Guest blogging under fire.

[Rupert]

http://domaingang.com/domain-news/matt-cutts-guest-blogging-is-a-practice-that-must-stop-or-else/

I did not follow this through to check its validity, like all good reporters its better to get the news out quickly than correctly, and this one made me smile.

I didn't know Google approved of any "Link building practices".  Seems they do, and that:

"Back in the day, guest blogging used to be a respectable thing, much like getting a coveted, respected author to write the introduction of your book. It's not that way any more. [...] So stick a fork in it: guest blogging is done; it's just gotten too spammy. In general I wouldn't recommend accepting a guest blog post unless you are willing to vouch for someone personally or know them well. Likewise, I wouldn't recommend relying on guest posting, guest blogging sites, or guest blogging SEO as a linkbuilding strategy."

Maybe other links too then.

[ergophobe]

The original is pretty much nothing we haven't been hearing over the last two years, but since some people are hard of hearing, Matt has to keep saying it LOUDER.
http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/guest-blogging/

[littleman]

Yet another case of Google causing an artificial economy and then geting mad at people for partaking in it.  Imagine what would happen to the internet if G stopped using linkpop  as a factor in ranking?

[BoL]

If links were no longer the factor then the abuse would just move elsewhere.

G really needs to have cameras/sensors everywhere to see life as it is rather than what people are wanting G to believe </sarcasm>

For commercial stuff I'm surprised they don't do some text recognition for their Google Earth stuff. It's pretty undeniable a brand should rank well if you spot one of their signs/buildings in every major town.

[JasonD]

> For commercial stuff I'm surprised they don't do some text recognition for their Google Earth stuff. It's pretty undeniable a brand should rank well if you spot one of their signs/buildings in every major town.

Have you seen the RECAPTCHA images with door numbers in them?

I think that's exactly what they intended doing via their RECAPTCHA purchase

[Rooftop]

> For commercial stuff I'm surprised they don't do some text recognition for their Google Earth stuff. It's pretty undeniable a brand should rank well if you spot one of their signs/buildings in every major town.

Have you seen the RECAPTCHA images with door numbers in them?

I think that's exactly what they intended doing via their RECAPTCHA purchase

Interesting that.  Did I imagine it, or recently read somewhere that they are starting to pinpoint particular addresses now?