Quote:
Originally Posted by Webnauts
I have a problem with Google if they would allow the rich and powerful to buy the #1 position of the ORGANIC (FREE) SEARCH RESULTS! If that would happen, that would not be anymore a serious business model. It would be if they would switch to paid search with bids, which would be absolutely fine with me.
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And here is the crux of the issue. The SEOers view paid links as unfair. The feel like people are buying their way to the top. The Paid Linkers view SEOers as a bunch of holier-than-thou page manipulaters. Neither is right.
Google doesn't make you pay them, but they most certainly make you pay in blood, sweat, money (to others), time and/or tears.
You either follow their guidelines or you don't get ranked. You either spend your time or pay someone else to make sure your pages meet their guidelines (if you want to rank in their search engine). It is that simple.
SEO/SEM is manipulation. There are just certain techniques that Google has said are okay and others are not. It is their search engine. They can dictate their terms. They can change their terms, as well (and we all know they do). They currently don't like hidden paid links. You are free to continue your business, they are free to continue theirs.
The fact is they have to have a way of ranking sites. If 6,480,000 sites all have the term CD Rates on it, how do you suggest to the searcher which is the best. At this point, the majority of people use Google and believe they return the best answers. A big part being viewed as the best is links. Google wants those to be natural links. Trust given, because trust was earned.
I don't believe it is unethical to sell/buy links. I don't believe
SEO/SEM is unethical. You do what works the best for you. I don't believe Google is unethical in their dictates. It is their search engine. If you don't like it build your own and then spend your blood, sweat, money, time, and tears getting others to believe it is better than what is already out there. It is marketing either way. Marketing is about making (manipulating) your message so that it is more attractive than others with the "same" message. It really isn't about ethics, assuming you aren't falsefying information.
If you want to toe the Google line, don't be surprised when they move it and you are on the other side.