Mark Simon: digital PR consequences of Google’s new rules

March 21,2016: Google’s recent announcement concerning product review bloggers has caused agencies, bloggers, and SEOs to reflect on their disclosure and no-follow link policies.

Today, Didit’s Mark Simon discusses its digital PR ramifications in the pages of ODwyer.com.

He predicts that “most agencies will have no problem adjusting to this new, more intensively-policed environment,” noting that “most product review bloggers understand and incorporate disclosure, believing (correctly) that more transparency equates to more trust from their user base. And most clients will understand that the real value of a prominent review comes from the content of the review and its exposure to a large, relevant audience – not from hyperlinks passing PageRank.”

At the same time, however, agencies may need to become more proactive in terms of making sure any bloggers they contract with disclose and no-follow.

Simon writes: “PR agencies whose clients are using product review bloggers or running influencer campaigns need to get out in front of this issue. They must inform their clients about the need for disclosure, and warn them that no direct SEO benefits will accrue from product review bloggers or from influencer campaigns. (Indirect SEO benefits, however, may accrue, if enough people seeing the paid-for-post decide to link to the sponsor on their own.)

Agencies must also include in their contracts with review bloggers the requirement that disclosure and the no-follow rule be obeyed. Finally, agencies must monitor the reviews which result to ensure that the blogger has complied – both with the terms of the agency contract and the dictates of Google and the FTC.” (Just this past week, the FTC made headlines when it settled a high-profile case against Lord & Taylor alleging that the retailer had conducted a deceptive social media campaign.)

Read complete article at O’Dwyer.com:
http://www.odwyerpr.com/story/public/6549/2016-03-21/google-makes-new-rules-for-product-review-bloggers.html

Further resources:
Google’s Webmaster Guidelines:
https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/35769?hl=en

FTC Dotcom Disclosure Guide:
https://www.ftc.gov/sites/default/files/attachments/press-releases/ftc-staff-revises-online-advertising-disclosure-guidelines/130312dotcomdisclosures.pdf

FTC Guide to Native Advertising:
https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/native-advertising-guide-businesses