Hidden links coloured as background colour

Cabbie · #1 (**permalink**) 12-29-2003, 04:07 AM

Hi Guys
I have a questions I hope you can help me out?

I found a site, http://home.btconnect.com/Highfieldgh/, which is a Scottish Guest House his domain name, http://www.highfieldgh.co.uk/, also points to the free site. At the bottom of the page the accommodation owner, and I take it designer of website, has text that is similar to his background color. For an amateur it is a good site. The site has been going for a number of years and I think the links at the bottom have been there as well.

Personally I'm heavily involved in Scottish Tourism due to my business and my website and I do not want to see a tourist website being booted out.

I sent the owner an e-mail making him aware that these links could be construed as spam (google does not allow code the same color as the background). The e-mail wasn't condoning his site in any way nor was I making my services available, but the comments I recieved were (don't bother me, I know far more about web design and optimization than you!), even though my website comes up for his main searches above his site every time in google.

The main question is do you all think that this site would be banned if found by google because of the hidden links?

Thanks guys.
Have a Happy New Year

Cabbie · #2 (**permalink**) 12-29-2003, 04:09 AM

Sorry guys!

The website i question is
http://home.btconnect.com/Highfieldgh/
and domain name is http://www.highfieldgh.co.uk/

cbp · #3 (**permalink**) 12-29-2003, 04:43 AM

Google will ban him if they detect it, but the algorithm is good at catching some and not others.

Give Google a hand by reporting them:
http://www.google.com/contact/spamreport.html

But do not hold your breath...

CBP

Cabbie · #4 (**permalink**) 12-29-2003, 04:57 AM

Thanks CBP

I wont report him.
his site does not affect nor come higher than my website so I dont need to.

I do suspect that if another accommodation in his local area find it, then they would report him.

have a good one!

bubbasmurf · #5 (**permalink**) 12-29-2003, 05:13 AM

I guess I don't understand why hide the links in the first place? Unless they don't want anyone to clink on them......

cbp · #6 (**permalink**) 12-29-2003, 05:30 AM

Thats the silly thing - I presume they hide the links so to pass on the PR ... and hope that no one clicks on them ????

Why hide them? The could legitmately be visible and the are taking the huge risk of being banned.

CBP

bubbasmurf · #7 (**permalink**) 12-29-2003, 05:43 AM

Well thats what I don't understand, if you have links on your site why hide them so no one will click on them. Does outbound links help in the pr? I thought it was inbound that helped.

Cabbie · #8 (**permalink**) 12-29-2003, 05:56 AM

Hi Bubbasmurf & CBP
Again thanks for the replies.

I said to him why hide the links and his reply was and I quote "I used this format because it was a convenient way of using a 'grabber page' not to gain any perceived 'illegal' advantage"

I think what a lot of people do is they find a way to get exposure with their website and because the said way is not banned straight away then they think it is OK.

He does think he is doing everything correct but what gets me is his attitude to me with his reply.
I was only trying to help him out and it was as if he was trying to state that I know nothing about the subject.

Cabbie

janeth · #9 (**permalink**) 12-29-2003, 07:40 AM

Hi Cabbie,
I would not waste any more time with him. There are crazy people every where, I have been jumped on more then one time for trying to help people out.

The first time I ever tried to exchange links with another web design company I got a very ugly email back telling me I had an ugly site and they would never exchange links with any one that was not in the USA

It took me two weeks before I started asking for link exchanges again.

I think a lot of time because people are not face to face with you they think they can do and say anything they want.

Cabbie · #10 (**permalink**) 12-29-2003, 03:18 PM

Hi janeth
Thanks for your thoughts.

The thing is I didn't even ask to exchange links with his site. I just asked why he added the links as the same colour as his background. I only sent him the one e-mail and I got his reply.
If his site came up in a particuler search in google, lets say 200th out of 2000. Then if I linked to his site he would actually come up higher in that same search after next update. I would not benefit at all if he linked to my site as it is ranked lower.

Anyway thanks to all of you who replied It looks as if you all agree with me!

Have a Great New Year!
Cabbie from Scotland!

janeth · #11 (**permalink**) 12-29-2003, 03:39 PM

Hi Cabbie

One thing his ranking would not effect your site one way or the other if he linked to you. When it comes to links it is the PR and how many links are on the page and the location of the link and things like that not the ranking on the search engines it self that matter.