Robots.txt to block autolinks page

I have a small casino website (1st-casinos.co.uk) and use gotlinks.com for links. Because it is an automated site and generates lots of links I've exluded the links page from robots.txt (obviously my real links page isnt excluded). Will Google still penalise me for using Gotlinks? i.e will it see the links page even though the robots file tells it not to index it?

As long as you have the robots.txt set up properly Google will read it as gospel.

In that case I guess there is no harm in using free linkfarms that ask for a reciprocal link, if you can just exclude it from robots.txt?

well very slightly link farms will automatically be devalued if not kicked out of the index. If some one checks the link back sees the robots.txt they'll remove it from their site.

You could spend weeks getting loads of ricips. from spammy sites or you could spend days getting a few good links from decent sites and rank the same if not better.

That's a heck of a gamble. If they consider any link to a link farm to be black hat, whether or not it is blocked using robots.txt or nofollow, you run the risk of being banned for assisting the link farm. Not worth the risk IMHO especially considering that those links are just about worthless if not completely worthless. And all it would take is a competitor to report your site for them to find out.

Yeah totally agree with you stymiee when you say -
"...a competitor to report your site for them to find out."
sorry really tired. Nice catch.

I've used techniques like this and they work. Why should I try to increase my rank when I can just knock other sites straight out of the run for the top 3 who are using blatant black hat. It makes my job a lot easier.

If you get banned/penalized by a personal evaluation it'll be longer than if the algo does, from what other users have noticed. I've never been banned so I cant say for sure, but it does makes sense. If you manage to cheat the algo and it is only detectable via a personal eval. then you are more of a "threat" to relevance so longer consequences as a result.

I do disagree that they would work it out as robots.txt is gospel. They wouldn't check the pages out it would mean extra bandwidth, electricity and crawl time thats why SE love robots.txt it makes their job easier and saves them time and money.

Getting reported by a competitor is a higher possibility especially in your competitive market. Again stymiee says it perfectly -
"those links are just about worthless if not completely worthless"
Get good back links it'll make your job a lot easier and less time consuming.

actually gotlinks is one of the best, you have control who links to you, and which category etc, I've noticed also that sometimes I get a customer coming from gotlinks, not much, but one or two every some month.

But if you use the robots.txt although it is not a black hat method it is still unethical, because you have agreed to show this links.

I dunno, it's pretty villainous in my book.

Part of the deal going on is that these other sites are expecting to rise a little in rank from NOT being on your robots.txt just as you expect to not be in theirs.

The only reason someone could possibly have for getting loads of impressions of people that don't even meet their target audience would be to farm ads, or rather, if their target audience were "anyone who qualifies the site to receive ad revenue and nothing more".

Honestly, it isn't hard to build a user base, you just have to get creative and work hard at it, or even just pay money for traditional CPC or CPM at a focused target audience for your services.

Yeah totally agree.

Also you haven't taken into account the "Muppet Factor"

Whats the Muppet factor?
Well the Muppet factor is when some one like me comes along, knowing what they are doing, and ruins your day.

For example if I followed a link back and saw it was being blocked by robots.txt which one of these options do you think I would take -

1. Remove the link from my site and move on.

2. Remove the link from my site and then email everyone else who are getting screwed and let them know. Then sit back and watch every one desert the sinking ship while taking their equity with them.

Hay they are my competitor at the end of the day so why should I fight up hill when I can level the battle field.

Personally I would recommend people especially my competitors do block links via robots.txt it wastes their time and gives me a lot easier job.

Let me guess you own gotlinks. Nice ad