you don't agree with me because you're a google lover (it transpires from every word you've said). And yes, I am pissed at google and I want this mafia company gone from my life. And no, google doesn't do more good than bad, quite the opposite actually. They remove URLs they don't like from their index, even though those URLs don't break any rules. I've seen it quite a few times over the years with controversial debates / interviews who sheep (the masses of people) should never see in order to avoid the constant, subtle manipulation that powerful entities do to these sheep. Google slowly, but firmly dictates what people must believe, want, fear and listen to. If that's not wrong on all levels (moral, humanitarian, civic, legal) I don't know what else is. Just binge watch videos posted on decentralized social media for a week or two and see what kind of stuff is not allowed on google and youtube. Sure, you will come across a lot of garbage, but in that huge pile of trash you will also find a few golden nuggets that are extremely dangerous for the mobsters that rule this world (and yes, google are one of those mobsters)
we want those links to build trust and to help our visitors discover even more relevant content, not to get "some traffic" from Google. How the fuck are you gonna get traffic from google through reciprocal linking between 2 websites?
Say for example, that I run a business in the juicing industry and I'm new in the business, unknown to 99% of the juicing consumers. Well, by partnering (even if only at link exchange level) with bigger companies (coca-cola, gatorade, etc) in my industry by placing their logo on my website AND them placing MY logo on their website both the traffic to coca-cola's website and the traffic to my website can see those logos and get new ideas of products they might try that they have not heard of. Sure, everyone and their grandma have heard of coca-cola, but since I'm not in the juicing business I couldn't find a better example, so you'll have to overlook this bad example on my part and instead see the point I'm trying to make.
Like I said, I have worked for a tech company several years ago and at the bottom of their website's homepage they had 12 badges (logos, basically) of 12 other closely-related (some of them have been our providers, some of them our customers) companies' websites and numerous times I have seen myself clicking on those logos (out of curiosity) but the interesting thing is that when I checked analytics I saw a good number of clicks made on those logos by organic and referral traffic (new visitors who have landed on our website's homepage either from google, or from local directories in which our website was being featured). And, while I can't prove this (because I didn't have access to our partner's analytics) I still dare say that the same had been going on with our partner's traffic that have landed on their website, couldn't find what they were looking for, see our logo on that partner's website and clicked on it, thus landing on our website as referral traffic and (hopefully) convert into a sale. I've worked for that company for 2 full years and I checked the stats monthly and - while many times - there wasn't a single sale made through referral traffic coming from our partners' websites there were some months when we would close 5-6 sales, sometimes 15 or more due to this type of traffic. But the thing is that even without making sales, we at least increased brand awareness for our website through reciprocal linking, and you never know when at some point in time someone just decides to bring you good business down the road. So, this thing works, but sure, everyone doing it means that google loses business, so what does the mobster google do: they label reciprocal linking as spam because it hurts their pocket. And gullible (white-hat SEO advoates) start spreading this bullshit myth that link exchange is spam because google says so and what google says we must all do because google is our daddy and google puts food on our table and google.... bleah, I go vomit!
Anyway, like I said in a previous message, link exchanging is only considered spam for affiliates and SEOers because we know how google works and by doing this we might get more and better rankings since google's main ranking factor (and their weakness) are backlinks. So, backlinks that are easy to get are automatically labeled as spam, even through there's nothing spammy about quality backlinks, and by quality backlinks I don't mean backlinks that google see as spam (if they could, they would deem all backlinks as spam in order to have monopoly over everything in this world), by quality backlinks I mean backlinks that offer value to users. And believe it or not, link exchanges DO offer value. I can't even recall how many times I've found valuable websites through link exchange 13-14 years ago when I started my SEO journey. Sure, I was doing a different industry back then (was all about PTC / GPT programs and traffic exchanges), but it doesn't matter because I am discussing the principle (link exchanging), not the industry in which link exchanges might work or not.
So yeah, reciprocal linking IS good, but not for getting traffic from google, but for increasing brand awareness, trust, and acquiring customers. And if more and more people knew this and actually did it - totally disregarding google's tyrannical bans - webmasters would develop HUGE networks of interlinked websites that would provide a good alternative to google and would, obviously, take a good pie from google's mouth and this would displease google. But instead, we have to take the shit that google shoves into our mouths and say thank you to almighty google because google is our Lord and savior.
typical complacent attitude of a typical sheep. I'm not calling you sheep, so don't overreact, I just condemn your attitude. You seem like a smart chap, and people like you are always welcome. But I do condemn your complacent attitude
why can't most of us do it? Sure, we will run out of business for 1-2 years, maybe more. But believe me that there are so many rich people and companies out there that bring google good business that they could afford quitting doing business for the next 10-20 years and still live a lush life. It can be done, it just takes willingness to change.
that's the problem. And yes, I don't like it. And neither should you, or any other intellectual person. Being manipulated into slavery and then slaughter is not good, and people should oppose
not sure whether you are trolling now, or you really didn't think this through. Do you think that one person (me) switching to another search engine will do the trick? Or even 10 people like me, or 10k even? No, dude! This has to be done en-masse, by 100s of millions of people, not by 1 single person. And yes, I did switch to DuckDuckGo 1 year ago. I still use google's search engine occasionally (and for really important stuff, especially if I can't find it in DDG), but overall I have made the switch to non-google search engine (although, I'm not fully convinced that these mobsters have not yet bought DDG out behind the scenes), but preferably we want a search engine outside of the american jurisdiction, preferably an european one, with european owners who are incorruptible and not lackeys to americans. But we, europeans, are still sleeping our sweet sleep unfortunately, totally uninterested in technology and online business opportunities for the masses. It hurts me to say it but it's true
But at least I'm doing my part, and I've got my conscience clear about this
if those users only knew the price they're paying for this "great user experience"... I doubt they'd see it as more good than bad
who says so? Google? Or you? Because if it's you who says it then I have to disagree. I have not had my computer infected with malware and viruses 10 years ago, I've not had it infected 15 years ago, I've not had it 20 years ago when the websites had - supposedly - been less legitimate (whatever that means), and I've enjoyed some of them even more than I enjoy the ones today. Nowadays, most websites don't even allow you to make a bloody comment or give an upvote / downvote on an image or a comment before asking you to log in, provide your phone number and in some radical cases (see Steam for example) even deposit money into your account. Yes, Steam had actually forced me to deposit $5 into my steam account to allow me to post a comment. This is mind boggling, honestly. 20 years ago I could comment on whatever the hell I wanted, and even downloaded whatever image I wanted off the internet without anyone forcing me to pay for it. You try and do this nowadays and see how the sharks and mafia will be all over you with DMCA / C&D / copyright infringement notes and lawyers urging you to pay pay and pay for everything.
20 years ago the internet had been a free and wonderful place and I've not had a single problem with anything. And the websites have been as legitimate as ever, and they've made a great user experience for me. Nowadays everything is being double or triple "secured", and everyone and their little brother wants to know your phone number, location, credit card details and what colour your underwear is in order to allow you to sign up to their shitty website "for free". Not to mention how all companies spy on you and track your every move on the internet and even in the real world (through your phone's GPS) like old voyeuristic perverts. How is this more legitimate and provide a better user experience, huh?
google's priority is money. THEIR money, not our money, not everything else. If they can find a way to totally dispose of webmasters and their pesky sites they will implement it without remorse and will throw you out in the streets because for them you are only a number, not a human, you have no rights and they are entitled to everyone's money. The snippets is just a small proof of what "successful" companies are capable of, and if you think that google's priority is helping others I feel sorry for you. And only because you seem intelligent and intelligent people should not normally suffer. The stupid ones, I don't care much about but when intellectuality gives up and is mislead... we all suffer, intelligent or not. And this is the sad part
how do they do more harm? Can you give an example? I gave you an example earlier of how link exchanging is a positive thing for a website (especially a new one), please give an example of why they're harmful
oh, there's plenty of them! Probably not in the USA because americans always do things backwards and love bragging about how they are so different to the entire world, but check out websites in other countries and you will see many authority brands still using link exchanges
