Internet Marketing guides have frequently taught how to create a fake review site comparing several products and then ranking one as the top choice.

This strategy is totally useless now unless you want to get slapped and banned for life by Google and possibly attract attention from the FTC.

I can see Google’s point here as they want the Google searcher to get quality results.

It also is true that Google has made huge money advertising these sites and lots of other questionable things like spyware toolbars/software so they are not exactly white knights either.

Web Marketing will adapt and move on and the dance will continue.