Comments on: The Recent Google Slap

By: Sandra Sands

Sandra Sands — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:58:48 +0000

It gets really confusing for someone new to all this and sometimes you don’t know who or what to believe. Maybe it’s cos I’m a dizzy blonde.

Sandra x

By: Roscoe

Roscoe — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 06:48:51 +0000

Thanks for the information. I’m getting tired of google changing their rules. I just
got my site set up the way google liked it and now I need to do change things again!

By: PPC Bully

PPC Bully — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 06:38:54 +0000

@Ben, @Ely.
I totally agree with you – build your targeted eMail list!

In the following video, Ran demonstrate how to use eMail list to get more conversions from your landing pages:
http://ppcbully.com/quick-ppc-tip-by-ran-aroussi/

By: Ely

Ely — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 06:29:00 +0000

Thank you, Yefi! Writing a blog post about your video and linking to this page. More people should see it.

Ben, yes, that was missing — very good point. But maybe that’s what we should do? Build a list?

By: ben

ben — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 22:43:51 +0000

You missed the point that google do not allow landing pages with affiliate links on them. My site was not a flog,i was not promoting anything against googles terms & conditions which by the way has not been updated since july of 2006.My site had around 8 pages with relevant content and my links were cloaked and yet my site was still slapped.

Google says that any landing page/review site with affiliate links is now seen as a bridge page which google do not allow anymore. Unless you are building up a list you will not be able to get your campaign approved.

By: Russ

Russ — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 19:04:11 +0000

Also,

Use Unique content, cloak affiliate links, and do not make it obvious that you want to redirect people.

By: Rick Samara

Rick Samara — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 17:22:42 +0000

Thanks Jefi… this information could not be more timely. I’m using a one-page blog as my landing page, and am right in the middle of rebuilding a page on my 10-page website as my landing page… where there is much more content. Great information and much appreciated!

By: ppcman

ppcman — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 16:42:29 +0000

Sorry, but google does not have a problem with direct linking. Not sure why you are saying that. There are other reasons why it might not be the best strategy, but Google has no issue with it at all. Unless you are calling a framed page direct linking – that they have a problem with because you are trying to get around the 1 display url rule. If you simply direct link with your affiliate link in the dest url, they have no problem with that.

By: Angela Keyword Elite

Angela Keyword Elite — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 15:39:54 +0000

Hi Ran,

You are right about many things you said about Google last and current slap while others one can more of less guess…

I had my PPC campaigns for years on and had good quality score therefore benefiting from lower PPC rates but one day had like no clicks and did not know what happened, I raise my bids considerably, and nothing happened, doubled the bids and triple them still no clicks. It happened that I purchased a few domains during that time and built a few sites and for SEO purpose bought a new hosting package with another host and uploaded all new sites there.

Started to run campaigns on these sites, no direct linking and no redirect to vendor’s page instead I had a landing page on my site good content and sent all PPC traffic there.
Like a miracle I am getting clicks CTR as high as 5 – even 12 % on some keywords…. WOW, I said to myself way to go. BUT of course at that time did not know what was going on over to Google HQ only to hear later it was the GOOG Slap all over again…LOL

I noticed later that on my old campaigns Google started re evaluation campaign by campaign, disapproving ads which were OK for months, and saw frequent visits from Google to my sites in my stats as if they were doing all this manually… Strange thing eh…

Anyways, we just need to adapt and grow stronger, play fair and try to anticipate the slaps so we can survive. Thanks for the great content Ran.
Cheers!
Angela

By: Mark

Mark — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 14:43:46 +0000

Thanks Ran for this information. It will be most helpfull when setting up new campaigns.