6 replies to this topic

[Barbra]

This is more of a selling links questions than a buying links question. I hope it is OK to put it in this section.

I am a publisher with TextLinkAds, i.e. advertisers buy space on my blog to put their link. In their material, TextLinkAds says that advertisers prefer single page links over site wide links.

I have long been curious about why this might be. I have twice attempted to get an answer from TLA but they just say "that's the way it is".

I have pasted below my most recent email exchange with them as it is actually pretty funny in a bizarre way. (I have removed the employee name and other identifying information). Obviously, you need to read it from the bottom up.

If anyone can answer my question I would be grateful. Thanks!


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Barbra,
I have already told you why, because it's better for our advertisers.

If you want to learn more about the SEO industry, I recommend you search online and read various articles around the web.

The entire reasoning behind it is not something I can simply explain over e-mail. It's just the way it is. Sorry.

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On Nov 16, 2007, at 12:23 PM, Barbra Sundquist wrote:


This conversation is getting surreal. Why don’t you want to tell me?
The reason why I am asking is that currently I have my ad set up as “site wide”. Although my ads sell well, I’m wondering if they would sell even better if I change it to only single page.



Barbra

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-----Original Message-----
From: Tech Support - Text Link Ads [mailto:techsupport@text-link-ads.com]
Sent: Friday, November 16, 2007 9:18 AM

Barbra,

There are many benefits that advertisers get by having their ad only on a single page rather than having a site wide option.

Please trust me that this is the better option. Thank you.

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On Nov 16, 2007, at 12:13 PM, Barbra Sundquist wrote:

Perhaps I need to rephrase my question: what benefit is it to advertisers to have their link show up on a single page versus multiple pages? Is it something to do with the way Google views multiple page ads? Or do they get charged more for multipage page ads? Because it seems to me that if the cost were the same and there was no downside to multiple page ads, then advertisers would prefer having their ad show up on multiple pages as opposed to just one.

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-----Original Message-----
From: Tech Support - Text Link Ads [mailto:techsupport@text-link-ads.com]
Sent: Friday, November 16, 2007 9:02 AM

Barbra,
Just because that's how it works for our advertisers.
Thanks!

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On Nov 16, 2007, at 11:25 AM, Barbra Sundquist wrote:

Yes, but why?

Tks, b

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-----Original Message-----
From: Tech Support - Text Link Ads [mailto:techsupport@text-link-ads.com]
Sent: Friday, November 16, 2007 7:57 AM

Barbra,
It's because our advertisers prefer single pages rather than site-wide.
Thanks!

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On Nov 15, 2007, at 6:50 PM, Barbra Sundquist wrote:

You say "If you currently have zero ads sold please note that single page ads sell better than site wide ads."
Could you please explain why this is? I would think that the more the merrier

[qwerty]

How mysterious of them

I'm sure you've been following all the drama about Google insisting that any site displaying paid links label them as such, and that that labeling should include putting a nofollow on them so the search engines can see that you're not trying to pass them off as real votes. That's not something most SEOs want to comply with. For some of us, it's just because we don't think we owe it to Google to throw them a hint when their algorithm fails to figure something out. For others, particularly those who make a living selling ads, it's because they want those links to count as votes, even though they technically aren't.

In other words, they want the search engines to treat the ads as normal links, so they do what they can (or did what they could -- I don't know how they're trying to work it these days) to avoid the really obvious signs that an ad is an ad. One of those signs is having a collection of keyword-heavy wholly unrelated text links at the foot of every page.

So I can't speak for them, but I'd guess that their advertisers prefer single-page ads because they're less obviously ads.

[Barbra]

Ah, now I understand. That's all I wanted to know.

Actually, I haven't been following the Google thing very closely. But as a result of posting here I have found some articles that discuss it, and now I'm wondering if I even want to continue selling text link ads.

As much as I enjoy making money, I'm a bit of a purist when it comes to the value of organic traffic. I frankly didn't fully understand the implications of selling text link ads. Now I'm rethinking that decision.

Thanks,

Barbra

Edited by BarbraSundquist, 16 November 2007 - 04:21 PM.

[oneofthe3lions]

Im wondering if it is a good idea to use the 'brokers' for that type of thing as it may be possible for google to get details of every site listed in there openly admitting to selling them etc. Discretion may be the answer.

[Gardendata]

Im wondering if it is a good idea to use the 'brokers' for that type of thing as it may be possible for google to get details of every site listed in there openly admitting to selling them etc. Discretion may be the answer.

Yes - Even if you take Google out of the equation, I would still feel uneasy about having 'bought links' on my own site. It's more to do with the aesthetics side of things for me. I feel that that paid links are a little bit of an intrusion - so how would my visitors feel! (And yes, I have Adsense on my site, which somehow seems to fit in better - even if it 'sits' more 'visible' than the paid links).
I get enough private requests without having to respond to the brokers. I feel that Google has got it right here - and I can tell you that was hard to say :-) Paid links seem to be a bit sneaky. At least with adverts you know what they are!
(Ah well, that's my first post out of the way.)
Take care
Data

[qwerty]

Welcome, Gardendata

Paid links seem to be a bit sneaky. At least with adverts you know what they are!

The question is whether there's a clear line between the two. After all, an ad is a paid link; it just happens to be labeled as such. If a link in the middle of a sentence could somehow be labeled as an advertisement, maybe in the title attribute or with some symbol next to it, then the line would get a bit fuzzier, I suppose.

[Gardendata]

Welcome, Gardendata

The question is whether there's a clear line between the two. After all, an ad is a paid link; it just happens to be labeled as such. If a link in the middle of a sentence could somehow be labeled as an advertisement, maybe in the title attribute or with some symbol next to it, then the line would get a bit fuzzier, I suppose.

Thanks for the welcome Querty.
I think that your example has actually highlighted the unease I find - links in the middle of sentences. I avoid them like a plague, unless I feel that they are an explanation 'window' relevant to the text/subject. I would be very reluctant to click on the 'link' that you have placed. And of course visitors, who after all are the ones we should be trying to please, will also get fed up with this sort of underhand activity. (What really freaks me out, are the double-underlined links that send up a pop-up. Yuk or what!)
I suppose that really, we should be trying to assess what long term effect that this will have the credibilty of our site insofar as our visitors are concerned! Probably more important than making a quick buck (or even a few pence here in the UK!)
Take care
Data