Friday, February 18, 2011

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JC Penny Link Buying – Unethical?

Posted: 18 Feb 2011 07:19 AM PST

The New York Times was the first to break the story about the dirty secret of search, that included JCPenny.com acquiring backlinks en-mass to help boost their ranking in Google.com.

It seems (according to the article), that the internet seems to be littered with abandoned pages that link back to JCPenny.com. The article cites examples of pages about cameras, dogs, diamond drills, bathroom tiles, and dentist . . . of course the full list is much more massive.

But the real question is this . . . is what they are doing ethical?

Google search works based on an algorithm that includes many factors of a web site such as domain age, content, and of course . . . backlinks. Google has gone around the internet preaching what is considered ethical SEO and what is not, thus creating a great divide inside of the search engine marketing arena.

Why would Google claim building backlinks is unethical?

How did the idea of paying someone for a backlink on their website make the purchaser seem slightly criminal?

In short because the Google search algorithm relies so heavily on how backlinks are factored into deciding which website ranks in any given position for certain keywords. And of course, Google does NOT like to be manipulated.

“When did it become unethical for a website/blog owner to monetize their property?” That is the question that everyone should be asking.

Another question is “Why should we rely solely upon Google to decide the fate of so many businesses?”

So let’s play the devil’s advocate for a moment. . . If you were being manipulated would you like it? Of course not! So, while I respect Google’s position on this I am very much against the demonizing of those who choose to either sell backlinks or buy backlinks to help them make more money online.

It really is not about what is ethical or unethical . . .

Remember, the one who frames the question wins the argument and Google has done an amazing job at framing the question of backlinks, thus they will win . . .

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Interview With Kyle Murphy – MetaFever’s Affiliate Manager

Posted: 18 Feb 2011 02:21 AM PST

Our next addition of the Meta Fever interview series features a member of the local community.  So, will you please welcome affiliate manager, search marketing extraordinaire and online money machine. . . Kyle Murphy.

MF: Welcome to Meta Fever, Kyle. Tell me, how did you hear about the site and what first grabbed your attention?

Kyle: I’ve been working in the online marketing space for 5 or so years now, working primarily as an affiliate manager, and when I saw the job with Metafever, I had to apply. I’ve always been an affiliate/paid search guy, so learning the other end of the spectrum with a company like Metafever is too tempting to pass up.

MF: What will your primary roll be?

Kyle: I’ll be doing what I’m best at – taking over the Affiliate Program.

MF: When did you first start making money online?

Kyle: It’s pretty much a requirement to be a good affiliate manager, so right after i started. If I can’t make money online myself, who am i to teach others how to do it?

MF: What it is about affiliate marketing or search engine marketing in general, that will help continue to give the average start up business(s) a voice.

Kyle: The reach you can achieve with affiliates is exceptional. They manage email lists of hundreds of thousands, promote via PPC, SEO, Social Media – it’s a great way to tap into multiple traffic sources while only managing a single campaign.

MF: Will the voice(s) ever become saturated? And, as a result – demand more creativity from marketers.

Kyle: Oh absolutely. the competitive landscape in high volume traffic sources like AdWords is huge – there’s a great deal of talent and creativity required to turn a significant profit.

MF: Do you still see SEO as a large growth sector, or is their reason to worry about a bubble.

Kyle: SEO will never go away, it’ll just change. Search engines are always looking to rank websites to deliver the most relevant content. Google most certainly doesn’t want an old Geocities page popping up on 1st page results!

MF: What are some of the best ways for someone to get into affiliate marketing?

Kyle: Affiliate marketing takes some pretty good knowledge of the affiliate landscape – you’ve got to know your competition, create a profitable offer for both you and the affiliates, and promote, promote, promote.

MF: Are these among the best ways to make money online?

Kyle: There are a ton of ways to make money online – all it takes is a little creativity. The affiliate space is a good way to go, as is SEO, or even paid search. It’s all in the approach.

Thanks for the time, Kyle!

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