Robert Scoble thinks they do but is that enough to solidify the idea? Of course, any service that creates backlinks and can help generate buzz can be gamed for search engine purposes, but does that mean companies like PayPerPost exist only to create false link buzz about a site or product? Only if the blogger being paid intends to use them that way.
However, this gray area hasn’t stopped WordPress from announcing they will ban members who take part in the PPP service, something they touch on in their TOS page. WordPress has also sent out warning emails to members they suspect have posted entries for PayPerPost, informing the blogger they are either to remove the offending posts or their blog will be removed.
The reason for this warning, at least in Scoble’s mind, is because WordPress doesn’t want their service to a haven for spam bloggers; something Google’s Blogger service has been fighting for sometime.
While WordPress’ stance is understandable and even commendable does that mean these paid post services are the search engine spam sanctuaries they are being made out to be? Again, it all depends on the user involved. If the person’s intent is to spam, then they can use services like PayPerPost to do so but that doesn’t mean every post generated from these services is malicious.
Over at SEOBook, Aaron Wall has differing point of view from Scoble’s:
Because I have been involved with ReviewMe, many people have told me that they thought ReviewMe was just an SEO tool, but I realize that links / rankings / SEO in general / brand building / trust building / sales are all just a side effect of getting exposure and satisfying market needs. The benefit of reviews from a network like ReviewMe is that you get exposure in active channels that people trust and are paying attention to.
Feedback, direct sales, direct relevant link equity, secondary citations, new readers, branding and awareness… buying reviews from ReviewMe could pay for themselves many ways over, if you create things worthy of exposure.
