posted by Doyle
Paying bloggers to post is a bad idea for everyone concerned.
Can lots of posts improve your search engine ranking? Yes. Is it OK if you disclose you were paid to post? It's better, but still not advisable. If you want to buy an ad, buy an ad. If you want to join the online conversation, do it openly and honestly.
We work with bloggers as well as members of the mainstream media to introduce them to appropriate stories they may find interesting. If they do, they may choose to write about them, online or in a traditional media outlet. If there's not an interest or fit, they don't cover the story. If they cover it, we get an honest story. We often learn a great deal for our clients from people who choose not to write about a topic -- we might find out there are similar offerings, or we're not explaining the benefits as clearly as we could, or a number of issues. These honest conversations are often as valuable as a story.
Paid blogging can severely damage the reputation of the company who pays, and it can destroy the credibility of the blogger who takes the money (whether they are required to be positive or not).
Bad idea.
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