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Do_Backlink_Advertising_Networks_Really_Work
| Do Backlink Advertising Networks Really Work?
When I first heard of backlink advertising networks, I have to
admit I was more than a bit skeptical. Of course backlinks are
probably the most important tool in the search engine
optimization kit, but buying or acquiring backlinks in an
unnatural way has always been something Google and other major
search engines do not condone. I took a look at a few networks
hoping to find some answers.
The first network I looked at was DigitalPoint's Coop
Advertising Network (http://www.digitalpoint.com).
DigitalPoint's network allows you to create either banner or
text ads that will then be displayed on various websites in the
network with an active backlink. Websites receive a "weight"
which determines how often they appear on other sites, although
it wasn't exactly clear on how a site gains weight. Further
reading explained that certain factors such as Alexa Rank and
number of pages showing ads may contribute to weight. It was
even possible to target your ads by category. I was very
impressed with the setup. So, I installed the ad network on a
few websites and, sure enough, the system started to churn out
backlinks.
After testing out the network, I decided to read what others
were saying in their forums. Sure enough, my worst fears were
realized. As I suspected, churning out links can have a negative
impact on search engine rankings. Various sites complained of
being completely dropped from Google or Yahoo's index. The
problem, it seems, was that links were not permanent.
DigitalPoint's network rotates links as you reload a page so you
have no permanent backlinks. I immediately removed the links
from my sites, and moved on to analyze the next network.
The next backlink advertising network I found was AdCaliber
(http://www.adcaliber.com). I quickly read over their FAQ and
was pleased to find that they promised permanent backlinks that
only get removed when I choose. Other than that, the system
seemed similar to DigitalPoint although it was a bit more
flexible in ad targeting. After creating an account, I received
100 credits which I could use to bid for backlinks. Apparently,
AdCaliber works on a bidding system. You bid a monthly amount of
credits to obtain links on certain sites. For example, I bid 50
credits to obtain links on sites with a Google Pagerank of at
least 5 and Alexa Rank of at least 500,000. Then, when an open
ad slot appeared on a site matching those qualifications, the
highest bidder would get the link. In my case, I would be
debited 50 credits per month. I was very impressed with the
system. I liked having the ability to target my ads precisely. I
was also impressed with the ease of installation. With
AdCaliber, you don't have to upload any files to your server.
You just simply paste a short PHP code on your website. It was
very simple. The only negative thing I have to say about
AdCaliber is that it is much newer than DigitalPoint and its
network is not as large, therefore not as many backlinks are
available yet.
To sum it all up, DigitalPoint is a very effective backlink
advertising network when you are looking to acquire backlinks
quickly. I would not use DigitalPoint for long term SEO, though.
AdCaliber seems to be your best bet for long term SEO and seems
to give you better control over your backlinks.
About the author:
Ben Stewart is an expert in search engine optimization.
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