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Google Cracking Down On Taboo SEO

Overstock.com is being punished by Google for allegedly artificially boosting its search ranking. "The incident, according to Overstock, stemmed in part from its practice of encouraging Web sites of colleges and universities to post links to Overstock pages so that students and faculty could receive discounts on the shopping site," according to The Wall Street Journal.

"Overstock said it discontinued the program on Feb. 10, before hearing from Google, but said some university Webmasters have been slow to remove the links." As a Google spokesman acknowledged: "Attempts to game Google's ranking go on 24 hours a day, every single day." Therefore, which sites the search giant chooses to punish can sometimes seem arbitrary. In another instance earlier this month, Google reportedly lowered the ranking of links to J.C. Penny Co. in response to improper search engine optimization tactics.

Read the whole story at The Wall Street Journal »

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