Link Removal Requests Pandamonium…

EDIT March 2014 – IF you are using a THIRD PARTY link removal service… PLEASE REMEMBER that there is NO way to verify the authenticity of your link removal request – You MUST use either:

  • an email request FROM the DOMAIN affected (and NOT generic emails from hotmail, gmail, live etc), AND/OR
  • POST A PAGE ON YOUR WEBSITE which confirms the request being made from xxxx email address is VALID.

Either approach is much more likely to generate a positive response from the directory approached!

Now – back to the original story…

I have recently received a significant number of email requests from various website owners requesting that their listings and articles being removed from some of my directory websites…

And the situation is getting beyond a joke. I can imagine that directory webmasters around the globe are receiving numerous requests to remove lots of listings.

These requests go along these lines…

“Dear webmaster,
While working for link building SEO process we have submitted our website XXXXXXXXX into your website to get links. Now we would like to remove our website links from your website therefore request you to please remove all the links to our website XXXXXXXXX.
We have received an instruction from Google Webmaster to get the link removed, therefore we are requesting you to please remove it on high priority basis. We will be thankful to you for such a great help.”

Now.. considering these are for legitimate, long-established directory links which were submitted way back in 2006, 2008 and 2009…

Do you really think it is NOW a problem? And something that warranted Google’s attention?

Do you really think Google has specifically asked for THESE types of links to be removed???

I don’t think so!

Free directory listings are NOT against Google’s guidelines.. in fact such listings have, and always WILL BE, a very “normal” part of the process used to create legitimate links to web sites… particularly when submitting to long established directories such as those run by Come On Aussie.

More than likely it is some recent, dubious link-building they may have engaged in, such as spam blog commenting, spinning articles/links, paid links on blog networks, etc. which has triggered the Google Webmaster letter.

This is a typical over-reaction (hence the “Pandamonium”) that is going to waste an enormous amount of time (both theirs, mine and other directory owners) as they pander to the rather vague request actually received from Google.

If this is something that you are worried about, I would strongly suggest you do a little more research into this this situation BEFORE you waste any further time pursuing the removal of legitimate links to your site.

Can you imagine just how much time and money you might waste with these requests? Especially if you have hundreds of links???

And… since some of these requests are coming from an email address which is NOT attached to the parent domain… it’s very suspicious! It makes me think that perhaps there’s a new roaring trade in FAKE REMOVAL REQUESTS being submitted to remove competitors websites.

No doubt they could be reasonably successful with their efforts with other directories.

Remember if you ever want to REMOVE YOUR LISTINGS from any of Come On Aussie’s business directories, just LOGIN with your username and password and hit the DELETE button. (and if the contact detail IS out of date… then shoot me an email from your domain email).

At least then I know an authorised person made the decision.

But really… don’t go overboard killing your legitimate links which have been established forever 🙂

Cheers
Stephen

By Stephen Spry · Filed Under Directories 

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