Independent plugs Gala Bingo

What is the difference between a paid advertorial for bingo and buying bingo links? Not much it seems, given the Independent are plugging Gala Bingo with a link to their website here, published on Friday 08 June.

Buying links is specifically against Google's rules as they claim you are effectively gaming the system.

We happen to think it's a silly rule as there is no intrinsic difference between buying an ad in a newspaper and buying a link from a website. They are both simply forms of marketing.

But what doesn't add up is that Google will readily penalise small businesses for selling links, but ignore big boys like the Independent. Why could that be?