Google Sent Me a Caring Message

[yukon]

I found this today, Google sent me an odd message inside my GWT account.

Google really does care about me, LMFAO!

Messages for domain.com

WordPress Update Available

Dear site owner or webmaster of hxxp://domain.com/,

Your site appears to be running an older version of WordPress. Google recommends that you update to the latest release. Older or unpatched software may be vulnerable to hacking or malware that can hurt your users. To download the latest release, visit the WordPress download page.

If you have any additional questions about why you are receiving this message, Google has provided more background information in a blog post about this subject.

Best wishes,

Google Search Quality Team

[strategic seo services]

Originally Posted by yukon

I found this today, Google sent me an odd message inside my GWT account.

Google really does care about me, LMFAO!

I received the same message! I guess they care about me too.

[paulgl]

Notice it's from the search qaulity team? I could only find one blog post:
Official Google Webmaster Central Blog: Message Center warnings for hackable sites
They must have updated the message.

Paul

[Anthony Phillips]

Usually when I receive an email from Google it's a bad thing... Consider yourself lucky

[timpears]

Originally Posted by Anthony Phillips

Usually when I receive an email from Google it's a bad thing... Consider yourself lucky

Yes, the next time I receive a nice note from Google will be the first. Fortunately I have received very few messages other than robot replies to an action on my part.

[yukon]

Originally Posted by paulgl

Notice it's from the search qaulity team? I could only find one blog post:
Official Google Webmaster Central Blog: Message Center warnings for hackable sites
They must have updated the message.

Paul

I updated OP with the two hyperlinks that were included in the message.

The link they mention is an old 2009 blog post.

I just found it odd they were tracking Wordpress versions.

[XIIIzen]

Sometimes I just wonder what is going on with big G... But I guess it's a nice thing to send you a weird and old robotic mail... Just saying...

[JSProjects]

That's weird. Usually an email from Big G means bad news. Just strange that they'd send emails about outdated Wordpress installations.

[Mike Anthony]

Originally Posted by yukon

I found this today, Google sent me an odd message inside my GWT account.

Google really does care about me, LMFAO!

They care about their results. its really not that unusual that they would update webmasters on this. its a Serps quality issue. Hackable sites are often used to manipulate links and search results.

[freeadsforum]

Looks like Google are cracking down on content spam farms and im guessing a certain type of version of wordpress is the most spammed of all because automatic backlink blasters (scrapebox lists) post to these sites and test these with rubbish backlinks sometimes including malware and fishing activity.

What version of wordpress are you currently running? It may be that your version automatically accepts comments by default.

[dadamson]

Originally Posted by JSProjects

That's weird. Usually an email from Big G means bad news. Just strange that they'd send emails about outdated Wordpress installations.

I thought the same thing! Why do they care lol?

[StoneWilson]

Originally Posted by strategic seo services

I received the same message! I guess they care about me too.

Why they don't care about me???!!!

[morc3x]

This smell fishy to be honest

[yukon]

The Google message was inside my GWT (Google Webmaster Tools) account, not an email.

The Wordpress version that recieved this message inside GWT was version 3.1.4., so the WP version I'm running isn't really that old. Heck WP 3.2 just came out a few days ago.

I did edit my WP theme so it doesn't show the WP version inside the html source code. I think that might have been what Google bot was looking at when they sent me this message.

I should mess with Google bot, & hard code a future WP version that doesn't even exist yet, something like:

<meta name="generator" content="WordPress 5.1.4" />

Google bot would be like, wtf?

BTW, If anyone needs to remove WP generator info (WP version) from their html source code, add this code inside your WP functions.php file.

remove_action('wp_head', 'wp_generator');

[dburk]

Hi yukon,

This isn't exactly new, Google announce they were doing this back in October 2008.

Here's a link to the annoucement:

Official Google Webmaster Central Blog: Message Center warnings for hackable sites

[yukon]

Originally Posted by dburk

Hi yukon,

This isn't exactly new, Google announce they were doing this back in October 2008.

Here's a link to the annoucement:

Official Google Webmaster Central Blog: Message Center warnings for hackable sites

Thanks for the link,

I've been running multiple WP sites for a few years now, I wonder why they just now sent the message?

[Fernando1954]

Originally Posted by yukon

The Google message was inside my GWT (Google Webmaster Tools) account, not an email.

The Wordpress version that recieved this message inside GWT was version 3.1.4., so the WP version I'm running isn't really that old. Heck WP 3.2 just came out a few days ago.

I did edit my WP theme so it doesn't show the WP version inside the html source code. I think that might have been what Google bot was looking at when they sent me this message.

I should mess with Google bot, & hard code a future WP version that doesn't even exist yet, something like:



Google bot would be like, wtf?

BTW, If anyone needs to remove WP generator info (WP version) from their html source code, add this code inside your WP functions.php file.

Had the same message today in my GWT for one of my sites,i haven't altered the code on my WP though so can't be because of that.

[paulgl]

Originally Posted by Mike Anthony

They care about their results. its really not that unusual that they would update webmasters on this. its a Serps quality issue. Hackable sites are often used to manipulate links and search results.

Remember a couple of days ago, after the .co.cc ban, where I said wouldn't it be
rich if google decided to deep six wordpress blogs? They own blogspt...I
was just saying...no doubt they have something up their sleeves for blogspot
blogs as well, or at least a higher scrutiny, whatever that may mean.

When they start labeling sites as hackable, and take a notice, what's the point?
I'm not sure. Every site is hackable. Some are easy, some are hard. The majority
of average sites could be hacked quick. Is this some new part of the algo, how
easy your site is to hack? That's crazy.

Paul

[Sara angel]

thanks for sharing this link...

[dburk]

Originally Posted by yukon

Thanks for the link,

I've been running multiple WP sites for a few years now, I wonder why they just now sent the message?

Hi Yukon,

My understanding of this feature is that they only send the message when they detect that you running a CMS software platform version that is known to be vulnerable to exploits and a newer version is available to fix the vulnerability. If you regularly update your CMS software you should never see this message.

[yukon]

Originally Posted by dburk

Hi Yukon,

My understanding of this feature is that they only send the message when they detect that you running a CMS software platform version that is known to be vulnerable to exploits and a newer version is available to fix the vulnerability. If you regularly update your CMS software you should never see this message.

I wonder If they are checking for the generator meta tag?

<meta name="generator" content="WordPress 3.1.4" />

I deleted the generator meta tag on the site that recieved the GWT message. I'm not going to update for a while, see if they send the message again.

[dburk]

Originally Posted by yukon

I wonder If they are checking for the generator meta tag?



I deleted the generator meta tag on the site that recieved the GWT message. I'm not going to update for a while, see if they send the message again.

Hi Yukon,

In this post they confirm that the generator meta tag is one of the ways they identify sites to notify. They also encourage software developers to include version numbers in the generator meta tag if they want Google to notify users of updates to their software.

One of the ways we identify sites to notify is by parsing source code of web pages that we crawl. For example, WordPress and other CMS applications include a generator meta tag that specifies the version number. This has proven to be tremendously helpful in our efforts to notify webmasters. So if you're a software developer, and would like us to help you notify your users about newer versions of your software, a great way to start would be to include a generator meta tag that tells the version number of your software. If you're a plugin or a widget developer, including a version number in the source you provide to your users is a great way to help too.

Source: Official Google Webmaster Central Blog: 'New software version' notifications for your site

[yukon]

Originally Posted by dburk

Hi Yukon,

In this post they confirm that the generator meta tag is one of the ways they identify sites to notify. They also encourage software developers to include version numbers in the generator meta tag if they want Google to notify users of updates to their software.




Source: Official Google Webmaster Central Blog: 'New software version' notifications for your site

Thanks,

I should read the links I post, better.

Now this has me wondering If Google will drop a sites/page in Google SERPs If the Wordpress version is outdated, thinking they are helping to protect their search traffic from vulnerable sites (outdated WP sites)? Most search traffic won't dig deep into the SERPs.

[source]

This time, however, our goal is not just to isolate vulnerable or hackable software packages, but to also notify webmasters about newer versions of the software packages or plugins they're running on their website.

Looks like an outdated WP generator tag will have a negative impact on the SERPs. Maybe I'm being paranoid, but that's the way I read the quote above.

[Cray.]

mail from google = ban from adsense
atleast that is when they send me mails..

[gtk29]

Mails from Google are not necessarily bad. They also send emails suggesting better ad placement. I received those emails in the past.

[Fernando Veloso]

I was expecting some "different", more caring, lol

Makes sense their protective attitude, one hacked site can put G in trouble, at least common people will be like WTH!!!!???

And Paul has a point too...

Remember a couple of days ago, after the .co.cc ban, where I said wouldn't it be
rich if google decided to deep six wordpress blogs? They own blogspt...I
was just saying...no doubt they have something up their sleeves for blogspot
blogs as well, or at least a higher scrutiny, whatever that may mean.

News around the corner?

[JamesGw]

I wouldn't be sure that they were going out of their way to be nice to you. Then again, I don't have a very high opinion of Google. Seems more like a warning than anything else.