Oct 09
PR Finally Updating AND Ad Tracker – Ethical or EVIL?
Once again, it seems like Page Rank is making its way back into our daily conversations.
Lots of my readers have been saying lately that they’re seeing some changing values for their PR, with most saying that their PR has actually dropped.
Does this mean that the heralded PR update is finally making its way through the blogosphere or are people just getting penalized?
Is An Update Happening?
It would seem as if an update of SOME kind is happening. Just comparing the PRs I recorded for sites in this month’s Blog Earnings Report compared to the month before, you can see at least one change – Apexad’s site dropping from PR5 to 4. And others like Opal T have also said that they’re seeing some change on their sites too.
Hopefully I also will be saying soon that I see a change. (And I’m thinking that when since I’m already a PR1 – the big G wouldn’t be so cruel as to drop me to PR 0).
If I had noticed or heard of anyone’s PR going up, I’d probably be able to chalk the changing PR to that elusive update we’ve all been waiting for. But all I keep hearing is that PRs are going down.The other day I even received an e-mail from a fellow blogger saying that it appears Google has manually (I say “personally”) penalized his site for selling links by dropping his PR from 3 to a 2! How much does that suck?! I really hope it’s a fluctuation before his real PR hits because I know he has been really making some headway on his blog and this undoubtedly will stunt his marketing efforts.
Have you guys been seeing changing PR on your sites?
Did you hear that Google is getting rid of Page Rank for their new system called Page Rate!? I hadn’t either until I stumbled onto Ad Tracker’s post about the whole thing.Oops, did I forget to mention that the post was not true?
That’s right kids and it seems to be causing quite a ruckus in web development circles, but I’m sure it’s doing wonders for Ad Tracker’s site and certainly falls in line with what we talked about here on my They Cry Outrage (and Then They Comment) post where you challenge readers beliefs or something they hold dear, and watch everyone come out of the woodworks to say something.
BUT GET THIS!
On the same They Cry Outrage… post, Ad Tracker herself made comments about the subject which now strikes me as hilarious given her current situation!
LOL!!
“what if I were to one day to talk about bringing troops home from Iraq or why the US shouldn’t have an official language…â€
That sounds like evil on a John Chow level! I love it!
I have actually considered setting aside one day a week for controversial topics, I just haven’t had the guts yet.
Isn’t it fun to draw the lurkers out of hiding though?
Bush – That’s called “Provoking Thoughtful Interaction†and there’s nothing wrong with it. In fact I think it’s smart.
I try to do it on my blog. The difference is I try to use thoughtful introspection to promote reactions. That’s about the only method I could think of to stir the pot on my blog. I’ve kind of set the mold for a “nice-nice, feel-good†kind of place. If I made a post about politics or global warming (same thing?) I’m afraid the place would suffer a melt down. (A big pink, cotton-candy meltdown. That’s not a pretty image.)
So What do YOU Think?
Well it would seem that Ad Tracker has seen quite the opposite of “a big pink, cotton-candy meltdown”, but instead an explosion of traffic and links! Now in fairness, Ad Tracker put her post into a “Humor” category, but I think the tiny text was missed by most that linked to her. So is this post on par with “John Chow evilness”? I’m not sure how people view Ad Tracker’s website (in terms of seriousness), but if say ProBlogger or John Chow had a post like this, how would you view it? Ethical and Humorous? Or just a ploy for more links and traffic?
What do you think? PR Updates and that Ad Tracker post make me think that you guys will have a lot to say! Let’s hear it!
October 9th, 2007 at 11:49 am
I would look at it as a ploy to get more traffic than again I know quite a few people that create attention grabbing headlines to get traffic so no biggie…
Actually there have been a few sites that I’ve been reading that took a tumble to 0. I honestly don’t think Google cares if they yank someone down to 0 regardless of their rank.
It’s their game so they make the rules regardless if it is “fair” or not. If a person does not like the game (I don’t) they need to find other options (I have.)
October 9th, 2007 at 1:41 pm
Yeh, they’ve definitely penalized sites that are selling links and advertisements. Ironic since they themselves sell ads but I guess they can do whatever they want since it’s their search engine. I was just reading an article about it all a little bit ago and there was one site that dropped from a PR9 to a PR7. I wish I could say my PR dropped two spots but is still a 7 ;P Still that’s quite a drop.
Perhaps someone will have the gonads to file a class action lawsuit against Google. You can’t tell people not to do something and then do it yourselves.
Either way people will just have to use other means to determine the worth of a site when it comes to link and ad sales such as traffic and so on.
October 9th, 2007 at 1:48 pm
About a week ago I started writing a post about why pagerank hasn’t updated. Penalizing paid links was one of the reasons that I wrote why an update has taken so long. I published it this morning, and this fits right in.
I added a link to here from my post which I updated and dugg.
October 9th, 2007 at 4:23 pm
I’ve been hearing page rank stories all day! Every day (since about Friday) bloggers have been experiencing drops in rank. I haven’t heard of anyone having an increase yet. It’s scary… very… very scary!
October 9th, 2007 at 4:31 pm
@Opal T – I just think “Don’t hate the game…” ha ha ha (Couldn’t resist).
@Mike – A class action lawsuit against Google? Would this thing really fall into that category? I mean, honestly I don’t know. I’m not a lawyer or anything. And I think at this point, even if everybody on Earth got a part of that class action, Google makes so much money, they’d still be ok!
@GM – Thanks for the love GM. (And I’m still enamored by your blog’s look btw).
@Christy – No one has seen an increase!? That IS scary. It’s like watching the T-Virus sweep across Las Vegas or the Black Plague across Europe. Time to go to Canada where things make sense. (#);)
October 9th, 2007 at 5:00 pm
In this instance I do hate the game because they don’t play by their own rules not much of a game when they don’t follow their own rules, lol. I can honestly say that I’m not upset about the drop I stopped focusing on them a while ago but then you already know that. I do think eventually the double standard will come back and bite them it might take a while but I know I’m not the only one that has looked for other options.
I have to admit I was very surprised at some that are “clean” that got yanked. I figured I was since I do have one advertiser.
October 9th, 2007 at 5:01 pm
@Bush and yeah some are already talking about a lawsuit then again it might just be talk who knows…
October 9th, 2007 at 5:08 pm
Precisely why I dropped TLA after running them for only 24 hours. I had concerns regarding this, and emailed them so they could confirm or alleviate my fears. The one sentence email response from TLA:
“Google is a business just like TLA is a business, and I wouldn’t let any business tell me how to run my site.”
Well sir, since you admit you are the devil, kindly keep your money.
My site is geared toward private sponsorship anyway. Until the site takes off to where I can start wooing some sponsors, I have a combination of Adsense and affiliate ads that at least pay for the hosting.
October 9th, 2007 at 5:09 pm
After blogging for a while now I still don’t understand Page Rank completely.
I have quite a few links to my site but my traffic is low and I really doubt I will even get a Page Rank but….. if I did i’m not even sure where to check to see if I have gotten anything!
October 9th, 2007 at 5:16 pm
I personally think it sucks that Google penalizes sites that post sponsored ads and reviews. I love writing my sponsored posts, and not just because of the extra money it brings in. I’ve been waiting 6 months for my sites to update, and have come to the conclusion that it’s never going to happen. But, that’s ok too. I’m just not going to worry about it anymore. I will continue to write for myself, and for my readers. I have nothing personal against Google, but I’ll end up with an ulcer if I keep worrying about it.
October 9th, 2007 at 6:45 pm
Maybe after the penalization sweep they’ll do an update. Maybe not lol. What we really need, is a new and fair way of ranking sites that will be accepted by advertisers. Heh fair … sounds like a dream doesn’t it?
October 9th, 2007 at 9:26 pm
@Opal T – I read something tonight that made me think about your comment, I’ll probably post something about it manana so keep your eyes peeled!
@Forest – I hope people will chime in if they feel they need to but Page Rank is basically how important (on a scale of 1 to 10) your site is to Google. Google says you’re important by how many other websites say you are by way of a link to your site. Of course some votes count more than others so having important sites link to yours then makes yours important.
And there are various tools to check your PR on the net… One of the more popular is iWEBTOOL’s Page Rank Predictor If you’re interested in upping your PR, you gotta get those inbound links! (That’s rule #1)
@Christine – I think a lot of us are with you in terms of how you feel. If you take a look back at most of Opal’s comments, I think she sums things up very nicely.
And EVERYONE has been waiting for the update. Even though everyone’s PR seems to be going down right now, at least it looks like something is going on right? *shrugs*
@Brown – I think it IS a dream. Like I said to Opal T, I hope you come back manana and check out the post I have up. I found a great article that’s worth looking at. *nod*
October 9th, 2007 at 10:12 pm
OOOO OOO!!!! I’ve got an idea that would be alot more fair than the mean old PageRank system!
What if every page had a widget on it so the reader could vote for or against the page?! Then they could leave a comment, positive or negative, about the page they just voted for or against!
And they could call it PageRate instead of Page Rank!
Somebody send this idea to Google, just be sure to remember you heard it hear 1st
October 9th, 2007 at 10:15 pm
It is a bit harsh when a company as supposedly cool as google can just wipe out the potential business of someone just by unleashing the bots. They make the rules, and give you the rank, then they change the rules to penalize you. As with every system, its the people that lose out in the end
October 9th, 2007 at 11:35 pm
@Ad Tracker – So first you get out of posting a pic of your “happy dance” and NO that Snoopy pictures doesn’t cut it and then this! What are we going to do with you!? (#);D
(BTW, that wink was only for “this” and not for getting out of the happy dance picture. I still don’t know how I feel about that one).
@Steve M – Yeah, it certainly be a rude awakening. (To put it lightly). Thankfully I don’t make enough money from Google (or anyone else currently) to have my livelyhood tied with PR, but it does make you think about not relying on ONE thing or ANOTHER right?
October 10th, 2007 at 7:09 am
I notice the drop of PR several days a go (whoever I checked, drop or same PR) and I posted in 45n5`s forum.
Google proved (by now, taking also some “things” from the past) is just another dinosaur with clay legs.
I have barely 3-4 sponsored post and all are aolder than 2-3 months. Before this “update” (drop from 2 to 1), amy prediction tool grant me a PR 3(from 2). Now, while is 1, predictions grant to my five4all a PR .. FIVE ! LOL ! this actualy may only prove how unreliable are prediction tools ..
For me, is odd – even if google will update PR and will give me PR 10, I`ll stil think they are only trying hard to “take over” the market, which makes me wonder if there is stil available any antitrust (anti- monopoly) law …
October 10th, 2007 at 7:19 am
This reminds me of an article I read somewhere with this quote in it,
In an interview posted on the Google blog, the founders of Google were asked if they were trying to take over the entire internet. Sergey Brin adamantly stated, “We absolutely are not trying to take over the internet!” Co-founder Larry Page interjected, “We don’t like to use the word ‘trying’.”
Is Google the new Microsoft?
October 10th, 2007 at 8:49 am
I know they, Google, make the rules, but I still don’t get how they can penalize someone for selling links. I understand how that can be abused, but not sure how they’re able to differentiate between abusive use and non-abusive.
October 10th, 2007 at 9:08 am
Because by their very nature paid links have no other purpose than to manipulate serps and pagerank, which undermines Google’s business.
October 10th, 2007 at 10:29 am
@Valentin – “I`ll stil think they are only trying hard to “take over†the market” Aren’t they THE MARKET already?
And I hear ya on PR predictors…But I don’t believe that the official PR update has taken place yet, just scattered penalties reducing visible PR. So we’ll have to see after everything shakes out how reliable the predictors are.
@Ad Tracker – I saw that on your post a day or two ago. And I don’t think so … But I guess it depends on how you’re talking about either. M$’s online presence is definitely nubbins compared to Google so in that sense, they’re not the same. On the grounds of “taking over the world”, maybe – Since the web is basically the “the world” now when speaking about computers. When Google starts heading over to desktop and laptop OS’s…that’s when M$ is really going to be fearful.
@Mark – That’s what I’m wondering too. I mean, what if I just put all my paid links under a H2 tag that says “Blogroll”? I mean, am I going to be penalized for my “Blogroll” now? Or maybe the penalties only come when non names are used in link text (i.e. “blogging tips” vs “Bush Mackel”). Beats me. I’ve heard various theories on how Google is making these heavy handed conclusions like seeing the PPP sticker in the sidebar and so on…
I just wish (like many others) they’d be more transparent about the whole thing so we could easily follow the rules.
@mlankton – But paid links w the rel=”nofollow” should be ok right? I wish the big G would just say “yes” or “no” on this front. It seems until they do, people are removing text links in favor of image links.
October 10th, 2007 at 10:34 am
It’s easy enough for advertisers to implement links in javascript, or directed to non-indexed sites ala some affiliates.
I’m guessing TLA wouldn’t be to eager to slap a nofollow on the links they’re paying you to publish, since the focus of their business is serp and pagerank manipulation. I honestly don’t think TLA or their clients give a hoot whether anybody clicks those links. They want the link for it’s intrinsic value.
October 10th, 2007 at 11:17 am
@mlankton: I’m curious about your comment. How is it that you say it’s by their nature? Isn’t that like saying magazine ads are meant to boost a magazine’s popularity? I think it’s the other way around, in that the magazine’s popularity (based on readership/subscriptions) is meant to help the advertisers. Granted, I’m not saying there’s no chance of abuse in this area, but surely it can’t be all bad.
October 10th, 2007 at 11:28 am
All I’m saying is that neither TLA nor their partners care if a single person clicks their ads. They want the link, plain and simple. It’s understandable that Google has a problem with that, and all you have to do is search “text link ads” on Google to see it.
I wonder how much TLA pays Google a month for that ad above the search results for that string.
October 10th, 2007 at 11:46 am
@mlankton – I’m with ya, and I wasn’t referring necessarily to text link ads. I definitely agree with you that the large majority of advertisers who use text link ads don’t do so because ehy need people to click, but instead want the link juice.
October 10th, 2007 at 3:50 pm
I ceased to publish “sponsored posts”.
When ? As soon as I noticed smorty (for example, or creamaid) don`t validate an post if link is not keyworded exactly as required.
Why ? Because I start to wonder if they (clients, advertisers, not smorty or TLA) are really intersted into visitors or maybe the are more interstaed in permanent linksbacks using targeted keywords – mean SEO stuff.
I think if one want a review, is reviewer option what words will use to linkback; if is a paid link (not a review, a text-link or banner), then there can be a penality on a certain level, for link buyer, but …
As I said before somewhere else, Google will to become monopoly started all the SE “Optimisation” stuff.
October 10th, 2007 at 4:56 pm
@Valentin – Good note about anchor text in sponsored reviews. I would say though that I don’t know if its fair to say that Google “started” seo since they haven’t been around forever (but now is the biggest and thus catches all the flack). Seo/m IS and ALWAYS HAS BEEN webmasters trying to figure out se algo’s and use that knowledge to push sites to the top of them.
So on that note, I can’t be mad or anything else that Google is trying to make their engine better or trying to maintain its integrity (which we can all question). I can however be mad that they don’t use their webmaster tools to alert us webmaster of these kinds of issues. I mean, there IS a message center in there right!?