I guess i would want to know if advertising on a site that is selling links for advertisement purposes and revenue, how can Google really with 100% certainty know if that link is there for that reason, or if its for passing PR? I would also like to know what would happen if Google dinged a site thinking its for PR when it was not. Its stuff like this that makes me think that I do not see how they can say with 100% certainty what is one or the other, but i can see them put more focus on the relevance of the links value in comparison to each sites links and content. Meaning its got less value if it is less relevant. Who knows, this subject irks me because there is no concrete confirmation that assure people that want to buy a link to advertise on a relevant popular site google will come along and give some kind of penalty...By the way, i have been reading your posts for a long time now and finally decided to comment, thanks for all of the info. :)

Michael, to answer your question, Matt Cutts recommended using a "nofollow" on those links if they are specifically for advertising. Which of course...they are!

Ladies and gentlemen, we now have...wait for it...it's coming....

Scroll down...

A little further. This is worth it....

Adam Lasnik's GOOGLEKU!

Woohoo!

All Sponsored Links should be nofollow.. ???

Huh. I like the haiku form. Has he been playing Kingdom of Loathing too?

You see, Google is too smart. Always knows the right answer, but always has to add something to it. J/K... :)

Does this make no follow's more relevant.. ?

Good find, thanks. I finally signed up for a WMW account since I thought it was paid only before, but I finally figured out it was free so I signed up. I wrote up a small article on it too.

It would be extremely unethical for Google to attempt to remove the PR benefit from Link Buying........

When selling a homepage link - you RISK to possibility that someone will become curious and leave your site - to visit that link - Thus, in some cases depriving you of potential revenue!

The additional revenue from selling the links in some way compensate. Without the added bonus of getting PR benefits - it would become very very difficult to sell a TEXT LINK (they might as well spend their money on PPCs)

The only other option WOULD be to offer an in your face graphic of flash in a conspicious place, so as to maximize the click rates for customers.......THUS TAKING VISITORS AWAY FROM YOUR SITE....you see the catch 22/ the frustrating cycle????????????

What's the difference between buy advertising text link or buy pr text link ? i don't see difference...

the link emplacement ? footer, maybe..?