I have a link directory that is getting smacked by google and tons of people asking me to remove their links from the site. Anyone had this problem and is there an easy way to let people delete their links if they did not create an account? I just don't have the time to remove all the links. I'm getting too many requests. Thanks for the feedback. -Corey
Welcome to the Link Removal Party No way to allow them to delete links, if they dont have an account. So you have to do it manually yourself or hire someone to do it or delete all links from your directory. Best of luck
We've got a nice little mod that we have installed on several directories now. I'm going to be offering it around Monday.
Yes, I have the mod ready now for both 4.x and 5.x (and possibly also working for 3.x). This week we are announcing the responsive theme, and then probably around the middle of the week we will announce the mod. Just want to be fully tested.
Well i was wondering if i can get a software to beg the site owners for link removal !!! Damn i am left with a load full of spammy back links !!!!
What makes you think google is "smacking you"? Is it the barrage of emails that all have the same common theme, all appear to have been authored by the same person and accuse you have getting them penalized, while demanding you remove them from your directory? If that is it, I would suggest charging a fee to remove the listings. Your time is valuable and dismantling your directory in an automated fashion will do more to harm your relationship with an SE than managing your directory properly and editing it on a case by case basis for a fee. The reason you are getting these requests is because there are a large number of SEO's in panic mode running around delinking any and all links to their customer's web sites. There is a rather larger misconception that linking relevant content or categorically listing web sites in an organized manor is against 'webmaster guidelines'. To date I have seen NO official mandate, or letter from Google addressing these assertions. Yet I see emails claiming that Google specifically told the site owner that "insert your director name here" is the reason their web site is getting "smacked" (as you so eloquently put it). The reality is there is a culmination of bad linking strategies as a whole that is most likely responsible for their "smack down". We've had very few complaints with regards to our policy and even offer a "NOFOLLOW" option, though I disagree with its usefulness or effectiveness in doing anything but tell everyone you want to have a link but don't want that link to be recognized as a link. Anyway, I think an automated delisting feature sort of runs counter to the purpose of managing a directory. You're really no longer an editor at that point.
Sounds interesting! Can't wait to see it. How much is it going to cost? Thanks Everybody is saying they are going to use the google "disavow" tool which will harm my rankings. I've already went from a pr4 to a pr2 site since this all started. :-( Thanks for the reply..
I will suggest get charges for removal link which has no account. you should also update your website for creating only signup people to submit link.
That made me giggle... Ok... yeah, again; form letter... I could send you literally hundreds of these same emails and everyone has the exact same thing in common. They are identical save for the sender and name of the web site they are complaining about. If you're more concerned with PR than managing your directory and building good categorized content, I guess I'd start dismantling it right away then.
We get complaints of people threatening to disavow sites that we don't even own. And of course people are asking for private contact information, which would be a legal issue. I was trying to convince someone the other night at the jacuzzi that the web was making more information available, and it would lead to our world improving. His counterpoint was that big corporations were going to control the web, and that would prevent this great transformation from taking place. The idea of forcing people to "disavow" in order to rank is just one more way Google seems to control people, instead of sticking to their original goal of being the best search engine. I assume the "most profitable" search engine is really all they want now.
The first time I heard it... "don't be evil"... I knew it was a cloak for 'being evil'... I look at it this way. I've been in this game a long time now. I was here before Google, and will likely be here long after Google. I've seen a lot of companies like them come and go over the years. Eventually someone builds a better mousetrap.
Don't know what directory led to this conversation...don't want to...but...I wonder if your descriptions are unique, your titles are not keyword-driven and if you have tight categorization. Too many directory owners are blaming Google when in fact not maintaining a quality directory has more to do with drops in PR or folks wanting out. Again, don't know which site is your's, rapidtronics, so I do not know if this is a contributing factor or not. Then there's the folks who are trying to hurt their competitors. Then there's the folks who are trying to remove all of their back links. Then there's the folks...fill in the blank. Automating link removal? sigh. Doesn't sound like a good solution for anyone.
Other than maybe some occasional testing, I only submitted to directories I liked (such as a few that used phpLD). Most were years ago. I used directories as Google recommended, to get my sites found and on the map and it worked as advertised. I'm happy that some of the spammy practices are getting pushed out. I just want to make sure people who followed Google's webmaster guideline advice (or Matt Cutts) are not getting grouped in with this bunch. I could see how it would be easy to do that.
"Webmaster Guidelines Advice (or Matt Cutts)" appears to group directories with "any directory" or web site that is "not Google". So I guess we're all grouped in with that bunch.
are link dirs even worth it any more? I was thinking of starting one and herd that lots of them are being punished.
A lot of people are using tool like Majestic SEO to create their disavow lists. Directories appearing low the citation/trust scales are especially going to get disavowed. Niche and regional directories are a little less likely to get hit because often the domain name may sound more targeted, and often they have good links pointing in, not just out.