Another One Bites the SEO Dust
In a move that seems to mimic whats going on in the middle east with dictators getting booted out of power, all over the Internet powerful oligarchical websites are toppling over.
Google has gotten very serious about fishy SEO techniques and is beginning to penalize well known brands like never before. The latest powerful site to get trounced by Google for spamming is Overstock.com who decided to try the easy road in link building and created link campaigns through what Google would normally deem a trusted source, colleges and universities.
Turns out Overstock was giving away 10% off coupons and publishing incentives for students on college and university websites that linked back to Overstock with specific keyword phrases in the anchor text like “computer desks†and “diamond ringsâ€. They probably would have been alright if the links were pointing to relevant content from a source that wasn't a housing guide or online school manual.
Using brand clout Overstock was able to convince schools like the University of Dallas to publish spam into their online brochures. Its the kind of move that might be difficult for a smaller website to pull off. Its essentially a strong arm move to corner the market through the buying off educational sites that carry the coveted .edu TLD.
-Jose Tavares(Miami Design Firm)
More information on Overstock.com
Based in Salt Lake City, UT Overstock.com was started in 1999 for the purpose of liquidating excess inventory online. Then it’s revenue was 1.8 million, ten years later revenue had jumped to just under 900 million a year. They sell cars, hold auctions, offer real estate and offer business’s opportunities to buy in bulk.
