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Frigging Profile Spam - SEO Buyer Beware!!!

by dvduval
13 replies
  • SEO
    • |
Ok, so about to spend an hour getting a programmer render profile spam on my Xenforos worthless. The reason I am doing this is because I have someone contacting me that has an Unnatural Link Warning from google.

Profile links DO NOT work and they screw up the SEO for a website using this technique. If people are selling products offering profile links here, BUYER BEWARE!

It is really simple for me to solve this, and too bad I didn't notice sooner (been about 2 months since I switched 2 forums from vbulletin to Xenforo). Anyways, just want to make clear this technique is a really good way to loose ranking in Google.
#beware #buyer #frigging #profile #seo #spam
  • Profile picture of the author Fredbou
    Originally Posted by dvduval View Post

    Ok, so about to spend an hour getting a programmer render profile spam on my Xenforos worthless. The reason I am doing this is because I have someone contacting me that has an Unnatural Link Warning from google.

    Profile links DO NOT work and they screw up the SEO for a website using this technique. If people are selling products offering profile links here, BUYER BEWARE!

    It is really simple for me to solve this, and too bad I didn't notice sooner (been about 2 months since I switched 2 forums from vbulletin to Xenforo). Anyways, just want to make clear this technique is a really good way to loose ranking in Google.
    Can you please explain all this? It totally means nothing to me!
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  • Profile picture of the author dvduval
    Sure, spam bots go around to forums and register users. They are not planning to use the forum at all, but there is a web page created for the user, and on that page they are able to include a link to their website. So there are these bots that go around creating literally thousands of profiles with links to a website.

    The snake oil salesman that sell these tools make people believe it will provide an SEO benefit because of the links coming from the profile. The real truth is the opposite is true.

    Here is a live example which will go offline shortly. You have to click on the Information tab and you will see the Free Samples links in the signature.

    Someone convince the owner or the site they would get them to the top of google or similar, and what happened is they got a warning from google. I have to clean the spam (hundreds like this), and the person that bought the service got screwed. I will be permanently making this impossible on this forum shortly.
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    It is okay to contact me! I have been developing software since 1999, creating many popular products like phpLD.
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  • Profile picture of the author Terry Kyle
    Yes forum profiles are SEO poison now.
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    • Profile picture of the author Mike Anthony
      Originally Posted by Terry Kyle View Post

      Yes forum profiles are SEO poison now.
      Unfortunately as long as there are people who didn't get the memo (or sellers that tore it up) they will continue to be offered.
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    • Profile picture of the author gearmonkey
      Originally Posted by Terry Kyle View Post

      Yes forum profiles are SEO poison now.
      yeah you want to avoid this technique. Quality over quantity. Even web2.0 are phasing out unless you do the quality way;meaning quality useful content, add images and videos, and build backlinks to your web2.0 page(s).

      But avoid forum profiles unless you want to negative SEO a competitor.
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      My Guitar Website | My SEO Blog - Advertising spots available.

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  • Profile picture of the author tech84
    Originally Posted by dvduval View Post

    Ok, so about to spend an hour getting a programmer render profile spam on my Xenforos worthless. The reason I am doing this is because I have someone contacting me that has an Unnatural Link Warning from google.

    Profile links DO NOT work and they screw up the SEO for a website using this technique. If people are selling products offering profile links here, BUYER BEWARE!

    It is really simple for me to solve this, and too bad I didn't notice sooner (been about 2 months since I switched 2 forums from vbulletin to Xenforo). Anyways, just want to make clear this technique is a really good way to loose ranking in Google.
    * If your backlinks only compose of profile links, it would look really spammy. (well not 100% of your backlinks but a big percentage)

    * if you have thousands of it and yes it would obviously look spammy.

    what I mean is profile links does serve some purpose (like direct traffic), but it would also depend on the volume and location on these links (being on same niche etc)
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  • Profile picture of the author dvduval
    Profile links on a site full of spammed profile links would be especially worthless. If you are a contributing member, there would be a traffic benefit because people might want to learn more about you. Anyways, I already the problem.

    But buyer beware when someone is selling profile links. It is a great way to get your site in trouble with the search engines, and difficult to fix.
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    It is okay to contact me! I have been developing software since 1999, creating many popular products like phpLD.
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  • Profile picture of the author yukon
    Banned
    Your preaching to the choir.

    People that buy link blast don't know what they're paying for, all they know is some guy is creating thousands of links especially for them (feeling special?). Where else can you get that special feeling for a measly $5?
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  • Profile picture of the author tyronne78
    What about negative SEO? What if one of your competitors spams the hell out of your site with forum profile links?
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    Visit my blog for FREE direct response marketing tips & tricks
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    • Profile picture of the author dvduval
      Originally Posted by yukon View Post

      Your preaching to the choir.

      People that buy link blast don't know what they're paying for, all they know is some guy is creating thousands of links especially for them (feeling special?). Where else can you get that special feeling for a measly $5?
      Exactly, and one level above that are the people that sell the tools to start an really bad SEO business.

      Originally Posted by tyronne78 View Post

      What about negative SEO? What if one of your competitors spams the hell out of your site with forum profile links?
      I have a couple of sites where this was tried, but when I have authority high PR links coming in with abundance that is a pretty tough safe to crack. Most people are buying these services hoping for a positive result and getting screwed.
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      It is okay to contact me! I have been developing software since 1999, creating many popular products like phpLD.
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  • Profile picture of the author emintklin89
    Have you ever heard about Contextual Link Building?
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    • Profile picture of the author Michael_Le
      Banned
      Originally Posted by emintklin89 View Post

      Have you ever heard about Contextual Link Building?
      spamming with profile links is not contexual link building....
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      • Profile picture of the author RedWaterDub
        I hate profile links... They are so generic and obviously fabricated for the link juice... so why is it that so many still use them, especially to their tier 2 or 3's? They must still actually work to some degree... but surely Google will catch them sooner or later... I hate them, the only thing worse are those ridiculous comment links from trashy crappy urls... ohh and spun content that doesn't make sense.. I hate that too...
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