The topic of paid links is in the headlines once again, and ironically, Google is the accused. As WebProNews previously reported, Google was recently caught up in a controversy after it violated its own Webmaster Guidelines as part of a marketing campaign for Google Chrome.

One thing that Google is pretty good at is providing resources for webmasters to learn from. The regular videos from Matt Cutts in which he answers user-submitted questions are no different. It just happens to be this very topic that is addressed in the latest upload.

Question: Whenever Google detects a violation of its Webmaster Guidelines, can we expect a feature to be added in Google Webmaster Central where it could help the webmasters learn what the issue was?

As you may or may not be aware, Google recommends keeping the number of links on any given page to under 100. This recommendation can be found among Google’s webmaster guidelines under the Design and Content Guidelines section.

One of the buzz topics in the marketing world for the past few months is the fact that directory submission is dieing as a method of link development and search engine optimization.  To add to the buzz, if you regularly check up on Google’s Webmaster Guidelines you will notice that it no longer lists submitting your site to relevant directories as something you should do.  To some, this is a sign that search engines no longer view directories as important.

One webmaster found Google unwilling to index pictures located in an images directory, but some extra content apparently left the site afoul of Google’s guidelines.

 Google has officially said that buying and selling links that pass PageRank is a violation of the company’s Webmaster Guidelines, and can result in a drop in search rankings.

Google has updated its Webmaster Guidelines to include definitions of commonly used terms for shady practices and clearer language about the penalties associated with black and gray hat SEO tactics.