Google recognizing ads as backlinks

[Asianne]

With this current data refresh going, it seems that google is now recognizing paid advertising as backlinks where it did not before.

Banner ads from MSN and paid text links through MSN and Yahoo. Has this always been happening? I've looked before and it was never recognized, has something changed, or did I miss something?

[edited by: lawman at 8:44 am (utc) on July 27, 2006]

[Aircut]

how do you figure it out?

[Asianne]

I ran a link:www.competitorswebsite.com

Backlinks are all ads placed through MSN/Yahoo. it's odd