Traffic Generation Visitor Exchange Systems & Google Algo / Punihsments

[Ripe]

So, in recent years some services have been developed such as Engageya

I want to ask the experts to weigh in on these types of services that generate traffic. I know of sites that have achieved higher ranking via these NON-bot, user browser visitors.

Here's their own explanation. Any thoughts will be appreciated. I could not find what Google's Matt Cutts has to say about these affairs, I suspect not very good things. However, I KNOW of sites that have achieved higher ranking, with about 30-40% of traffic coming from similar systems to this.

Join our exclusive readers exchange ecosystem

Engageya offers an exclusive readers exchange ecosystem - either within the network only, or cross-networks as well - enabling participating publishers to exchange engaged readers between them in a 1:1 exchange ratio. No commissions involved!

Why networks work with Engageya?

• Create traffic circulation within your network - increase your inventory and impressions within your existing properties.Engage readers within your network and experience an immediate increase in network's page views.
• Enjoy readers'- exchange from other networksOur engine intelligently links matching content articles together, from within your network, as well as from other networks. Get new audiences to your network for non-converting users clicking out.
• New revenue channel - monetize pages with reader-friendly content ad units, while making your readers happy!This is the time to move from aggressive and underperforming monetization methods - to effective and reader-friendly content advertising.
  Let our state-of-the-art semantic & behavioral algorithms place quality targeted content ads on your publisher's content pages.
• Enjoy highest CTRs in the industryContent ads are proven to yield the highest CTRs in the industry, starting at 2% and up to 12% click-through rates! This is simple. Readers click on an article they are interested-in, whether it's sponsored or not.
• Enhance your brand - Offer your publishers private-label content recommendations today, before someone else does.Content advertising is becoming more and more common. New content advertising networks and suppliers are being introduced into the online advertising market, and, sooner or later, they are going to approach your publishers. Engageya offers you a private-label platform to offer your publishers the new & engaging content ad unit - today!
• Comprehensive reports and traffic control dashboardTrace the effectiveness of the content recommendations ad units, as well as control the traffic within your network.

[Cyrus-Shepard]

You may be interested in this Slideshare by Wil Reynolds:

http://www.slideshare.net/wilreynolds/the-10000-paid-content-paid-linking-test-that-is-100-google-safe

Wil owns a large agency and tests out services like this including nRelate and Taboola. Some are better than others. As far as Google is concerned, as long as the links are "nofollowed" the recommendation services should be perfectly fine.

In Wil's case, he used these services for link building, with mixed success.

On the other hand, any content recommendation service that places followed, non-editorial links on the web is worth approaching with caution. I'm not familiar with the Engageya platform, but this is something I'd definitely check out first.

Hope this helps! Best of luck with your content.

[Ripe]

Well the site belongs to a friend of mine, he is located in the middle east and is pretty happy with his local online sales, although he knows and I know that none of this traffic gen via the manipulative methods is not bringing him any of the conversions directly, but he claims he reached his top rank for his keywords of interest only after he used these gimmicks

My question is more concerning Google and its policies / future punishments, does this stuff sound like a type of thing that can be detected and compensated for via search algorithms? As far as I have figured it out, this is really not "automated" and users who sign up to services like this and others (he is using another service, local) have to manually open a browser window and then the system has a way of knowing they are doing that to a subscribed site and it will thus stream other subscribed users to their site in return.

This is a clear manipulation of SERPs in my view and I am really wondering how is Google or other experts in the field viewing this? This results in high time spent on page, low bounce rates, higher traffic, and of course nearly 0 conversions. but it has affected his rank despite his local competitors doing a far better job both technically and visually.

[KeriMorgret]

The traffic may be there, but is it traffic you want? Do the users have the right motivation to come to your site? What are the conversions like from this traffic?