Google updates and disavow options creating mass hysteria

[djbaxter]

It's getting annoying, frankly, but sometimes the emails are sadly comical. Here's one I received this morning:

This is from webmaster team of theirsite.com. Can you please remove the link pointing our site from your site please.

We got hit with google update and looking to come out of it. We are not sure whch link(s) harms our site but we have decided to remove all links pointing our site.

Oh yeah... that'll work.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Ya remove all links. Thanks a great strategy!

I hate these. I get them a lot for my other forum.

I tend to reply with something like "So you hired a cheap spammy SEO to build spammy links and they spammed my forum. Now you expect me to jump through hoops to clean up YOUR mess?"

 

[djbaxter]

I agree. In this case the kicker was the goal of deleting ALL their incoming links because they don't know which ones are problematic.

If they provide me with a URL to the specific link, I'll comply even though it's a pain. Otherwise, I ignore them.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Luckily most of the ones I've gotten were a sig link so even if it was 20 posts, I just delete the sig and they are all gone. BUT 1ST I have to give the person a hard time to help them realize they brought this on themselves.

 

[JoshuaMackens]

Most of these companies have zero clue of the tactics that their SEO companies perform. Especially local businesses. They can't take time to understand every little thing about SEO and the implications of the penalties they may incur. They have a business to run. Honestly, it's not their fault.

Now, if it's an SEO company, completely different story.

While it is a pain, I feel bad for the companies that get hit like this. It's unfortunate and many times, if they put all their eggs in the SEO basket, they may end up having to lay people off that they hired to keep up with the demand the SEO created. That's the reality.

We're potentially talking about people's jobs.

So, while I understand your disgust with SEO spam, don't let the victims become collateral damage

 

[Linda Buquet]

So, while I understand your disgust with SEO spam, don't let the victims become collateral damage

Hi Joshua. Yes I totally get that.

But before I bend over backward cleaning up THEIR mess - I just feel the need to point out to them that this problem happened because of bad choices THEY made. I don't usually word the emails as harshly as I said here. I was just venting.

And I do clean up the links. I just point out the error of their ways 1st.

 

[JoshuaMackens]

If the cleanup is too much work, I wouldn't expect you to do it

I totally understand venting. Good for the soul!