Why Google doesn't detect spam better?

[fernimac]

I have been working this week in the redesign of a web previously coded by another web design company. I could not believe it when I saw the code. You see, this web had frames and in the <noframes> tag, the other company had inserted tens of links pointing to their site with their most important keywords as anchor text. I also detected hidden text in their home page inside <noscript> tags. In sum, the company which designed this site was using their clients' websites to increase their own web's pagerank in what seems to me a very unethical way. Why can't Google detect this obscure procedures and then ban other webs that seem more legal? And also, could have Google banned our client previous website for these hidden links in the noframes tag of their frameset?

Thanks,

Fernando

[bhartzer]

could have Google banned our client previous website for these hidden links in the noframes tag of their frameset?

Yes, it's very possible that your client's sites could have been banned. And with the code still there, it could still be banned in Google. I would remove it immediately.

The reason that Google hasn't caught more spammers is because they just don't have the time (and technology yet) to catch everyone. The spammers are always trying to exploit the search engines' flaws, it's a constant battle.

[fernimac]

Yes, it's very possible that your client's sites could have been banned. And with the code still there, it could still be banned in Google. I would remove it immediately.

Yes, that was the first thing I did. But anyway, I was really surprised. I think that if the rest of the clients of this firm knew what's going on in their webs without their knowing it, they would be mad at them!!

We are taking ethical positioning seriously and think that our competitors should do fair play.

Fernando
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[mtheory]

The reason that Google hasn't caught more spammers is because they just don't have the time (and technology yet) to catch everyone. The spammers are always trying to exploit the search engines' flaws, it's a constant battle.

Actuall the technology to make the entire Google system much better has been around for years.

Hiring more "organic bots" to evaluate sites rather than rely so much on automated, electronic and many time experimental bots would increase the quality of the search engine and reduce false positive bans.

Unfortunately hiring more personnel cuts into the corporate bottom line.

[fernimac]

Originally Posted by Mtheory

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You mean bots with hands, legs and brain? :) Yep, but they cost a lot of money!!

Fernando
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[AuctionHugh]

I'm not clear why this would get a site banned on google. They are legit links, right? They may not apply to the site being indexed, but a site can have links to other sites.

What is the <noscript> tag, is that for non-javascript browsers?

Originally Posted by fernimac

....this web had frames and in the <noframes> tag, the other company had inserted tens of links pointing to their site with their most important keywords as anchor text. I also detected hidden text in their home page inside <noscript> tags.

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[fernimac]

Originally Posted by AuctionHugh

I'm not clear why this would get a site banned on google. They are legit links, right? They may not apply to the site being indexed, but a site can have links to other sites.

What is the <noscript> tag, is that for non-javascript browsers?

Yes, the contents between noscript tags is supposed to be seen by non Javascript browsers. Even if Google would not ban the site because of these links, I still believe it is not fair play to hide code in your clients websites to obtain a benefit for your own company without their granting permission.

Fernando

[DrTandem1]

There are lots of sites that spam. Look at the Home page's source code of the number one non-sponsored result for "search engine optimization" minus the quotes. You'll find that the term "search engine optimization" is used over 60 times. However, that is not what makes this site number one. It is the fact that their are 18,000 links pointing to them.

If you really want to see spam at work, look at Yahoo's results for anything. The results themselves are spam. How many pages from the same site do you need to see in the first 20 results?