Google Adds "Excessive" To Link Exchange Guidelines

A WebmasterWorld thread reports Google has made a slight but yet important change to their link schemes page within their Webmaster Guidelines section.

BEFORE:

Examples of link schemes can include:

Link exchange and reciprocal links schemes ("Link to me and I'll link to you.")

NOW:

Examples of link schemes can include:

Excessive reciprocal links or excessive link exchanging ("Link to me and I'll link to you.")

The big word added here is "excessive." The Google Cache still shows the old version, this will probably change any minute, so here is a screen capture.

As you can imagine, we have two views on this change:

(1) I am glad they added the word "excessive"

BUT

(2) What does "excessive" mean exactly?

We keep getting more and more from Google and keep wanting more and more from what we get. For them to give us specific examples, might get a bit hairy for them. But for them not to, can get a bit hairy for Webmasters.

What is a search engine to do?

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

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posted rustybrick in Google Optimization at August 16, 2007 7:13 AM Comments (8)

Comments

excessive mean more than one, lol

Posted by Jaan Kanellis at August 16, 2007 13:52

It's a step in the right direction. At least they're willing to be flexible on the issue. This is closer to language that Matt Cutts has used in the past, to which neither I nor many other people objected.

I can live with it.

Posted by Michael Martinez at August 16, 2007 18:23

I think Bob Massa's discussion of what's "excessive" or not is spot on:
http://massa.techndu.com/CommentView,guid,0a3c7909-6d6e-40cd-b579-6138516d1325.aspx

Rather than fret about the brazen Google Idol's whim, webmasters would be well advised to determine what THEY actually want for a change.

Posted by fantomaster at August 16, 2007 20:34

I think Google is being very liberal here. They understand it is impossible to stop all unnatural link development, and appear to go after the worst offenders.

This is like police officers stopping speeders: nearly everyone speeds, only (hopefully) the worst offenders are punished.

Posted by CVOS at August 16, 2007 20:43

Intent. :)

Posted by Barry Schwartz at August 16, 2007 21:01

I think if reciprocals links are done with relevant content sites then it's not a problem to anybody including Google. But the word "Excessive" indicates the irrelevant content link building, which should definitely be discouraged.

Posted by Rajeev Edmonds at November 8, 2007 10:37

To achieve top position in google you have to be properly optimizing your site in specific keywords. Another valuable point to achieve top rank is link popularity.

To get positive response from your link exchange partner you have to design a section for partners link placement and that section PR must have to be atleast PR2.

Posted by No Name at December 10, 2007 08:59

Link building is important, but search engines optimisation of your site plays the biggest role for Google. I can see my sites popping up on the first pages of Google under relevant keywords couple weeks after being created, with no link-trash pages on them.

Posted by No Name at January 10, 2009 13:34

Google Adds "Excessive" To Link Exchange Guidelines

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