Linkfarms & Google penalties?

What type of link pages does Google NOT like?

[emione]

Hello everyone,

I'm starting to get link trade requests from various sites that have link pages that look somewhat shady to me. I might be totally wrong, but could someone describe what type of link pages Google would NOT like my site to link to?

From what I've read on previous postings, Google will not penalize me if it's not in my control (someone else linking to me), but if I link to a page that is known to use what I've heard described as a linkfarm, I can get penalized. Is this true?

If so, what type of pages should I not link to?

For example, I freguently see link pages that look exactly like someone elses links page and usually has a Zeus banner at the top. Is it okay to link to one of these pages?

A list of bad link trades to make would be helpful.

Thanks for anyones help.

P.S. As a final question; How does Google feel about On-line Casino related sites. My site has nothing to do with On-line Casinos, but I've been asked to trade links with a site that has information on the various on-line casinos. Would this be a bad move on my part?

[vitaplease]

emione,

if it smells like a link farm, go look elsewhere.

if it has a PR0 and is also agressively asking for links, go look elsewhere.

if I see sites that have nothing to do with casinos offer casino ads, I look elsewhere.

[emione]

Thanks for you input vitaplease,

emione

[richlowe]

I would add if you get a "canned" or "semi-canned" email from a webmaster asking for a link, just delete it. To me, personal requests for exchanges are fine. Requests blasted out to ten thousands sites are spam.

Richard Lowe

[Marcia]

another tip, if not a warning. When checking out link requests, if the pages are in frames with Javascript forcing the pages to stay in the frameset, check it out with JS disabled and use that right mouse button to take a look at the actual page the links are on. Sometimes they're penalized pages and they're trying to hide it.

Just last month I caught a client's links page with a new link she'd put on and when I checked, that's exactly what it was. Just looking it appeared to be PR5 but when you dug for the real page it was one of those (name_brand) link farm pages that had PR0. I pulled that link off faster than you can wink.

For any of us who work with other people's sites, if we want them to stay clean and safe sometimes we have to protect them against themselves. ;)

[emione]

Thanks for the tips richlowe and Marcia,

Any good tips on how to politely refuse someones link trade request?

[richlowe]

Any good tips on how to politely refuse someones link trade request?

The delete key works real well. ;-)

I only send a message if the webmaster personally wrote me an email. Otherwise, it's just (and this is virtually always the case) another bit of canned spam.

Richard Lowe

[QNetwork]

I paid FindWhat for pay-per-click ads (similar to Google Adwords and Overture). Now I see hundreds of sites with my site name when searched in Google with the site name. None of them are backlink. Some of those sites got PR4 & 5. Most of the sites are some sorts of directory with nothing but PPC ads. Some of them belong to InfoSpace network.

Now my question is: am I going to be penalized by Google for this? I am afraid some of these sites might be so called "linkfarm". I do not have any control over where FindWhat shows my ad. Only option is to stop my ads.

Thanks in advance for all the suggestions.

[richlowe]

My understanding is Google penalizes for you linking to a bad neighborhood, but not the reverse.

Richard Lowe

[rogerd]

>>if I see sites that have nothing to do with casinos offer casino ads, I look elsewhere.<<

Dang, should I tell msnbc.com not to link to me? ;)