[thelist] SEO

[Maximillian Schwanekamp]

Ed McCarroll wrote:
>>What does google use instead of cross linking?
> 
> 
> My understanding is that links still count, but are less important than
> they used to be.  

I believe it's reciprocal links that are at issue... in late '03 Google 
made a significant change to de-emphasize simple reciprocal links.  The 
so called "Florida Google Dance"[0].

> One of their top priorities is to make their system
> nearly impossible to manipulate, and to penalize those who try.  This
> means that most of the tricks the so-called "SEO experts" use will hurt
> you in the long run.

Indeed.  The changes they made were good, because Google recognized that 
people were manipulating results by use of link exchanges and similar 
tactics of erecting a hundred brochure sites for the bare sake of having 
reciprocal links. (Amazingly those reciprocal link farms are still doing 
business!).  Unfortunately some sites whose Google-sourced traffic 
depended solely on legitimate reciprocal links got hurt as a result of 
the changes, especially in industries frequently inhabited by spammer 
types[1].

[0] http://searchenginewatch.com/searchday/article.php/3285661
[1] http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=283860

-- 
Maximillian Von Schwanekamp
http://www.neptunewebworks.com/