Finally, Google Takes a Valid and Worthwhile Step
I’ve written previously about Google reducing the PageRank of sites that sell links, but it seems as if they’ve gotten round to another much maligned aspect of blogging, Pay Per Post. Personally, I don’t like Pay Per Post. While I accept that some blogs make alot of money from it (see the image below), and others clearly disclose the fact that a post has been paid for, there are certain Pay Per Post vendors that seek to control the actual content of the post. Therefore, if I see a site than advertises Pay Per Post, I immediately begin to question the validity of everything on the entire site.
Selling links is not something I have a particular problem with. I do, however, check all the links that I put on these pages to make sure they are appropriate and potentially of benefit to my readers. What I will not do is compromise my integrity by posting content that has been paid for, even if I retain editorial control of the content. I’m quite happy posting only about subjects that interest me, not about the products and services who have the most money to spend on hiring bloggers.
So, bravo Google. Pay Per Post is a blight on the web, I’m glad to see someone is taking some action to halt its spread.
Here, here Simon. I concur with your take. What’s hilarious is that their CEO is claiming censorship and asking Congress to step in!
I agree with you.
As a new blogger, I fully admit that the temptation of PayPerPost, especially after seeing such reports as John Chow, was great. Sure, I’d love to make big money on my blog simply by blogging.
I don’t really have an issue with PPP personally, as the people who do it disclose what posts are PPP, however I’ve read time and again all over the web that readers dislike Pay Per Post because it calls into question the validity of other posts on that blog. The only people who seems to sing the praises of Pay Per Post are people who are a) already making loads of money from it, or b) newbies who just joined PPP and want people to hire them. Readers seem to either hate it, or not care; I haven’t seen too many readers who say they enjoy Pay Per Post on blogs.
Probably that easiest way to think about PPP is, if you read a blog and realise they take sponsored posts, does it change your view of the site/author? If it does, then it’s hypocritical to run a similar scheme on your site. I, personally, don’t like PPP so I don’t run it.
And I did think the same as you Caitlin. When you see John Chow making that sort of money for just one post, it is very tempting.