potentialgeek - 4:31 am on Jun 5, 2009 (gmt 0)

Another site I got a (discount) paid directory listing with at BOTW got hit for the main keyword search string. Currently knocked from #9 to #21. It had been stable for over a year.

Tedster or somebody else was saying they suspected Google is now targeting people who buy links instead of just those selling them.

Does this mean that Google is now penalizing paid link directories judging them as if they are like all other paid links which have no editorial discretion?

If the most respected one gets hit, to me that's a sign that there's been a policy shift.

When there was a change a few years ago with respect to those selling links, Matt Cutts said paid directories were not being targeted when there was editorial discretion involved.

What has he said about the current situation wrt buying links?

p/g