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How Expedia Buys Its Way To The Top Of Google

nenadseo.com

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Re: How Expedia Buys Its Way To The Top Of Google

#131

Post by gress »

ris wrote: post #103
throwaway420 wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even if you use nothing but white-hat and above-board SEO strategies, you're at risk of your page getting penalized or delisted. This happens to people every day. Only unlike Rap Genius, there is literally zero way to communicate with somebody at Google unless you manage to get a popular thread going at HN. I'm happy this Rap Genius incident happened because it's driven some attention to how Google's business actuall…

> Even if you use nothing but white-hat and above-board SEO strategies, you're at risk of your page getting penalized or delisted This rather suggests that what you're calling "white hat" is a slightly less white shade than you may think. After all, who exactly is defining what "above board" is here? You're talking as though Google has some kind of responsibility to you. They don't. You are not their customer. Their…

Google had a monopoly and exerts market power over the internet. They legally do have a responsibility to the public.

I'm getting pretty tired of the attitude that they have no responsibility to anyone other than those who buy advertising from them since it's blatantly false.

Re: How Expedia Buys Its Way To The Top Of Google

#132

Post by gress »

Shog9 wrote: post #122
cases wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's odd that you talk about snake-oil in a thread where it's already mentioned that Google will just as easily ban you even if you follow their rules. Expedia and RapGenius are the two latest examples of how easy it is to cheat the system. Meanwhile the world commerce is moving towards the Internet and Google controls 70% of that. But you don't want to come off as "spammy" so better to risk your company and follow t…

Meanwhile the world commerce is moving towards the Internet and Google controls 70% of that. ...so you gotta do what it takes to get ahead, even if that means abusing the system and everyone else who depends on it? That's been the spammer's argument from Day 1, and it's just as crap now as it was twenty years ago. No one owes you a successful business. If the only way you can find to make money involves dumping on ot…

What exact system are people 'abusing'?

Re: How Expedia Buys Its Way To The Top Of Google

#133

Post by davemel37 »

C1D wrote: post #129
searchmartin wrote: post #98

FULL DISCLOSURE: Im an Expedia employee (inbound marketing director, covering SEO), although Im currently at the end of my notice period. (Im leaving in two weeks). Also, I worked in the B2B division, nothing to do with the consumer side that this article references. The author of the post linked above contacted me a couple of days before publishing it, to warn me that he would publish (quote: "damning evidence of ex…

I would trust this post if you could at the very least provide some evidence that he did contact you and that you are leaving because to me, it seems like you're just a employee trying to pin the blame on him and do a little damage control. The fact that you're the Marketing Director at Expedia makes it even worse (if you are lying). EDIT: Okay, I just did some research and this person's company is extremely fishy bu…

Proof or not, his point is sound. Why was he referenced in the article about Expedia if he has nothing to do with the allegations presented?

Re: How Expedia Buys Its Way To The Top Of Google

#134

Post by davemel37 »

berkay wrote: post #130
searchmartin wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I totally agree there should be one set of rules and thats it. Thing is, there IS one set of rules already - and thats governed by the google organic results algo which looks at a sites backlink profile as a whole. If its mainly crap links with no authority then the site will get banned. If its a big brand site with authority and reputation, its really tough from Google's perspective to simply ban that site and all i…

Google does NOT only use the algorithm, and manually bans sits algorithm may have misses as it was in the case of RapGenius. I don't buy the argument that search results would be lonely, if Google somewhat punished Expedia for this, it would force them to change behavior. They would fall inline as well as others that may be using these questionable methods.

His point is what proof does Google have that this was done by Expedia and not some competitor doing negative SEO?

This doesn't justify the spam, it just makes it much more difficult for Google to detect and penalize due to the mostly natural link profile that Expedia has earned legitimately by building a household brand.

If you had 99% signals saying this is a strong brand worth ranking high, or even only 85% of the signals are positive, and you have a few shady backlinks, wouldn't you give them the benefit of the doubt? Even if you wouldn't can you risk penalizing them without a smoking gun and proof of spam?

The only real question here is why Expedia even bothers with these efforts...Most big brands can get more than enough natural backlinks by launching new programs and services and having all the press pick up the story.

Re: How Expedia Buys Its Way To The Top Of Google

#135

Post by searchmartin »

C1D wrote: post #129
searchmartin wrote: post #98

FULL DISCLOSURE: Im an Expedia employee (inbound marketing director, covering SEO), although Im currently at the end of my notice period. (Im leaving in two weeks). Also, I worked in the B2B division, nothing to do with the consumer side that this article references. The author of the post linked above contacted me a couple of days before publishing it, to warn me that he would publish (quote: "damning evidence of ex…

I would trust this post if you could at the very least provide some evidence that he did contact you and that you are leaving because to me, it seems like you're just a employee trying to pin the blame on him and do a little damage control. The fact that you're the Marketing Director at Expedia makes it even worse (if you are lying). EDIT: Okay, I just did some research and this person's company is extremely fishy bu…

Proof Im leaving? Check the date on this post on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mogmartin/posts/10151730878862337

As for pinning blame on the author?

Hardly...

Im not debating anything he said, other than calling my name out.

Its not my place to deny OR corroborate any claims against a division that I NEVER worked for, of a company that I no longer work for! ;)

Re: How Expedia Buys Its Way To The Top Of Google

#136

Post by davemel37 »

searchmartin wrote: post #126
r0h1n wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your allegation is a strong one. Plus considering that your personal reputation is being impugned against by Nenad, I wonder why you don't publish his email where he said he would "sell the post to the highest bidder"?

Because I turned down the offer and gave him advice before he published his story. I took the decision then not to out the behaviour - however given that Im targeted in the article I've since slackened my ethics on how to treat the situation.

this perplexes me, last time i checked extortion is a crime. If ethics were at play, wouldn't you be duty bound to press charges and keep a criminal from extorting others?

Re: How Expedia Buys Its Way To The Top Of Google

#137

Post by searchmartin »

berkay wrote: post #130
searchmartin wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I totally agree there should be one set of rules and thats it. Thing is, there IS one set of rules already - and thats governed by the google organic results algo which looks at a sites backlink profile as a whole. If its mainly crap links with no authority then the site will get banned. If its a big brand site with authority and reputation, its really tough from Google's perspective to simply ban that site and all i…

Google does NOT only use the algorithm, and manually bans sits algorithm may have misses as it was in the case of RapGenius. I don't buy the argument that search results would be lonely, if Google somewhat punished Expedia for this, it would force them to change behavior. They would fall inline as well as others that may be using these questionable methods.

Thats absolutely true - Google do have the power, and often use it, to make human decisions on the quality of websites and often ban those that break they TOS. As for whether Google should take action against any particular website, its not for me to say.

Re: How Expedia Buys Its Way To The Top Of Google

#139

Post by jpalomaki »

iaskwhy wrote: post #8

This kind of SEO hack seems hard to fix with an algo. One way might be to target "content" creators like Abby and Jennifer as they probably use Google+ (and probably other social networks) to promote their work. By targeting the writers and giving some penalty to everything they write as well as the site where the article is published, these sites will need to verify how good the writers are before accepting the gues…

Does this all lead to Google+? It sure would help Google if more content was produced inside their walled garden where they have pretty good grasp on who is producing it.

Re: How Expedia Buys Its Way To The Top Of Google

#140

Post by effn »

swombat wrote: post #120

> You know all those bloggers/SEOs at MOZ giving webmasters tips and tricks on how to rank higher? Well, they never said: “Guys, you gotta do basic on-page SEO, buy quality links and you will rank higher, that’s all you need to know.” Instead they keep selling stories how their clients rank using “white hat” SEO. GrantTree is ranked pretty high against our competitors on several keywords that are important to us. Thi…

So you get other sites to publish your articles, but when other sites want to do the same to you, you call that spam?
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