In this Forum thread i had notifed an issue related to Google Flagging on directory sites if they have Footer link like Powered by phpLD.. Is really Google google flagging phpld sites if we have footer links in Directory like Powered By phpLD
Like jamieG said; there is no evidence. However, if you wanted my *personal opinion*... I personally believe so.
Hi, Thats true. Directories made from bought scripts are not useful anymore. So I have created my own business directory with unique script. Directories made from PHPLD are scrap directories.
As others have said, there is no evidence but then again there rarely is when it comes to Google... unless Cutts comes out and says something us mere minions will never know But personally, I dont think they are looking for the footer link, it is so much easier when most sites have the meta generator tag set: <meta name="generator" content="PHP Link Directory 3.2.0" /> Code (markup): Only have to read 5 or 6 lines of code to find it in most phpLD powered sites.
I dont think its true, it would be illegal or something wouldn't it? cant imagine google going to that extreme. Its another rumour to put newcomers off, or anyone thats annoyed with phpld. Like Public Enemy said: Dont Believe The Hype.
NO Its just a Fake news Google dont have time to check such crapy things its just a rumer spread by Anti-PHPLD people
That's the biggest load of nonsense I've heard on here so far and this is coming from someone with a vested interest in promoting phpLynx. I wouldn't even go to the lenght of wasting $50 either until there is any definitive evidence to support this whacky theory. Do you really think Google are bothered to that degree that they'd pick on one script alone? Nope, it's big brother theory, but I am open to be proven wrong although honestly I don't think I will be.
And I suppose Google penalising link sellers like you are just rumours too JamieG, no one is saying that they are picking on one script alone, the poster is using phpLD which is why the thread is about phpLD.
I guess all these rumours started when poor Matt Cutts, misunderstood the meaning of the reciprocal feature on phpld. Personally I don't think they target a script or other. What they target is those selling page rank no matter they are directory owners, blog owners or any other kind of website owners.
If this were true, why was only a relatively small portion of directories penalized. Why not all of them using this script? If Google has the ability to pinpoint a few directories because of a footer link or other reasons then certainly they can detect all directories using the same script.
NONSENSE! they can use such information to locate directories and manually review them but they are smarter than this.
To answer your question LC I agree with ham I do think they are smarter than that and have implemented something to detect strength with their serps, and so a good many were reviewed. However, regarding how matt cutts misrepresented of the whole reciprocal ordeal, I feel that the review of said sites were misguided and misjudged. I think I'd feel much better these days with having a bot analyze any of my sites, rather than a human. Sad but how I feel.
They don't loredan, or at least there's absolutely no evidence of this, call me a cynic but I'm wondering if this isn't just an attempt to scare people into paying to remove the footer attribute when there is absolutely no need to do so.
Correlation does not equal causation. So even if evidence has been found, it doesn't mean Google is penalising certain directory scripts. Using a script is an easy way to set up a directory, and it could simply be that those directory owners who take the easy route with the the script also take the same approach to SEO, link building, or editorial control. Or it could be a matter of numbers: more people use Phpld, so you would expect a fair percentage of them to be languishing in the SERPs. However, I will say this. Even if Google isn't flagging Phpld, spammers are targeting this and other common directory scripts, and using cloaking to get you to approve some real junk. So this is another way that using a popular script can put a directory in a bad neighbourhood.
I think the real problem is that there are a zillion crappy directories started every day. I doubt they are targeting one specific script, that would not really make much sense and as stated above I think Gooogle has better things to do with their time. I would not doubt if they did find a way to send bots out to find duplicate category dumps though, it would be easy.
Just follow Google's guidelines and you should be o.k. Some directories were penalized because of what they were doing and not because of the directory script they were using. I do believe that someone targeted many phpld directories including directories that have not done any wrong and provided a big list to Google. Dont forget about the other sites that were penalized at the same time.