11 replies to this topic

[jasonw]

I want to sell links on my website, but I don't want to fall foul of Google. The link brokerage system I used automatically places the links on the site so I can't stick in a nofollow. If I surround the ad unit with <a rel="nofollow"></a> will that work?

[Scottie]

Are your advertisers aware that their ads are going to be nofollowed?

[jasonw]

Not explicitly, but I'd assume they'd check. You can't hide the fact.

[Randy]

No your <a rel="nofollow" won't work. It's also a coding error, but that's not the way nofollow is set up to work.

Not to mention that it's bad form at the very least, possibly entering into the territory of fraud if you're being paid for one thing but delivering something else. The linkee's would need to be told before paying that you intend to nofollow your links. Which is probably going to get you kicked out of the program.

[Michael Martinez]

You should check the brokerage's terms of service to make sure they don't forbid your using code to alter the state of their code.

Some people ARE buying links to manipulate Google's PageRank and anchor text transformations -- which, of course, is why Google is so upset with paid links. If you want to sell ads and have control over how they link out, I suggest you shop around and find another network.

[lister]

I personally would be really annoyed by paying for a quality link and then having no follow - i think that will hurt you in the form of bad postings on forums etc

[Hank Cowdog]

I want to sell links on my website, but I don't want to fall foul of Google. The link brokerage system I used automatically places the links on the site so I can't stick in a nofollow. If I surround the ad unit with <a rel="nofollow"></a> will that work?

If the ad brokerage system inserts the ads via JavaScript/AJAX/IFRAME/another client-side mechanism, then it is likely the spiders won't index those links anyway, so this may be a non-issue.

There are two broad reasons for paying for links: SEO influence and traffic. If the links are clearly for traffic, then there is little/no reason why clients would care whether the links are nofollowed. If they are clearly to try to influence the SERPS, then changing the formatting of the links will raise the ire of your clients. If selling links on your site is something you are contemplating, but have not yet implemented, then coming up with a system that flags the links as nofollows _before_ going live would be in your best interest.

If you can't do the nofollow, putting a "sponsored link" text header above the sponsored links would clarify things. Google does not NOFOLLOW their adwords links, but they do put a "Sponsored Links" header over the ads. Here is the start of the PPC ads section of a search for "apple pie". Note that the a href tag does not have a rel="nofollow", but that there is a Sponsored Links header over the ad:

CODE

<h2 style="margin:0;padding:2px 0 0;text-align:left">Sponsored Links</h2>
<ol onmouseover="return true" class=nobr>
<li>
<h3>
<a id=an1 href="/aclk?sa=L&amp;ai=CguwbT47wSrShDcuItgeHxoiPA8rFn5wB8Puqqwyi7LAFEAEoBFCquKbC-P____8BYMmmiI3kpMATyAEBqgQZT9DGsF-Ba4Y7ZHqpPPBtcCkwCJCVW_dHvw&amp;num=1&amp;sig=AGiWqtxWXx_lvm27ZUB9gZPFPVMQx_vpXA&amp;q=http://clickserve.dartsearch.net/link/click%3Flid%3D43000000179995180%26ds_s_kwgid%3D58000000004097936%26ds_e_adid%3D3217135482%26ds_e_matchtype%3Dsearch%26ds_url_v%3D2">
<b>Apple Pie</b>
</a>
</h3>
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[icecape67]

I want to sell links on my website, but I don't want to fall foul of Google. The link brokerage system I used automatically places the links on the site so I can't stick in a nofollow. If I surround the ad unit with <a rel="nofollow"></a> will that work?

if you are setting the links as no follow then it deffinitly sounds like you are misleading the people who are buying them. Since the main reason people buy links in the first place is to gain reputation in the SE's, i don't think your advertisers are going to be too happy if they find out that the link are not being followed

[SelfMade]

I want to sell links on my website, but I don't want to fall foul of Google. The link brokerage system I used automatically places the links on the site so I can't stick in a nofollow. If I surround the ad unit with <a rel="nofollow"></a> will that work?

If your advertisers are buying them purely for traffic..then there is no real issue.

But if they are buying them for PR purposes then I agree with Randy...you would be close to committing fraud by "no-follow"..be careful!!

In fact forget the whole idea!

[perkle]

I want to sell links on my website, but I don't want to fall foul of Google. The link brokerage system I used automatically places the links on the site so I can't stick in a nofollow. If I surround the ad unit with <a rel="nofollow"></a> will that work?

When I sell advertising on my site and identify it as such and comply with the search engine guidelines by adding the rel nofollow to the link to the advertisers site by agreement, does the engines count the link from the advertisers site back to my site of any value. Does that link help my site in any way and if so could you explain “HOW” apart from the monetary cost I receive.

[Jill]

does the engines count the link from the advertisers site back to my site of any value.

Do the links to your site have nofollow on them? If so, they probably aren't counting as a link. If not, then they probably do count as a link.

[perkle]

Do the links to your site have nofollow on them? If so, they probably aren't counting as a link. If not, then they probably do count as a link.

No the links linking in do not have nofollow.

Thanks Jill