Does Google Still Like EzineArticles and other such sites?

That's for sure.

That's for sure, too.

I think it's actually what we call over here "polite, British understatment": the reality is that (just like every other article directory on the web) Ezine Articles has not been worth submitting to for the last two years, unless you were using it solely as a stepping-stone to potential syndication. But hey ... that is the reason for which article directories exist in the first place, so it's not a great surprise.

Not everyone agrees with my figure of "2 years", to be honest. And it's less than one year since so many article directories themselves (including EZA) started commenting publicly about all their "disappeared traffic and rankings".

For article marketers, of course (as opposed to "article directory marketers"), this was and is all hugely beneficial, not only because it's so much easier for us to rank our own sites without article directory articles appearing on the front pages of the SERP's, but also because it reduces (almost to zero) the risk of our potential customers putting one of our keywords into Google and finding the EZA copy (we all lose most of that traffic) rather than the copy originally published and indexed on our own sites.

And as for the "Web 2.0" sites like Squidoo, Hub, and so on ... how they rank isn't really too relevant to anyone who wants to own their own site and control their own business, free from unnecessary third parties' ever-changing terms of service and their inconsistent and idiosyncratic interpretations of them. :p

I used to use such sites as part of my backlinking strategy, but (very beneficially) gave that up long ago. They give you nothing that you can't get free of charge elsewhere, with far more safety and security and without any of their problems/worries.

As mentioned above, Squidoo, in particular, was hit well before the Panda, not so much by it.

It was not the sites that got hit, but the trash on them.

HUGE difference, but people mistake it for "the site."

Paul

heheh i see you have been pretty much ignored in this post too

keep checking this post i just made, should hopefully help you out

http://www.warriorforum.com/adsense-...ity-links.html

The problem with most article directories out there is accepting duplicate content. Although Ezine Article were really hammered during the Panda update, but they are cleaning up their act to get back on track.

It's still a good idea to submit articles to article directories. Providing the content you submit is fresh and not a duplicate of what appears on your website. Duplicate content is a recipe for search engine penalty. Unfortunately, this is where many online marketers go wrong!

It's certainly not easy to rank high on the search engines and it usually takes time. But it's best to do it properly following the rules, even if it takes time to get there. Rather than cut corners for short term results and get heavily penalised in the long run.

I don't think ezinearticles get affected of google panda..since they are very strict article directory which only publish unique content..And i still see many articles of ezinearticles on top SERP..

The good thing about article directories seem that the content can be republished so if someone has submitted the similar article to 6 or 7 article directories like EZA, AD, AB, SA, GO-A, etc there are great chances of traffic that could be backlinked to one's websites.

1- No matter what happens, the fact holds prime importance that articles viewed by maximum number of readers and if you wish me to add that number of people that goes beyond half the million at least. So what does matter is our traffic always, when it is effected by more humans, considered more reliable then any other thing.

2- Does Google Panda knocks off all of the article directories? I would say "No, Not" on the basis of experience.

3- When we talk about web 2.0 pages like squidoo, hubpages or webs etc; they have limitations, it took me days to get my first post approved by squidoo; i dont know what "I should have done/posted that I had not posted before". as their rules are like.

4- When we are talking about article directories that means we are talking about free traffic and our website's free indexing and promotion. So, in my personal view, it is better to have something than nothing.

5- Google Algorithm does not work on the principal of likeness it is automated. So if any of the website that might be article directory or simple blog if it does not fulfill requirements does not get anything. It is not about something in particular instead it is about everything in general.
Regards
Avy