Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) Gone Bad
In a recent article on search engine spamming we illustrated some of the unethical techniques used by unscrupulous SEOs (search engine optimisers) and marketers to promote their own or clients' websites in the search engines. We also commented on the apparent inability of search engines like Google to identify CSS spam methods dynamically through automated spam algorithms or, indeed, to respond appropriately even when specific sites and their bad practices were pointed out to them.
Hidden Links
I have had recent experience with an SEO company with an alleged large client base who quite happily advocate hidden links and doorway pages as their principle practice for site promotion.
The tail began with a phone call shortly before Christmas from one of my long standing clients:
Him — Hi, Mike. I got an email from a company who say they can put [Domain Name] on the first page of Google for 300 quid. D'you mind taking a look at the email?
Me — Barge pole
Him — Pardon?
Me — Don't touch them. They're a dangerous waste of space.
Him — What makes you say that? Do you know them?
Me — No, but any SEO business assuring a top spot on Google at that price within such a competitive market are either lying or using dubious methods. They're spammers [Rudy].
Him — Well, can I forward you the email? You never know, their site looks good and they seem to have lots of customers.
Me — [Rudy], why do you think you're paying so much in AdWords? Because you're dealing in one of the biggest home furniture markets. Trust me on this, you'll be wasting time and money, and you're putting the domain at risk.
Him — What do you mean?
Me — If Google or any of the other search engines spot what's going on they'll bar the site. You can kiss it goodbye.
Him — Yeah, but you don't know they'll be spamming, do you?
Me — Yes I do, [Rudy]. I guarantee it.
and so on ...
I spent the better part of 30 minutes explaining the pitfalls of using such a company but the bottom line was he was willing to take the risk. I advised him I'd be pulling links from the site because I would not be associated with such underhand practices. The client reluctantly agreed and I forgot about it.
Proof of Spamming
A week or so later I received the promised email but as a forward he'd received. It contained attached HTML files as attachments and held the following text:
This file should be sent to the person or persons who deal with the upload of pages to your website, i.e. your webmaster or hosting company. All of the pages and associated graphics need to be uploaded to the root directory of your website.
In addition to this we ask you to add a discreet link from your homepage to the following file to aid Google in spidering our pages: "domain_page_name.htm"
So for example, to implement a full stop link to the above page the following code could be used:
<a href="domain_page_name.htm">.</a>
Sure enough: hidden links and keyphrase-stuffed doorway pages. Moreover, the markup was crap and fudged.
Guilt through Association
This placed me in a dilemma. I was an unwilling participant in unethical practice. Since I developed and hosted the site, I was expected to do the dirty work (pun intended); however, I reasoned that declining to make the alterations would incur the client additional expense to find a competent webmaster and involve issuing temporary passwords and monitoring the new development. I chose discretion and upped the changes.
Loading Spam Markup
A couple of days later I received a phone call from the company in question, a technical support guy. Evidently [Rudy] had mentioned my disquiet to them. There then followed a polite but firm monologue where I introduced myself as a competent SEO and explained my take on their methods. Their representative was silent. I asked if he knew they were loading sites with spam code. Silence. I asked if he would care to refute my comments. He then took the tack of simply being a support person and not versed in technical practices. I didn't have the heart to let him dig a deeper hole but mentioned we both know what's going on and offered him seasons greetings.
Banned from Search Engines
Somewhere during the conversation he suggested they had numerous satisfied customers. I suggested these customers knew no better or, if they did, they were happy to risk having their sites dropped from the engines. He said that wouldn't happen so I cited the Traffic Power incident, an SEO firm who were caught advocating similar techniques and whose clients' sites were dumped by Google. He denied any knowledge so I helped him out with the links referencing the case.
I wonder how long it will be before this SEO company is rumbled and takes its clients down with it?
Be warned: Any company approaching you or your webmaster offering to place your site on the first page of the search engines in a competitive market for a small fee is run by either philanthropists or crooks. It's that simple. Prominent placement is achieved only through strong content, time, effort and money.
