So I received an email from an SEO company looking to have a link removed (2 Viewers)

pete

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9th October, I received this email (twice) from [email protected]

Google Penalty: urgent action requested

Hi,

I work for the company: XXXXXXXX.IE

Our site has been penalized by Google because of a handful of back links pointing to our site (we have lost 80% of our traffic). I have opened a line of communication with their WebSpam team and am working to clear the penalty.

HOW THIS AFFECTS YOU?
We have isolated the back links causing our penalty which we need to have removed, ONE is from your site and I need to get that link taken down asap.

Heres the thing...

In order to get out of the penalty they have asked me to submit to them all the paid or unnatural links which are currently pointing to our site and in the next 5 days I will be submitting to them this list and unfortunately your site is included.

HOW TO AVOID NEGATIVE ACTION FROM GOOGLE
If you can take the links down to: WWW.XXXXXX.IE then of course I will be able to leave your site off that list.

I really don't want to be the cause of a penalty to you, nor report anyone else's website to Google hence I'm reaching out to you now, and if you can get that link taken down ASAP then of course I won't include your site when I report back to them!

Where Exactly Are These Links Which Need Removing?
Specifically the links on the following page which link back to us are
located here:

http://thumped.com/bbs/showthread.php?XXXXXXXXXXXXX

I really hope you understand the position we find ourselves in, we truly appreciate your assistance in the past for including the link to us and would really appreciate it now if you can take the link down!

If you want to chat this through please get in touch.
Kindest Regards

DXXXX DXXXXXX
http://www.XXXXXXX.IE
[email protected]

Some pretty impressive levels of passive aggressiveness there... So I check the thread in question, and it contains a question from someone looking for a service, and a reply from someone recommending a company, with a link to their site. Hardly "unnatural".

All outbound links here pass through an automated third party service (viglink) to stick in affiliate link if possible (which didn't happen in this specific case), but this is perfectly legit practice as far as Google are concerned - they even invest in the company in question. So, the link wasn't bought and certainly wasn't "Paid For".

So, with that in mind, I replied:

the link is neither "paid for" nor "unnatural"

get your facts straight.

pete

And thought no more of it. I briefly considered mentioning legal action, maybe throw in some references to tortious interference or defamation, but why bother?

Three days later (12th October), I received the same email again, and again this morning (15th).

But this evening, I arrive home from work to find an email from the "Compliance Manager" at the domain registrar that thumped.com is registered through. Not where the server is hosted- the domain registrar.

From: [email protected]

Google Penalty: urgent action requested

Hello,

We have been contacted by [email protected] that you have unnatural links. To avoid any penalty from search engines we ask you to remove the links. If you have any questions or concerns please contact the third party. Furthermore we XXXXXX will not take any action against your site.


Regards,
XXXXX XXXXX
Compliance Manager

And so, my question -

WHAT KIND OF CLOWN AM I DEALING WITH HERE?
 
Pete, the Cleveland Browns received this letter of complaint about people throwing paper airplanes at their ground

5444744989_10eeb2e6f7_o.jpg


The response is an all time classic

I feel that you should be aware that some asshole is signing your name to stupid letters.

5444745065_77d39260f0_o.jpg
 
From: [email protected]

Google Penalty: urgent action requested

Hello,

We have been contacted by [email protected] that you have unnatural links. To avoid any penalty from search engines we ask you to remove the links. If you have any questions or concerns please contact the third party. Furthermore we XXXXXX will not take any action against your site.


Regards,
XXXXX XXXXX
Compliance Manager

And my carefully considered response to the missive in question:

I already told the third party to get fucked, so hopefully this brings the matter to a satisfactory conclusion for them.

thanks,
pete
 
I'm trying to get my head around the initial communication. A "handful of back links" are causing $company to lose traffic HOWEVER if you don't remove the link to them, YOU will be penalised. What bullshit.

Ask them for details on Google's web spam team so you can ensure that your link is not a "back link".
 
Have you considered taking action against XXXXXXXX.IE asking that they remove their website as it's taking vital traffic away from your thread?
 
Hmm, can't internet detective what the offending URL is BUT, you should tell Derek Dolan from http://proseo.ie to fuck right off.

It's not the first time he's tried this:

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