From the post I expected some text link in the footer with the anchor text 'search engine'.

Although I think they could be clearer on link buying, I don't think that is slightly similar to the type of thing they are trying to stop.

That is, if you are talking about the image link or I am missing something.

I was mentioning the direct link to sponsor site from a high PageRank page.

I checked this out when you twittered it. The image links are clearly "Sponsors" or something similar, and the absence of nofollow would seemingly make this page an easy target for Google to make a spam, assuming they have made adjustments to their formula to catch this sort of thing....

Google put this line in the sand, they need to stand on the right side.

As for SEMPO, shouldn't this site, of all the sites out there, know better and be practicing only the strictest of white hat methods? It is an SEO site, afterall.

Exactly where I was coming from Dito. :)

My opinion is that the responsibility lies on SEMPO. If you're interested in advertising on a website, you should not be penalized because the publisher didn't nofollow it. Obviously advertisers are not always after links but want to reach out to a site's users. Should an advertiser have to check to see if ads are nofollowed, or redirected, prior to purchase? Is this "buyer beware"? That seems backwards of other services.

Daniel, you're right in that its the advertisers responsibility. However, as a search engine, Google has set certain "best practices" for advertisers to follow. Their job is to enforce these best practices with traffic penalties coming from their search as a potential implied punishment. The fact that Google appears on a site and participates in an action that is clearly against their guidelines does put them in a shady position.

In other words, Google is not simply an ad buyer, they set the rules, they enforce the rules and apparently, they break them too?

@webdiggr I understand Google sets the rules, and so should follow them. I was giving my opinion on what should occur when a publisher does not nofollow ads.

Google sets the rules, but ultimately you can't be punished if someone chooses to link to you. It's a relevant site, so i don't know what the big deal is anyway. The emphasis is on the Seller not the Buyer.

@alchemyv

it's a sponsored link, as in google paid for it...

You have to love the double standard. Do as I say, not as I do.

Why should SEMPO follow Google guidelines? Nofollowing sponsored links isn't mandatory. And what should have Google done here? Threaten SEMPO with a ban? SEMPO doesn't belong to Google.

My point was not specific to SEMPO...more a reflection of Google's double standards. If they want to police an industry there is no better place to start than with their own interactions and relationships with industry organizations.