I was asked to remove a link???

[greg artim]

I received this email from a gent working for an SEO firm.

"I'm working on the Internet marketing for xxxxxxx site and we exchanged links with you previously. Due to recent changes in Google we feel linking is no longer beneficial to either of our websites and may actually do more harm than good. We have removed your link and would appreciate if you could also remove ours from your page xxxxxxxx as soon as possible".

The link exchange was from my site (vehicle lemon law attorney site) to the other site (parts/accessory seller for vehicles).

I was dumbfounded upon receipt of the email. Are we looking to delete links now? I'd appreciate any comments...

[dunivan]

It could be that he feels your "triangle" link looks a little fishy in terms of google's view.

To my knowledge it shouldnt be an issue, as it seemed like a natural cross linking, which google will not penalize.

I think the loss of links from a page will negatively harm the page removing all of them, because the page then loses its relevency.

Just my 2 cents.

[morestar]

He/she and his/her people may also have been discovered by Google to be using paid link/triangle link schemes.

Less than two years ago, there was a pretty big "SEO" somewhere in America, I forget his name but he was basically buying links left, right and center and was eventually busted but his paid link scheme.

In the end even I was asked by one of his side-shoot marketing companies to remove a link from one of my sites.

I didn't remove the link because it added value to my users but in the end I took the site down - just for the record...it became a waste of my time.

But that could be the reason you were asked to remove the link - maybe...

[mjtaylor]

It's unusual, in my experience, to be asked to remove a link. I can think of one instance.

Many years ago ... probably 10 years, before Google ... I had put a link on a client site home page to a competitor. I had a hunch it established relevance. The competitor noticed it, and was very indignant in his demand we take it down. I knew it was good for him, too, but of course we removed it. I'm sure he thought it was somehow meant to harm him. His site still lags behind my client's.

By all means, remove the link and don't give it another thought.

Nice to see you, Greg.


It could be that he feels your "triangle" link looks a little fishy in terms of google's view.

To my knowledge it shouldnt be an issue, as it seemed like a natural cross linking, which google will not penalize.

I think the loss of links from a page will negatively harm the page removing all of them, because the page then loses its relevency.

Just my 2 cents.

What makes you think it's a triangle?

[greg artim]

Right, this isnt a triangle. Simple back and forth exchange.

[dunivan]

whoops, read it wrong, thought it was between the xxx'd site, the lemon law atty site, and mfr's of parts.

I still don't think it was a educated link pull. there may be a bump for your site if the link is still relevant though.

[hfbadvertising]

I can't believe it. This guy better make sure what he is doing for his clients sake. SEO at its finest.

[greg artim]

agreed. I could understand if my site was junk, or adsense, or porn or gambling...

I hadn't been to this forum in awhile, and I was hoping that this guy was a flake, which allof you are seeming to confirm.

[ron angel]

I received this email from a gent working for an SEO firm.

"I'm working on the Internet marketing for xxxxxxx site and we exchanged links with you previously. Due to recent changes in Google we feel linking is no longer beneficial to either of our websites and may actually do more harm than good. We have removed your link and would appreciate if you could also remove ours from your page xxxxxxxx as soon as possible".

The link exchange was from my site (vehicle lemon law attorney site) to the other site (parts/accessory seller for vehicles).

I was dumbfounded upon receipt of the email. Are we looking to delete links now? I'd appreciate any comments...

Any link from a reputable established site is good especially if it is relevant to your or their sites content

[SEM]

I agree with the responses here, his request makes no sense really, but I too would honor the request and move on, pity those who hire him.

[zaneypop]

I'm leaning towards the "flake" side.

[astro]

I have been asked to remove a link because I linked to one of his competitiors sites on totally different webpage to his link! He was hopping mad. I had only done it as a favour anyway because the guy who built the site was a friend and he asked me for the link, but you just smile, honour the request and move on.

/astro

[SemAdvance]

That guy could not have been that ruthless of an SEO....

He had a free one way link to his site, till he wrote you and confessed that he removed your link.......

It's good to see he has decided to take the ethical route....

[almer]

This is actualy a great way of beating the one upstairs in the rankings.
Pose as a really bad SEO (no problem for me) and request removal of all your competitors links.
Just mention banning and scheming and stuff and the linkers will just laugh at me but remove it either way just like you do...

Cheers

[greg artim]

Except for the fact that he is not "posing" as a bad SEO. My link was removed from his client's site first.

[SEONoobie]

Link exchanges are an old form of marketing a website which is now frowned upon by search engines like Google. If the two websites are unfamiliar it could have long lasting negative effects.

[greg artim]

both sites are vehicle related.

[SEONoobie]

hmm, people do crazy things. They must have had their own reason if both where relevant.

[morestar]

Link exchanges are an old form of marketing a website which is now frowned upon by search engines like Google. If the two websites are unfamiliar it could have long lasting negative effects.

SEON this isn't entirely true so it's not true at all.

It depends on a few more factors. We're permitted to exchange links with friends and family members as much as we want, especially if the link is either relevant or possibly going to be of some use to the user. Search engines can't always determine if the link will possibly be of use to the user and worry much less than we think about it.

Links abound are a part of the new online social sphere, they bring traffic and pass PR - little or a lot.

I wonder what the recent changes at Google were that the SEO was speaking about.

[mjtaylor]

Link exchanges are an old form of marketing a website which is now frowned upon by search engines like Google. If the two websites are unfamiliar it could have long lasting negative effects.

I think by 'unfamiliar' you mean unrelated. However, these were related. And I don't believe unrelated links have any negative effect. At worst, the PR passed *may* be discounted by Google, but they don't invoke any sort of penalty.

There are lots of legitimate reasons that one might link to an unrelated site. Friends and family members link to one another's sites. Webmasters link to sites they simply like and sometimes those sites link back to acknowledge it.

Sorry, I am repeating what Morestar said because I stopped reading the thread when I got to this post.

What the SEO is referring to, is propaganda from Google that has most of us thinking that reciprocal link exchanges are not of value. I think the jury is out on that.

[JosephZ]

@greg - although it doesn't make sense, as mentioned above, it was good that they notified you that they had taken your link down.

I've seen too many link exchanges where one side mysteriously drops my link so that they can get a one-way link.

[TrafficProducer]

It is my understanding that Google do not like people exchanging links, or buying links, just to try to improve Page Rank.

This is about Google Page Rank.

But then Page Rank is partly based on who links to you.

If someone finds their site and follows a link to your site then the PR dosen't matter you still get a person finding your website.

The Internet is a web of interlinking websites, so linking to sites should be good if not abused, done just to get traffic, which is what Google do not appear to like.

Google want linking, but only if you actually think the site is good enough quality to link to, (not if piad or just because of swapping links), this is what Google Page Rank was made to indicate.