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Private Networks

by heft
12 replies
  • SEO
    • |
Hi Guys,

This is my first post here and I'm trying to get to the bottom of a big problem that we have had over the past few months.

Back in June last year the company decided to out source our SEO to an "SEO company" this was before I joined the company.

The "SEO Company" started off really well and we jumped from #6 to #3 within the first few months which was really good this was until January the 7th when our site just crashed down to #10.

At this time the company brought me in to see what was happening... By April we were #42 in the SERPS and shortly after this we got an unnatural link warning with WMT.

We have now removed the "SEO company" from the job and it's now my job to get to the bottom of this problem.

We have asked for 2 reconsideration requests and have been knocked back both times..

I've been analyzing the links and removing any spammy / bad link directories. While I've been looking at the back links I've noticed that we have alot of links from the same IP Address (Using Net Peak Checker). I decided to look into this a little bit closer and what I found was over 100 domains all with the same whois information and same IP Address.

Basically I found a massive private network that was linking to our site...

I personally think this was 1 of the main reasons we received a unnatural link warning, but I would like a 2nd opinion?

Any info would be great.

Cheers guys!
#networks #private
  • Profile picture of the author heft
    Anyone around?
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    • Profile picture of the author Nile Anderson
      Hi Heft

      After Penguin update, SEO has made drastic changes in link building methods. I never use black hat stuff for quick ranking. Every link building would become beneficial but make sure you are using fresh content while promotion.

      I would like to advice you to collect quality backlinks rather than quantity,it is key factor to accomplish ranking.

      Best Of Luck
      Signature
      SEO Services India |SEO Outsource Online | Web Design Company Orange County | Hudson Shuffleboard
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  • Profile picture of the author nik0
    Banned
    Ask the previous SEO company to remove you from that network if you haven't done so and once those links are gone file a reconsideration request again.

    Does the site still receive organic traffic from other keywords? Cause in case this fails then I would consider a new website and 302 redirect the old one. (don't 301 redirect or you'll transfer the "penalty")
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    • Profile picture of the author heft
      Originally Posted by nik0 View Post

      Ask the previous SEO company to remove you from that network if you haven't done so and once those links are gone file a reconsideration request again.

      Does the site still receive organic traffic from other keywords? Cause in case this fails then I would consider a new website and 302 redirect the old one. (don't 301 redirect or you'll transfer the "penalty")
      Thanks for the reply.

      I've been using a list of links from OSE and also GWMT and fingers crossed I have found all of the network domains and they have now been removed.

      I have just submitted another reconsideration request to Google.

      With regards to other keywords they have dropped a little but not as bad as our main keyword which is now rank #74.
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  • Profile picture of the author bloggerd
    Yes probably is one of the reasons google probably found footprint, if you can find a link between them all being same then I'm pritty sure google can too.
    And with the sounds of it the seo company you had was just bothered about getting the links out there and not making them natural.
    Your company should just concentrate on building links on relevant authority sites to counter the crap the old seo company put out there.
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    • Profile picture of the author heft
      Originally Posted by bloggerd View Post

      Yes probably is one of the reasons google probably found footprint, if you can find a link between them all being same then I'm pritty sure google can too.
      And with the sounds of it the seo company you had was just bothered about getting the links out there and not making them natural.
      Your company should just concentrate on building links on relevant authority sites to counter the crap the old seo company put out there.
      Thanks for the reply mate.

      Yep I haven't really been building anymore links until we are out of the penalty... I have just re-submitted for another reconsideration so hopefully I can start building high quality links again!!! :-)
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  • Profile picture of the author Pyramid Linkers
    It was probably the number 1 reason your website was effected. That doesn't mean they were penalized though. Your website may have been in that favorable position because of the links from the private network. Like many other private networks, your links were discounted and your site sank because of it. Your reconsideration requests are pointless. The fact is that may not have a penalty at all, you its more likely that you need to build more legitimate links and monitor the behavior. The unnatural link message is not indicative of a penalty. But it does mean you need to stop doing whatever you are doing, which you did.
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    • Profile picture of the author heft
      Hi Pyramid Linkers,

      I do think people automatically presume that they have a penalty but what normally has happened is there backlinks have been de-valued...

      In our case I personally think we have had a penalty against us on 1 of our main keywords...

      Have you had a penalty before? Do you get a different message?
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    • Profile picture of the author nik0
      Banned
      Originally Posted by Pyramid Linkers View Post

      It was probably the number 1 reason your websites were effected. That doesn't mean they were penalized though. Your website may have been in that favorable position because of the links from the private network. Like many other private networks, your links were discounted and your site sank because of it. Your reconsideration requests are pointless. The fact is that you may not have a penalty at all, you its more likely that you need to build more legitimate links and monitor the behavior. The unnatural link message is not indicative of a penalty. But it does mean you need to stop doing whatever you are doing, which you did.
      He pretty clearly said in the OP that his site moved from #6 to #3, and now he ranks nowhere so pretty easy to conclude that this is not just a devaluation of links cause then he would still rank somewhere at page 1. So yes definitely some kind of penalty.
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  • Profile picture of the author DizenSounds
    My guess is that it is probably that the SEO company used some networks that got caught, like BMR or LinkVana/similar services.

    That's usually where the unnatural link warnings come from. However, once you are hit by an unnatural warning you have to take action and clean up your sites backlinks. These days I recommend Linkdelete.com for cleaning up backlink profiles. Simple, easy and effective.

    It sounds you were hit by several of hte algorithm updates as well, sounds like you may have gotten hit by the landing page penalty in January. Followed by the typical link warnings that were rolled out April - now. Also sounds like you may have been hit by Penguin.

    A lot to clean up, but you gotta start immediately. First start with your onsite factors to clean up for Penguin. Clean up backlinks for Unnatural Link Warning/some Penguin factors. Then file a reconsideration request. Its gonna be hard work but get started today.
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  • Profile picture of the author mogawk
    Getting out of these networks aren't easy. That's why I've always stayed away from them as I knew it was only a matter of time before Google dropped the hammer on them
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    • Profile picture of the author DizenSounds
      Originally Posted by mogawk View Post

      Getting out of these networks aren't easy. That's why I've always stayed away from them as I knew it was only a matter of time before Google dropped the hammer on them
      Actually most are easy, just requires one click in the back end system and/or quit paying for the service and they pull your links.
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