCPenny was screwed after manual checking. Its not the algorithm. Funnily the algorithm ranked Jcpenny very high.. In other words, Big G's algorithm still supports manipulated links!

Also wanted to say if we make backlinks to our backlinks using these methods we should be fine

[Alminc]

Here is one of the websites where I found this statement:
Google's New 2011 & 2010 Algorithm Revealed at White Hat Works

There were a couple more sites with almost identical article.

I don't understand the difference between penalizing and devaluing
links, but neither is good.

If google thinks that we have too many links built through article
directories, blog networks and forums maybe all those links will
be devalued and maybe we will lose rankings. Who knows what
they mean by 'abuse'.

I really do hope it won't happen since those are standard link
building techniques for most of us.

[kangen]

Originally Posted by dellingter

seo basic work is directory submission forum posting articles submission blog comments social bookmarking if google not allow us to do this then all seo company going to close..i dont think so google penalise our site... does not make sense.you got a wrong information

This is the same thing i wanted to say, totally agree to you

[SFitzpatrick]

Doesn't this; "are using these channels for normal activities" mean if you do any or all of the listed activities for NORMAL activities then you won't be penalized.

normal activity could be defined as common business practices right?

[Bragah]

Dude they caught JCPenny for paid links when they had alexa rank 600 with millions and millions of traffic.
Do you think they gonna penalize blogs with 100-200 visitors a day for very less to none Grey Hat methods ?

You`re asking way too much from Google.

[Tina Golden]

Just how is Google supposed to distinguish our activities from "normal activities"?

And another SEO myth begins...

Tina

[roley]

More empty scare tactics. Its simple if your using underhanded methods... google soon catches up. If you are using legit methods.. your fine

[NicolasSuccarieh]

If this were true (it is not), SEO will be easier. It will consist of spamming the social bookmarks sites, facebook, twitter and the like with competitors links

[Alminc]

Social bookmarking sites are spammed to death.

Web 2.0 sites and forums are spammed to death by profile links.

Article directories are spammed by mass submitters (crappy PLR content),
except for a handful directories that are effectively preventig that.

Blogs are spammed to death by comments.

I wouldn't be surprised if google set the value of those links to zero.

I don't know what to think about posting articles to blog networks.

[bouncingboy]

On article directories, you have to be comatose if you can't see there has been a recent crackdown to demand higher quality of articles and elimination of spam. Even high PR content mills like Demand and Suite are getting strict on what their writers can or can't produce. Google's human search program through Leapforce and Lionbridge are now evaluating article quality, presumably to fine-tune the next generation of bots that are going to read articles for human spun content on stuff that's already out there, which is not anymore useful than copy/paste from wikipedia.

I think everything on that list is going to be hit very hard by Google in the near future including blog networks like Linkvana. Blog networks are not known for their high quality NY Times worthy posts.

Down the road, I think that will eventually affect my own websites in a negative way as well. My websites are just rehashes of other websites.

[TZ]

Sorry - I know you are concerned, but do we HAVE to go to this silly place again.

IF THIS WAS THE CASE, your competition would use Xrumer or link to your site from bookmarking sites, blogs, etc. and spank your site down.

One of my blogs which has been PR5 for years now had someone try that and it didn't effect my ranking at all - never.

If you are really worried about it, go pure WHITE hat and write one article a week that is always between 800-2000 words long - it will take months, but your traffic will be rock solid.

[theseoguys]

So, before you made your list, you did not read the last sentence above the list.

Google will not penalise your website if you are using these channels for normal activities.

• Forums
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Directory Themes
• Article Submissions
• Blogs
• Too much 1 to 1 Link Exchange
• Paid Links
• FFA's (Free for all back links)

Anybody can make a list. Unless Google lays out that list, this one is just another good story.

[Bragah]

Originally Posted by theseoguys

So, before you made your list, you did not read the last sentence above the list.

Google will not penalise your website if you are using these channels for normal activities.

• Forums
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Directory Themes
• Article Submissions
• Blogs
• Too much 1 to 1 Link Exchange
• Paid Links
• FFA's (Free for all back links)

Anybody can make a list. Unless Google lays out that list, this one is just another good story.

Just a quick heads up for ya... Google hates SEO ... Remember that ...

SEO = Money Lost on Adwords ^^

They never gonna post anything like that ... Do tests and learn from mistakes... this is THE LIST

[bouncingboy]

The attack on low quality articles and content mills continue with this Google Chrome addon to block websites. It could be used as a signal to G's bots in the future.

The definition of "normal activities" is the key here too. I think low quality posts don't count as "normal activities."

[rcritchett]

I agree with a lot of the replies. It depends on what you're doing exactly. Anything that looks like consistent spamming is going to raise more of a flag than ever.

Alot of this talk cannot be substantiated quite yet, but some of it can. Like, the search algorithm tweak that took place between the 24th and the 28th of January (sometime in that week) that targets scraped content that is republished and knocks it down in rank so that the original publisher's content and website is being displayed first.

In some cases, depending on how much content is scraped on some of these sites, Google is slapping people with excessive amounts of republished and spammy content. I've been reading up on and engaging in the conversations with people talking directly with Google about these things...

A lot of this stuff we're hearing, is true.

Is it effecting everyone yet? Nope.

Is it effecting some people? Yep.

Will it effect us more in the future? Depends on what you're doing. They've become quite serious about quality content and have started taking definitive action against.. I don't know... low quality content.

As far as content farms go, they aren't taking direct action against content farms yet, but they are in the process of approaching that situation with algorithmic changes that either torch content farms completely or devalue the hell of out of them.

I went nuts on that one huh? I'm an SEO fanatic. Ultimately, like usual, stay under the radar if you're doing anything you think Google won't like (or is directly against guidelines) and you should be alright. Yes, they are making some shifts. We just have to watch them, analyze a bit and calibrate based on the moves they're making.

[Oranges]

Google stated that they will be penalizing blog comment links 2 years ago!
Guess what? they are still effective and i use them effectively to gain rankings.

Actually we don't have much options, in term of building backlinks. Where else you can build links except Blog comments, Forum profiles, Articles Submissions, Blog posts, paid site-wide links, Web 2.0 pages, Wikis, Social bookmarking, Video Submissions??

They say, backlinks should come naturally, and people link to your sites naturally when they can find your websites in top rankings, and how on earth you can rank your website without backlinks to be found naturally lol?

I'd say, stick to what you've been doing for backlinks, because these statements are just to confuse webmasters and to make their Algorithm difficult to find loop holes, that you can exploit, and luckily Backlinks are one of them.

[Alminc]

The purpose of my post was not asking anybody here for giving me
advices on what I should do or not.

The purpose od my post was to hear other peoples opinion about the
statement that I read. Like what do you think abot that , not about
what I should do
But I'm very polite person, so I'll say 'thank you anyway'

[cheekugames]

Nothing but rumors, keep building links from what ever source you are doing, just make sure you not do any bulk link building, like adding 10000 links and ping them the same day...

[SFitzpatrick]

Even if blog comments and forum comments are meaningless in terms of links, I just won a client from a forum I regularly contribute to which is going to give me $22,000 revenue over the next 4 months.

[archetype]

Originally Posted by SFitzpatrick

Even if blog comments and forum comments are meaningless in terms of links, I just won a client from a forum I regularly contribute to which is going to give me $22,000 revenue over the next 4 months.

People tend to forget that every link out there, whether it be do-follow, no-follow, high or low quality is an opportunity for someone to click and visit your site

[amoeba]

hii Alminc, i think you were spot on. but i want to add few points..
> ppl those are diversifying their link practices are still getting good results with web 2.0,forum profiles and directory subs..
> ppl who are still blindly spamming are dead.

anything too much is strictly no no