InLinks makes it a bit tougher to trust everything you read online

by Brad Linder Nov 20th 2008

Bloggers and web publishers looking for a quick way to make some cash have long turned to advertisers willing to pay for text links on their web sites. Some text links hang out in a section of a web site clearly labeled as sponsored links. But others have a way of making their way into the body of a post, where they look like any other link on a web page. But typically when you scroll over a text ad placed by an advertising service like Vibrant Media, you'll see a pop up which makes it clear that you're looking at an ad and not necessarily a relevant link placed by the author of the article you're reading.

Now there's a new ad service called InLinks which automates the process of placing in-text links that don't look like ads on a web site. While this may come as good news for a handful of advertisers and web publishers who want to resort to this tactic, if the practice catches on, it could erode people's willingness to click any links at all. After all, if you can't tell the difference between a relevant text link and an ad, there's a good chance you'll err on the side of ignoring all the links.

On the other hand, the inLinks example image shown above leads me to believe that it won't be that tough to spot the fake links on a web site. After all, what blogger would really bother placing a legitimate link under the words "gadget" or "widget?"

What do you think? Is InLinks providing a useful service that will help bloggers make money, or is the company ruining the internet for the rest of us?

[via ProBlogger]

Tags: advertising, inlinks, text-ads

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

James said 12:52PM on 11-20-2008

The question is, can somebody write a Firefox plugin to get rid of them?

There's a good chance the answer will be "yes", in which case I don't care whether people use the service or not.

Scott said 1:59PM on 11-20-2008

Actually, yes, I might place links for words like "gadget" or "widget" into a post, and I'm an active blogger on multiple sites.

I use a FF extension called Kaalga that automatically provides linking options for words while writing in a WP blog because it allows me to give lots of good information and options to readers, plus helps me create better content by giving me in-stream ideas.

I could easily see those two words getting link suggestions if I used them in a post.

What I see is InLinks making it harder for bloggers to earn and maintain trust once readers become jaded by the commercial nature of in content linking it promotes. Sad.

will said 2:25AM on 11-21-2008

I never return to or bookmark web sites that use this.

I expect many other people are the same.

ryzza007 said 7:50AM on 11-21-2008

I think I'll be writing a new line in my hosts file to block them out if they catch on

MagnoliaSouth said 2:31PM on 11-22-2008

This is clearly malicious advertising. I liken this to a live version of malware. Instead of ware is web. Malwebads sounds like a good name.

Yep, I can see Adblock Plus tackling this right now. The thing is that there are plenty of legitimate fair advertising that loses a lot of money because of companies like this, forcing users to use ABP. If it weren't for the obtrusive advertising, no one would even use ABP.

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