Seems the giving away free templates with embedded keyword rich links has filtered up to the fortune 500 level as Hewlett Packard released a series of free templates today
Head on over to HP Logoworks and download a free template. Open up the footer and here’s what you’ll see
<p>
Logoworks designs custom <a target="_blank" href="http://www.logoworks.com/business-cards.html">business cards</a> and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.logoworks.com">logos<a>.<br />
Looks like HP’s Logoworks division want to rank for business cards and logos to me. Since Matt Cutts has already expressed his opinion of embedded links in themes can we expect a ban or penalty to find it’s way over to HP and Logoworks? Something tells me google will continue to beat down the little guy while big brand names get away with it.
Yet another example of Google’s two tiered justice in action.
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I find it funny how they wont even address this issue. I guess Google is kinda like the Bush adminstration in that way.
My favorite are the footer links that are obfuscated so I can’t edit them only remove the link. Obfuscation also scares me because you don’t know what that code is doing.
It’s no news that Google doesn’t measur the same way small business and big enterprises.
Maybe Google wasn’t aware, yet. Or am I being naive?
Yeah I think the two tier system is directly correlated to your adwords spend. I would be interested how fast google would pick up the phone if somebody threatened to pull their 500k adwords monthly marketing budget if they didn’t get a call about their dropped organic rankings.
The trouble for Google is that they’re faced with user pressures. Little guys doing wrong can be removed from the system without anyone noticing. When major brands are no longer found on Google, it makes it look like Google is inept.
Well at least we can see the links and it is not hidden. I can tolerate that. As most WP themes have a “design by” link below. Although this one is quite obvious. It is not a “designed by” link, and they made it very keyword focused.
Considering how search savvy HP is, I find this surprising. Probably planned before the widgetbait debacle burst out into the open. Also, since it’s HP, you just know they’re not gonna get banned.
What’s also entertaining was the following “add-ons” the PRSA bought with their deluxe package. Which goes back to Seth (or Aaron?) saying that you can take stuff that’s out there free and sell it.
“The add-ons they added to their custom blog design are: All in One SEO Pack, WP-Polls, Events Calendar, Analytics, and Surveys.”
“Yet another example of Google’s two tiered justice in action.”
**another example** ?!?
As you said yourself, “Hewlett Packard released a series of free templates today” – surely for the penalty to be applied it will require a number of people downloading and using the templates, and then getting re-indexed. 24 hours isn’t really long enough to start shouting about Google not reacting.
Michael – We are all painfully aware that Google has a do as I say not as I do policy. Frankly, I think Google needs a good PR black eye and maybe they will remember the roots of their success.
All of the attrition they are seeing as well as their political posturing in the MSFT/YAHOO merger is part of some growing internal demons…
> **another example** ?!?
Google stated in other cases that they were willing to be pre-emptive because of *speculated intent*
If they are pre-emptive on one front and judge the intent on one front then they need to do the same here, or they prove that their own words are a bit hollow, and they are not to be trusted.
Reading Matt-on-Matt’s saga, it sounds like HP is taking the lessons learned from that debacle and applying them. They’re using the term “logo” (part of their domain) and “business cards” (part of their URL) in two links that pertain to such. The links aren’t hidden behind noscript and the template probably incorporates logo design (relevant content). Even if it turns out to be a negative gamble by HP, it’ll likely do little to affect their well established Logoworks domain.
HP stuffs the SERPs with subdomains too. I see they’re currently holding 49 of the top 50 spots in Google for the search term “HP Server”. http://www.google.com/search?q=hp+server
The problem is simple. You have people working at SEO agencies who all read the same stuff as the “little” guys and use the same tactics for the big guys. As always the little guys get slapped because they are little while the enterprise clients benefit from the creativity and sacrifices of the little guy.
Just as an example recall the time that BMW Germany straight up used cloaking. It reached critical mass and they DID get slapped, but after removal they were re included in less than 2 weeks… to the same rankings as before. As a little guy you try and do that and see what happens.
Yeah, there’s really no way around this for Google. It’s the exact same thing. The intent is clear by HP.
Too bad that’s just way it is, and the way it’s gonna be, no matter what we do or say about it… probably.
I guess this explains a bit
– http://www.logoworks.com/FreeAdWords/
Wow that’s so obvious it’s ridiculous. Doubt Google will penalize them though, HP is too rich to have to abide by the law.
Google might look inept if a huge company like HP didn’t appear for brand queries, but there is no excuse beyond GoogleGreed that they wouldn’t apply a penalty for non-branded queries.
Google is corrupt as hell.
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