NEWS

Link Exchanges Violate Google Guidelines – Relevance Doesn’t Matter via @sejournal, @martinibuster

Published

3 years ago

July 12, 2021

Google’s John Mueller answered a question about link exchanges. He was asked how much is okay. Mueller explained how Google’s algorithm and quality team deal with link exchanges between websites.

Background on Link Exchanges

A link exchange is a situation that comes from an agreement between two publishers to link to each other.

Sometimes two websites link to each other without an agreement or any contact between each other. That’s considered a natural reciprocal link.

Reciprocal link and link exchange are generally used interchangeably but the phrase link exchange is explicitly about an arrangement to link between two websites.

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Variation on Link Exchange Tactic

On a side note there is also a variation of the link exchange called a three-way link exchange.

A three-way link exchange is where site A agrees to link to Site B with Site C. Site B agrees to link to Site A in exchange for the link from Site C.

The purpose of the three-way link exchange is to trick Google into seeing the interlinking as one-way links and not as reciprocal links.

When are Link Exchanges Considered Spam?

The person asking the question shared that in his link building outreach many website publishers ask for a link exchange, which is also known as a reciprocal link.

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The concern was if exchanging links violated Google’s guidelines and if so, how much link exchanging was permissible until it is considered spam by Google.

The question:

“My question is related to link exchange. Up to what extent is it permissible to exchange the links or not considered as spam?

So what’s the best practices when it comes to… exchanging… backlinks?”

Google Says Link Exchanges Violate Google’s Guidelines

Google’s John Mueller didn’t have to think about his answer.

His response was quick and without ambiguity.

John Mueller said:

“So… a link exchange where both sides are kind of like you link to me and therefore I will link back to you, kind of thing, that is essentially against our webmaster guidelines.

So that’s something where our algorithms would look at that and try to understand what is happening here and try to ignore those links.

And if the web spam team were to look at it they would also say this is not okay.

And if this is the majority of the links to your website like this then they might apply manual action.

So that’s something I would avoid.”

Link Exchanges Between Relevant Sites?

The person asking the question next asked if Google’s negative view of link exchanges was also true for link exchanges between sites that are relevant to each other.

There is a longstanding myth that a spammy technique is not spammy if it’s done between relevant sites.

Link sellers in the not so distant past have erroneously claimed that because their link inventory consisted of high quality sites and because they only sold links to other high quality relevant sites that Google was okay with it. Which of course is wrong.

The “between relevant sites” justification is an oldie but it has never been a goldie.

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The person asked:

“Even if it is topically relevant though?”

Mueller Reacts to Question About Link Exchange with Relevant Links

Google's John Mueller shaking his head no John Mueller shook his head and answered:

Google's John Mueller shaking his head no

“It doesn’t matter if it’s… like topically relevant or if it’s kind of like a useful link.

If you’re doing this systematically then we think that’s a bad idea because from our point of view those are not natural links to your website.

They’re only there because like you’re doing this deal with the other site.”

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Link Exchange Loopholes

John Mueller mentioned that it’s a bad idea if a publisher engages in systematic reciprocal linking, which means when it’s a strategy that’s being executed.

He also said that it may be problematic if most of a site’s backlinks consisted of link exchanges.

Some may see that as loopholes to justify doing link exchanges at a smaller scale.

But Mueller also said that Google will try to find those and ignore them.

Rather than look for loopholes in what Mueller said it’s best to simply walk away from link exchanges and not engage in that. It’s clear that link exchanges violate Google’s guidelines.

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For sites that aspire to avoid getting banned by Google it’s good to keep in mind that spammy link schemes are a short term solution for a long term problem.

Citation

Watch Google’s John Mueller answer the question about how much link exchange is okay, clip is viewable at the 9:25 minute mark.

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Searchenginejournal.com

NEWS

OpenAI Introduces Fine-Tuning for GPT-4 and Enabling Customized AI Models

Published

4 weeks ago

August 21, 2024

Max

OpenAI Introduces Fine-Tuning for GPT-4 and Enabling Customized AI Models

OpenAI has today announced the release of fine-tuning capabilities for its flagship GPT-4 large language model, marking a significant milestone in the AI landscape. This new functionality empowers developers to create tailored versions of GPT-4 to suit specialized use cases, enhancing the model’s utility across various industries.

Fine-tuning has long been a desired feature for developers who require more control over AI behavior, and with this update, OpenAI delivers on that demand. The ability to fine-tune GPT-4 allows businesses and developers to refine the model’s responses to better align with specific requirements, whether for customer service, content generation, technical support, or other unique applications.

Why Fine-Tuning Matters

GPT-4 is a very flexible model that can handle many different tasks. However, some businesses and developers need more specialized AI that matches their specific language, style, and needs. Fine-tuning helps with this by letting them adjust GPT-4 using custom data. For example, companies can train a fine-tuned model to keep a consistent brand tone or focus on industry-specific language.

Fine-tuning also offers improvements in areas like response accuracy and context comprehension. For use cases where nuanced understanding or specialized knowledge is crucial, this can be a game-changer. Models can be taught to better grasp intricate details, improving their effectiveness in sectors such as legal analysis, medical advice, or technical writing.

Key Features of GPT-4 Fine-Tuning

The fine-tuning process leverages OpenAI’s established tools, but now it is optimized for GPT-4’s advanced architecture. Notable features include:

Enhanced Customization: Developers can precisely influence the model’s behavior and knowledge base.
Consistency in Output: Fine-tuned models can be made to maintain consistent formatting, tone, or responses, essential for professional applications.
Higher Efficiency: Compared to training models from scratch, fine-tuning GPT-4 allows organizations to deploy sophisticated AI with reduced time and computational cost.

Additionally, OpenAI has emphasized ease of use with this feature. The fine-tuning workflow is designed to be accessible even to teams with limited AI experience, reducing barriers to customization. For more advanced users, OpenAI provides granular control options to achieve highly specialized outputs.

Implications for the Future

The launch of fine-tuning capabilities for GPT-4 signals a broader shift toward more user-centric AI development. As businesses increasingly adopt AI, the demand for models that can cater to specific business needs, without compromising on performance, will continue to grow. OpenAI’s move positions GPT-4 as a flexible and adaptable tool that can be refined to deliver optimal value in any given scenario.

By offering fine-tuning, OpenAI not only enhances GPT-4’s appeal but also reinforces the model’s role as a leading AI solution across diverse sectors. From startups seeking to automate niche tasks to large enterprises looking to scale intelligent systems, GPT-4’s fine-tuning capability provides a powerful resource for driving innovation.

OpenAI announced that fine-tuning GPT-4o will cost $25 for every million tokens used during training. After the model is set up, it will cost $3.75 per million input tokens and $15 per million output tokens. To help developers get started, OpenAI is offering 1 million free training tokens per day for GPT-4o and 2 million free tokens per day for GPT-4o mini until September 23. This makes it easier for developers to try out the fine-tuning service.

As AI continues to evolve, OpenAI’s focus on customization and adaptability with GPT-4 represents a critical step in making advanced AI accessible, scalable, and more aligned with real-world applications. This new capability is expected to accelerate the adoption of AI across industries, creating a new wave of AI-driven solutions tailored to specific challenges and opportunities.

GOOGLE

This Week in Search News: Simple and Easy-to-Read Update

Published

3 months ago

June 30, 2024

Entireweb News Bot

This Week in Search News: Simple and Easy-to-Read Update

Here’s what happened in the world of Google and search engines this week:

1. Google’s June 2024 Spam Update

Google finished rolling out its June 2024 spam update over a period of seven days. This update aims to reduce spammy content in search results.

2. Changes to Google Search Interface

Google has removed the continuous scroll feature for search results. Instead, it’s back to the old system of pages.

3. New Features and Tests

Link Cards: Google is testing link cards at the top of AI-generated overviews.
Health Overviews: There are more AI-generated health overviews showing up in search results.
Local Panels: Google is testing AI overviews in local information panels.

4. Search Rankings and Quality

Improving Rankings: Google said it can improve its search ranking system but will only do so on a large scale.
Measuring Quality: Google’s Elizabeth Tucker shared how they measure search quality.

5. Advice for Content Creators

Brand Names in Reviews: Google advises not to avoid mentioning brand names in review content.
Fixing 404 Pages: Google explained when it’s important to fix 404 error pages.

6. New Search Features in Google Chrome

Google Chrome for mobile devices has added several new search features to enhance user experience.

7. New Tests and Features in Google Search

Credit Card Widget: Google is testing a new widget for credit card information in search results.
Sliding Search Results: When making a new search query, the results might slide to the right.

8. Bing’s New Feature

Bing is now using AI to write “People Also Ask” questions in search results.

9. Local Search Ranking Factors

Menu items and popular times might be factors that influence local search rankings on Google.

10. Google Ads Updates

Query Matching and Brand Controls: Google Ads updated its query matching and brand controls, and advertisers are happy with these changes.
Lead Credits: Google will automate lead credits for Local Service Ads. Google says this is a good change, but some advertisers are worried.
tROAS Insights Box: Google Ads is testing a new insights box for tROAS (Target Return on Ad Spend) in Performance Max and Standard Shopping campaigns.
WordPress Tag Code: There is a new conversion code for Google Ads on WordPress sites.

These updates highlight how Google and other search engines are continuously evolving to improve user experience and provide better advertising tools.

FACEBOOK

Facebook Faces Yet Another Outage: Platform Encounters Technical Issues Again

Published

6 months ago

March 20, 2024

Max

Uppdated: It seems that today’s issues with Facebook haven’t affected as many users as the last time. A smaller group of people appears to be impacted this time around, which is a relief compared to the larger incident before. Nevertheless, it’s still frustrating for those affected, and hopefully, the issues will be resolved soon by the Facebook team.

Facebook had another problem today (March 20, 2024). According to Downdetector, a website that shows when other websites are not working, many people had trouble using Facebook.

This isn’t the first time Facebook has had issues. Just a little while ago, there was another problem that stopped people from using the site. Today, when people tried to use Facebook, it didn’t work like it should. People couldn’t see their friends’ posts, and sometimes the website wouldn’t even load.

Downdetector, which watches out for problems on websites, showed that lots of people were having trouble with Facebook. People from all over the world said they couldn’t use the site, and they were not happy about it.

When websites like Facebook have problems, it affects a lot of people. It’s not just about not being able to see posts or chat with friends. It can also impact businesses that use Facebook to reach customers.

Since Facebook owns Messenger and Instagram, the problems with Facebook also meant that people had trouble using these apps. It made the situation even more frustrating for many users, who rely on these apps to stay connected with others.

During this recent problem, one thing is obvious: the internet is always changing, and even big websites like Facebook can have problems. While people wait for Facebook to fix the issue, it shows us how easily things online can go wrong. It’s a good reminder that we should have backup plans for staying connected online, just in case something like this happens again.