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Google Says Forum Links are Spam - Will ALL Forum Links be Penalized?

by Catalyst eMarketing
22 replies
  • SEO
    • |
There is a heated thread at the Google Webmaster Forum where JohnMu from Google made the following comment:

"Just to be absolutely clear, if you are dropping links to your site in other people's forums in the hope of gaming search engines, then that's considered web-spam and can be taking into account by both our algorithms and our manual web-spam teams. It doesn't matter how much "PR" the other site has, it doesn't matter if it's a .gov forum -- what you're doing would be considered web-spam by us.

If you care about how search engines like Google view your site, I'd recommend cleaning those link-drops up, removing the link to your site, and not doing that in the future."

Google Webmaster Forum thread: Forum profile backlinks hurt ranking on google?

And another even more heated thread started that I've been involved in over at WebmasterWorld too, where Brett Tabke called BS on the whole thing.

Afraid to post links now... plus not sure if linking to another forum is allowed here. The title of the WMW thread is: Google: "Link Drops In Forums Is Spam and Will Get The Dropped Site Penalised"

I posted:

"I own 2 forums and am active on many. I def get the forum spammers that are trying to game Google, that should not be allowed.

However I do legit posting on forums all over the place every day helping folks with Google Local issues. I have a sig and profile on all these forums. It's just common practice to do so.So are you saying no one should set up a profile or sig on forums? That legit posters also should delete their profile and sig links.

That would almost be like posting anonymously and not giving folks a chance to see who you are, that you know what you are talking about and have a site related to the industry. Even here, the profile image is linked to your G+ page so folks can see who you are and what you do.

How can the algo tell the difference between a forum link spammer or someone like me who is an active poster and has THOUSANDS of forum links, many of which are at my own forums?"

I don't trust the Google algo to tell the difference between link droppers and forum spammers and legit helpful links to relevant content, or legit sig and profile links, do you???

Is Google going to ruin the Internet?
#forum #google #links #penalized #spam
  • Profile picture of the author MikeFriedman
    Originally Posted by Catalyst eMarketing View Post

    plus not sure if linking to another forum is allowed here.
    Generally, as long as it is not your own forum, it is allowed.


    Originally Posted by Catalyst eMarketing View Post

    How can the algo tell the difference between a forum link spammer or someone like me who is an active poster and has THOUSANDS of forum links, many of which are at my own forums?"[/I]

    I don't trust the Google algo to tell the difference between link droppers and forum spammers and legit helpful links to relevant content, or legit sig and profile links, do you???
    I don't think it is hard to tell the difference. Usually a link spammer is going to be using software to automate the process. There will be dozens of accounts created at the same forums with links to the same site(s).

    In your case, what you are doing, is creating links under one account. As long as you are not blatantly using some sort of keywords, I doubt they would target something like that extensively.
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  • Profile picture of the author yukon
    Banned
    @ Catalyst eMarketing

    Your taking that Google forum thread out of context.

    The OP of that Google thread has a crappy looking escort service type website (taragupta dot in), with random off the wall irrelevant backlinks.

    The OP of that Google forum thread isn't very smart for posting his link on a site where Google employees hang out.

    I have thousands of same niche forum links for direct traffic, a lot of the links are followed but really I could care less If the links were all javascript or whatever... I've been ranking those same pages for years, still ranking today.
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    • Profile picture of the author Catalyst eMarketing
      Didn't look at his site.

      Was focusing on what John said - as tons of people in both threads were.

      I'm also a forum owner so am looking at this not just from the viewpoint of me as a forum poster, but how link penalties, if any, could affect my forum members. (I talk about that further down in the G thread.)

      I notice sigs here and at SEOchat are no follow. So I have my forum admin looking at adding "no follow" as a precaution on both my forums too.
      Signature

      Linda Buquet :: Google+ Local Specialist and Google Top Contributor
      ADVANCED Google+ Local Training :: Also offering White Label Local SEO
      Latest Google Local News, Tips & Tricks

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      • Profile picture of the author paulgl
        Google has been saying that are are devaluing links in "certain"
        places with "certain" characteristics. Big difference than saying
        that forum sigs are spam. Ditto for blogs.

        If you tip google off that you are spamming, well, you deserve
        what you get. Follow google guidelines, or more specific, follow
        what they say NOT to do when commenting on blogs and using
        forum sigs.

        Don't put you website's keywords as your profile that links to
        your website. That's a flag for comment spam.

        Don't over optimize your forum sig. Just look at the WF. So
        many over optimized sigs, it's pathetic. At yet, those same
        people tout anchor text diversity...when it aint about diversity
        at all.

        I'm not sure why this would even be a thread. If you are not
        reading everything google publishes, shame on you. But it's
        why we get rehashed info that changes when the last
        tween girl gives the gossip.

        Paul
        Signature

        If you were disappointed in your results today, lower your standards tomorrow.

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        • Profile picture of the author Catalyst eMarketing
          Originally Posted by paulgl View Post

          I'm not sure why this would even be a thread. If you are not reading everything google publishes, shame on you. But it's why we get rehashed info that changes when the last tween girl gives the gossip.
          Paul
          If it's a good enough discussion for all the Pros at WebmasterWorld including the owner and long time expert Brett Tabke, PLUS all the pros at the Google Webmaster Forum - I thought it was worthwhile to bring up here.
          Signature

          Linda Buquet :: Google+ Local Specialist and Google Top Contributor
          ADVANCED Google+ Local Training :: Also offering White Label Local SEO
          Latest Google Local News, Tips & Tricks

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      • Profile picture of the author nettiapina
        Originally Posted by Catalyst eMarketing View Post

        Was focusing on what John said - as tons of people in both threads were.
        If you look closely, he was talking about "gaming the search engine". That's his euphemism for spamming. My translation of his comment: "If we see you dropping links with a clear intention to spam, we're going to bust you for spamming". That's business as usual, not a controversial statement.

        While discussing these things is always a good thing, I have to agree with the "nothing to see here" sentiment.

        Edit: whoops, seoexploits said almost the same thing above. Sorry, missed his comment.
        Signature
        Links in signature will not help your SEO. Not on this site, and not on any other forum.
        Who told me this? An ex Google web spam engineer.

        What's your excuse?
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  • Profile picture of the author Advertising
    OK, so basically by the sound of it webmasters should all start using nofollow forums. That way you won't be considered a spammer trying to gain the system. Forums will always be an important source of traffic and I think google is worried and trying to scare folks.

    So according to google it would now be easy to take advantage of forum links to use in negative SEO attacks....
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  • Profile picture of the author vishwa
    It doesn't matter at all if you are active on few forums from years! Just avoid excessive use of anything.
    Signature
    Techbizmasters.com- Blogging, Technology, and Digital Marketing
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    • Profile picture of the author Mike Anthony
      Post penguin any web system where you end up leaving hundreds of anchor text links from one domain is going to look spammy.
      Signature

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      • Profile picture of the author Catalyst eMarketing
        Originally Posted by Mike Anthony View Post

        Post penguin any web system where you end up leaving hundreds of anchor text links from one domain is going to look spammy.
        That's a very good point Mike!

        FYI, just did a quick peek and sig links here are no follow. Profile link is do follow but it's a raw link with no anchor so that might be fine.
        Signature

        Linda Buquet :: Google+ Local Specialist and Google Top Contributor
        ADVANCED Google+ Local Training :: Also offering White Label Local SEO
        Latest Google Local News, Tips & Tricks

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        • Profile picture of the author MikeFriedman
          Originally Posted by Catalyst eMarketing View Post

          That's a very good point Mike!

          FYI, just did a quick peek and sig links here are no follow. Profile link is do follow but it's a raw link with no anchor so that might be fine.
          The signature link here wasn't so much an SEO decision as it was a decision to help cut down on signature spammers from what I understand.
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  • Profile picture of the author JohnRyserson
    Banned
    Are they going to even try and differentiate between active forum users with sig links and profile spammers?

    Is this even possible for an algorithm to do?
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    • Profile picture of the author MikeFriedman
      Originally Posted by JohnRyserson View Post

      Are they going to even try and differentiate between active forum users with sig links and profile spammers?

      Is this even possible for an algorithm to do?
      Not really that hard. If your signature contains some keyword rich anchor text, you are a spammer.
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      • Profile picture of the author Mike Anthony
        Originally Posted by MikeFriedman View Post

        Not really that hard. If your signature contains some keyword rich anchor text, you are a spammer.
        Pretty much
        Signature

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        • Profile picture of the author franco8
          So what should to do in order not to be categorise as profile spammer?
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          • Profile picture of the author Mike Anthony
            Originally Posted by franco8 View Post

            So what should to do in order not to be categorise as profile spammer?
            Just say No?
            Signature

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            • Profile picture of the author Linkable
              I've never really understood why people struggle with this sort of stuff. It's common sense. If mummy tells you not to touch the kettle, you don't touch the kettle. If Google tells you not to have dofollow, keyword rich anchors in your forum sig's, don't!
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  • Profile picture of the author whland
    Originally Posted by Catalyst eMarketing View Post

    Is Google going to ruin the Internet?
    Yes indeed google will ruin the internet as we now know it.

    Chad
    Signature
    WebMasterBabble.com Webmaster Forum
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    • Profile picture of the author The Niche Man
      Originally Posted by whland View Post

      Yes indeed google will ruin the internet as we now know it.

      Chad
      Plus, Google is indirectly forcing more internet marketers (who'll survive long term) to go back to old school marketing methods and business principles.

      They'll choose that option because they'll burn out from constantly chasing temporary tricks, fixes and updates.
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      "201 Ways To Live Better On Less Money".
      "Because The Easiest Way To Make Money is ... ... By Saving Some First!"
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  • Profile picture of the author SEOArbiterJoanne
    It's open to interpretation but I read that as though they're referring more to people who spam forums with things like Xrumer.

    If they were to focus more on forums I imagine relevancy would be what they'd look at. I don't imagine contributing on forums within your niche and leaving an occasional link is going to do any harm.
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  • Profile picture of the author IdeaCreator
    I think creating excessive high anchor text rich links from one forum are spam and it would be no problem as long as I am an active member and have not anchor signature and profile link. Am I right?
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  • Profile picture of the author Melissahoster
    Banned
    The only thing that matters here is whether those links look like you want to game the google bots and manipulate rankings. For example if your site os quoted on a forum as in a reference, it wouldn't hurt rankings, but signature spam definitely would.
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