NEW Google Related Links - What's the point!

[POLiSH]

Google has came up with a new program which allows you to show related links of your "Competitors?" According to google this will allow for a more direct flow of traffic to your web site based on the content? Here are just a couple of FAQ's that are listed on there site:


http://www.google.com/relatedlinks/faq.html
What are Related Links?

Webmasters can place Related Links units on their site to provide visitors with links to useful information, including related searches, pages and news. Any webmaster can host a unit on their website and start serving links to content that is targeted to the topic on that page.

Google Related Links use the power of Google to automatically bring fresh, dynamic and interesting content links to any website. Webmasters can place these units on their site to provide visitors with links to useful information related to the site's content, including relevant news, searches, and pages. Learn more...

How does this product help webmasters?

Related Links uses the power of Google to automatically bring fresh, dynamic and interesting content links to any website. They provide a fast and automated way to display related searches, pages, and news on their sites.


Can I get paid to place Related Links on my site?

Not at this time. We hope that with this product, you can make your site even more useful to your visitors by providing them with links to information they are interested in.

- I can't see this happening in the long run, what's the difference between this and adsense? No description of the site? If google wants my traffic they are going to have to pay for it.

What do you think?

[jdk]

Looks like one giant web ring. I don't see any mention of making money from the program. I do have a couple questions:

1.) Does the more impressions your site(s) give increase the # of impressions your link with appear on linked sites?

2.) I didn't read any mention of making money from the program. It reads like a link exchange program...

I don't think program is for a site who may be selling a product or service. It is rather for a site used for entertainment, free products, etc.

[NavySeals91]

It could also be a way to advertise free and generate traffic to your/ someone else's site.

[POLiSH]

Good view point jdk.

I'll try and answer your questions:

1.) I would think just by looking at there home page for Google Related Links that they have something planned for sites with a large amount of traffic.
QUOTE: For websites that have over 10,000 hits a day, please contact the Google team.

2.) Your right with not saying anything about making money, "at this time." I would think in the long run they may throw in some PPC Links, "Paying for placement in the program so to speak.

As far as the SERP's are concerned it would be very intresting to see how this would be throw into the current google ALGO.

[Banned: denny007]

I see this model:
For every time set of X links is shown on your page you get 0.5*X shown on another pages (for bir traffic pages the ratio migh be better). Google earn a lot of spots as a "commission" and they use it for self-promo or to sell it.
Just a theory...

[POLiSH]

Theory sounds like a possiblity.

[gatorgrad]

my only thought is why??? what real benefit does it give me, especially when I can provide adsense links to my competitors(assuming our content is similiar).

Adsense links=$$$
Related links= no$, percentage of the traffic back?!?

Google's gonna have to really convince me this is gonna help.

[POLiSH]

I went ahead and put google related "News" on my site. This is of course as a trial only. Right now it's on all pages on the site.. around 150 pages. You can filter what you want display:

Related - Searches - News - Web Pages

The news adds very fresh content to the site. I will have to keep an eye if any of it get's index'ed.