Uncovered: The Google Quality Raters Handbook

1. PPC Pages - Web pages setup for the purpose of collecting PPC revenue without providing any or much of their own content.
2. Parked Domains - Sites that are setup on expired or parked domains to exploit pre existing backlinks.
3. Thin Affiliates - A page that exists to deliver a visitor to a page on another domain with a different owner.
4. Hidden Text and Hidden Links - Page that include hidden text designed to trick search engine robots.
5. JavaScript Redirects - Web pages that use javascript to redirect spiders and users to different versions of the same page.
6. Keyword stuffing - Web pages that load with excessive keywords to draw search robots to their pages.
7. 100% frame - Pages that use frames to deliver different looking content to search spiders and users.
8. Sneaky redirects - Web pages that present different content to the user and robot by redirecting visitors through a series of pages.

This guide gives detailed descriptions on all of the above methods and even includes examples of sites currently spamming search results. Some of the examples given even mention quality guidelines for online merchants eg:

• a "view your shopping cart" link that stays on the same site and updates when you add items to it,
• a return policy with a physical address,
• a shipping charge calculator,
• a "wish list" link, or a link to postpone purchase of an item until later,
• a way to track FedEx orders,
• a user forum,
• the ability to register or login,
• a gift registry, or
• an invitation to become an affiliate of that site

Posted by Matthew Elshaw at 11:46 PM GMT