helot.org

Everyone has been wondering if Google has got the necessary tools to identify paid links. After all, only the buyer and the seller are involved in the transaction, so how can a search engine, a robot, be part of this confidential process? The answer is IT CAN’T. It is impossible to write an algorithm that can find the so-called paid links, but it is possible to create an algorithm that can find possible suspects. The rest involves a human factor. A careful review of the site might sometimes provide sufficient information to make a decision as to the nature of the origin of the links placed on the site. Google has the ability to detect some of the paid links and some potential paid links. There are certain factors that can raise a red flag.

1. Headings

   Headings that read “Sponsored Links”, “Partners”, “Links”, “Interesting Pages”, “Sponsors”, “Friends”, “Advertisers”, etc.
   Links listed under these headings are just suspects. Many well-known sites (e.g. http://www.latimes.com/) have these types of links, but not necessarily the links have been bought. This is just an indicator that there might be something going on and this requires a human review.

2. Placement of links

   If there is a series of links, a link cluster, a search engine might also find it suspicious. This is another indicator, but too common all over the net. Almost every site on the Web has some sort of link series. This is yet another indicator but not very reliable. Human review would be infeasible and impractical. It has to be taken into account together with other factors.

3. Analytics report

   If you run Google Analytics on your site, then Google gets a lot of information about your visitors. If the site gets a lot of hits from links sale forum at Digitalpoint (http://forums.digitalpoint.com/forumdisplay.php?f=58) or similar sites, this definitely calls for a human review.

4. Links spiders

   What kind of natural links get spidered every day to check if they’re still there? This goes back to the analytics report. A lot of link buyers run software to check if their links are where they’re supposed to be. This can be deadly to your site, because this might be a very powerful indicator that the link was purchased. Here is a quote from one of the readers of this article: "
   Because google analitycs is a .js and spiders don’t load js-files, so google will not know if the links are checked by spiders". Frankly, I don’t know what type of technology Google uses beyond what they are willing to show us. They can definitely identify click fraud which is done by different software including js files, so can they see if a particular IP comes every day and visits the same page over and over again?

5. Pure mathematics

   It is easy to construct an algorithm that analyzes the site in terms of outgoing links. Google knows the theme of your site. It has also information (or will have one) about the themes of the sites you link to. If you link to 100 sites and large majority of them is in no way connected to the subject of your site, then apparently there might be a problem. Why would a site about Google want to link to a casino or a palm reader? The algorithm can calculate a percentage of irrelevant links. When the percentage reaches a certain level, a search engine sounds an alarm. This may call for a human review or result in a temporary ban. The search engine such as Google might wait for the site owner’s response. In the Google reconsideration request you have to admit your sins. This is the best confirmation whether the system works properly.

6. Link rotation

   If the links on you site start to disappear and in their place new links start to pop in, that’s a good indicator that there is magic involved in the story. When you create a page and put some links on it, you generally don’t change them unless the page that you’re linking to is no loger available – in that case you remove or replace the broken link.

7. Snitch report

   Google introduced a quick squeal button at their website in the Webmaster Tools. Anybody dissatisfied with their competitors can report potential link sellers or buyers.

8. You sold it to Google

   Highly unlikely and too expensive. Even with the resources Google have, they can’t afford and have no time to go and buy links. This would be a redandent shopping spree. They will never do that (but if they did, that would be really pathetic)

9. You openly talk about selling links

   No comment.

Identification of paid links is very hard for a mindless robot, but taking all of factors into consideration, it becomes possible to find potential culprits. If you have a small site and you’re not the Detroit Free Press (http://www.freep.com), which is just an example (doesn’t mean they sell links), then Google can wipe your tiny buttocks off the face of this planet and nobody will ever care. They will wait for your response (admitting the crime) or simply kill the site as a preventive measure. One site this or that way does not make that much difference.

Remember! If your site is a duplicate or has characteristics of some e.g. DMOZ copy or a number of other things that Google doesn’t like, you may disappear from the search engine with no investigation and no human review.