What does this chart tell you? I think it’s a warning sign to those who sell text link ads on their blogs.
A week ago, I received an email from someone asking me to join TNX to sell text link for profit. It looks very interesting. Thus I decided to sign up TNX dot net to sell some white space for paid links on my blog. I put the link with no ref tag (nofollow), which may be the reason causing me huge troubles.
My Google Page Rank drop dead. It drops from PR4 to PR0 in three days. I guess Google is in the process to update the page rank. Now I guess there are few reasons that my PR goes to hell.
- TNX is punished by Google – TNX use a PHP script to load the text link ads, which will look more like organic link.
- I did not use ref attribute (ref=nofollow) in my page. This means that I am credit back TNX for linking back. Google may think that I am selling link space. The above chart shows that Text-Link-Ads.com’s traffic is going down very quick. It also means that less and less advertisers are buying the link space from them.
- I am accessing my blog from Taiwan. The Google datacenter may not get the newest page rank update. (The excuse to make myself not feeling guilty)
I totally removed the TNX from my blog. I am hoping to see my page rank back to PR4 in few weeks. Although my blog doesn’t really use PR to get more advertisement revenue, but it does make my blog look bad to other bloggers.
I did research on Google and found the following post Google Bans TNX Link Buyers – It Happened To Me.
Here are my suggestions to you, if you are thinking to sell text links on your web sites.
- Do not join TNX
- Do not join Text-Link-Ads
- Use ref=nofollow whenever you link to third party site that you don’t want to credit to.
- Find some other services such as cj.com or affiliate program to make money online.
Update: Just saw a great detail review about TNX.net: An Interesting Avenue For Webmasters And Advertisers on PiggyBankPie.com. I do like the concept of TNX DOT NET, but I will be more conservative to sell text link ads now. The interesting thing is that TNX DOT NET’s page rank is still 0 since April. It looks a little weird to me. There are more than 1580 links back to their site. They should have at least PR4 by now.
What do you think about this post?
I think it also happen to paid review which may be a little bit harder for Google to detect it. I rejected one recently. Anyway, after you remove them, the next time Google update the PR, you will get back yours? Hope so.
Hi, just to confirm, yes Google did a PR update last week. They do so every 3 months or so.
Patrick
@ChampDog:
I believe so. It will just take a while to get my PR back. I also heard that Google is working on text recoganition in image. So they will know what advertisement banner you put on your web site. They may start banning all other Ad agents.
@Patrick:
Thanks! I thought so. Last year, it took over 3 months to get my PR updated from PR0 to PR4. I will wait for my PR to get back up.
I don’t think the big G owners has the right to decide or influence the way you link to other sites or who you link to from your site. Are they trying to monopolize the text link ad industry? Or do they feel that they’re the only one who can sell text link ads? It is just sad to thinking that G is the only search engine which can produce a significant amount of traffic to any given site been the Internet so vast!
@Takeoffzone:
I believe there will be a better search engine one day. Many bloggers rely on Google to drive their revenue. I am not a G believer, but I have to live with the facts that Google do dominate a lot of web site traffic and business these days.
Google has been very strict off late regarding the text linking act. I guess we need to be more careful.
@Dandruff Cure:
That’s my assumption based on what I see on the Internet. I also know there are other facts that will affect your web site ranking. However, my traffic has not been affected. I also getting traffic from Yahoo, MSN, AOL and Live search, but Google is the primary source.
Terence,
Really sorry to hear you lost the PR! But I don’t think it was related to the update – that’s just a co-incidence. I’ve seen lots of other people get penalties for sponsored posts, selling links etc and it happens whenever Google find out about.
If you’ve removed the TNX stuff, you need to go to Google’s site and ask for reinclusion. They should reinstate your PR immediately. There’s more info on this at Courtney Tuttle’s Why Google Refunded My PageRank Slap.
Oh, and I’m pretty sure it’s just your toolbar PR that’s been affected – your real PR should be the same (or your search engine traffic would drop).
Good luck!
@Stephen Cronin:
I did have few ReviewMe posts and did not use nofollow in the anchor tag. I thought it might be an OK income source to put up some advertisement like many other bloggers did.
Like you said. It’s co-incidence. It might not be TNX’s fault, since many other blogs still have good PR with TNX ads on. I don’t think it’s fair to follow Google’s rule. Google page ranking to me is a hype and marketing product of Google. They did a great job to make people believe that a high PR will bring more traffic and revenue to the web site owners.
The funny thing is that ReviewMe uses PR to define the price and the value of the web site. Since my PR drop to hell, I have no value.
I will wait for the next update cycle to see if I can get my PR back. My search engine traffic doesn’t seem to be affected.
a good post.
even many famous bloggers are benf upon promoting text links for a few easy bucks.
you are different from them and true to your readers.
@akshay khanna:
Well. I don’t make huge profit off my blog with the advertisement. I am just hoping to cover my hosting cost. I try to be honest to my readers. That makes difference.
People, why would you care about your Page Rank if it doesn’t mean a damn thing?
PR has absolutely nothing to do with SERPs which are the most important when it comes to interested visitors, and serps are very easy to manipulate, yes, by buying links. Even PR0 links will do.
@Jeff:
Personally, I think PR has something to do with your SERP. It counts the high PR site as an authority site, it will get your page a higher position of the SERP. Of course, PR is just small parts of Google’s search engine algorithm.
Now Google is implementing the universal search, it will change the way of rendering the result.
In the blogging world, PR means a good resource to get your page linked. It also helps them to get a higher advertisement pay out.
Thank you for stopping by!
By the way, Matt Cutts has manually zeroed TNX DOT NET’s pagerank and removed it from SERPs. You should already know that if you read DigitalPoint forums.
Google is crazy about TNX taking over the link marketplace =)
@Jeff:
I have not check DigitalPoint forum for a long time. Mysix sense told me that TNX is taking over a lot of link market, because they use PHP code to generate the links. It’s very hard to tell if those links a paid links. I have also sensed that Google don’t really like TNX and lower their page rank.
Google is not the first one sell text link and TNX will not be the last one. I don’t put all my eggs in one basket.
Lemme get this straight –
You got the email, and signed up to SELL links on your site, and you DID use NoFollow, and three days later you were a PR0 from a 4?
Now, less than two weeks later, the nofollowed TNX code is removed, and you’re back to a PR4?. I’m doubtful they’re directly related.
A few points…
1. Using nofollow on the TNX code should have made it penalty free in Google’s eyes. The nofollow you modified brought it within G’s guidelines for you advertise and make money with TNX, staying total compliance with Google’s TOS.
2. If TNX code can be nofollowed, then that surprises me a little.
3. That really is some fast detection, removal, and repair of the issue by Google. I’m way too impressed (and intimidated)if this were really cause/effect from TNX.
Did you have to do a re-inclusion request at Webmaster tools?
Google HAS to try to stop networks like this, because it’s the weak link in their algorithm. and people are going to try to game it.
@Scott:
To answer you questions.
1. I signed up and got the affiliate banner code post to my sidebar. My page was never fully indexed and has not generated any links. I did not have the nofollow link to their home page on my sidebar.
2. I believe that the TNX php code will not allow you to change to nofollow attributes.
3. Yes. I put nofollow links everywhere I used ads after I got my PR dropped. I was not using nofollow on TNX banner. I also sent email back to Google claim that I have done everything to follow their TOS.
I blame on TNX, because it was happening at wrong time on the wrong spot. I thought TNX play the big part, but they are not the only cause.
So what would you suggest bloggers to do before they sign up paid link ads like TNX? What’s your SEO expert opinions on this?
Thanks!
Well, if you value your PageRank, then the only solution would be to ensure that every “ad program” you enroll in not be one in google’s crosshairs.
If they’re selling advertising, fine, but if they’re selling PageRank, like these guys seem to indicate, then they’re going to incur Google’s wrath.
To stay squeaky clean with G, an advertising service can’t generate their links on your site in such a way that they share the flow or PR – i.e. javascript or nofollowed etc. must be in place to avoid possible (and now apparently rapid) penalties to you, the site owner.
Did you get any response from Google or messages in Webmaster tools, or did the disappearance and reappearance of PR just “happen”.
@Scott Hendison:
I totally agree with you. Correct me if I am wrong. I do believe that PR will affect your SERP in some ways. My experience is that your PR will be used to calculate how important your content is. PR will play a small part of Google’s calculation. Do you agree?
NO. I did not get any response back from Google. I don’t think they will ever answer email for question like this. They are too busy. You did bring a good question about the timing. My PR did come back up in few days after I sent email. Are you thinking it’s just coincident?
You say, “PR will affect your SERP in some ways.” – and of that I do agree, but maybe not in the way you may think.
At this time, [it's my belief that] your serp is not related DIRECTLY to your PR, and this is demonstrated by the fact that you’re just as likely to find a PR 4 site on page 1 as a PR7 for a given phrase.
However, the serp for any OTHER particular page that’s linked TO, is going to be directly affected by the PR (and anchor text, and reputation et. al) of the linking page, so in a way, yes, it is still affected.
Make sense?
Coincidence on your PR? We”, I’ve got no idea without more details about your history, but i do know that TNX is in their crosshairs, and it seems that running their scripts on your site MAY be risky… .
@Scott:
I too believe that TNX is not a good choice if you do care about your PR. I have a better understanding about PR and SERP now. Thank you for your information. That’s very useful!
You’re welcome – you too Terence –
By the way, i really like the thank you email that went out to me for registering on your blog. That’s a great marketing and community building idea… Is that a Wordress plug-in or did you do it yourself??
@Scott:
I am glad that you ask. I just got this plug-in few days ago. It’s called Comment Relish. You were luck to see it in action after I installed it.
I have been looking for it for sometime.
thanks, just grabbed it…
@Scott:
I guess I will be receiving your welcome letter pretty soon!
just looking for some tnx info. here’s my story so far..
PR6 site dropped down to PR4. then last month my google traffic dropped to almost non-existance. I’m not exactly banned as i can see results but keywords i used to rank high for – for years! – are now gone.
just wondering if this is tnx or just a fluke. been using tnx for a few months now. it’s a good source of income but i do need that traffic.
@JL:
I believe that Google don’t like TNX at all. I actually did a test on one of my not so important web site to just create a review of TNX with “NOFOLLOW” in it. I don’t even have any text link on it. Just a month letter, the site’s PR went down from PR3 to PR0. There is nothing changed , except that review. So I believe that TNX is the cause.
Other than that, I have no explanation. I don’t think it’s worth to risk your PR regardless how much money you can make with text link. I have also heard that the text link inserted into your content may not be relevant to your content. So it will look odd on your celebrity gossip. blog with “rescue your credit” text link.
Hi,
Here’s my own experience till now, which confirms most of what is written in this article is true. I do not run a blog but a directory service (PR5) for about 10 years now, which google used to love and send me a very good amount of traffic everyday. I joined TNX about a week ago and couple of days later, my traffic from Google dropped to almost 0 compared to what I had. I’m no SEO expert so I checked around about google penalties and filters and realized that tnx was probably the coz for that. Luckyly, if it matters at all, my PR on google is still 5 though my pages do not appear on google’s results anymore. I have deleted the tnx code from my site and deleted all of my pages from tnx’s database, so their bots don’t check pr with google, hoping that I will get my position back in a few days. My conclusion is this: Do NOT register with tnx unless you do not care about your position in google results.
I appreciate if you have any advise to give. This tnx phenomenon has ruined years of my hard work.
Did your PR come back? I publish TLA and now my PR is 0!!! If I remove them will it come back quickly?
Rjmartino:
My PR went back finally, but it’s only 3 year later. I asked Google to reconsider my PR twice in the past 3 years. Eveery time my PR comes back up, it wend down to 0 in next PR update. So I give it up until 1 months ago.
I am sorry to hear that. Good luck to you. Remove all TNX links and wait for 3 months and send Google email for reconsideration.