The Paradox of the Paid Links Debate
Li Evans collects the thoughts of 10 search marketers about paid links and the current debate that went full tilt with recent posts on the subject from Google’s Matt Cutts.
It’s a good read, and leaves me with two paradoxical thoughts:
1. As the replies show, this is not a cut-and-dry issue. Opinions vary, but there’s a strong leaning toward the “Buying links is fine as a form of advertising. Don’t do it / count on it for SEO/ranking purposes.” And I agree with that; that’s exactly what I tell clients. But…
2. Reality: He who buys the most links without getting caught wins. That’s what I see when I look at moderately competitive SERPs these days.
Sigh……
New readers are welcome to see my previous thoughts on the discussion:
- Google Has No Clue Which Links are Paid (and which aren’t)
- If I Were Google, Here’s What I’d Do About Paid Links
