Banned from Google

*Andilinks* · 07-31-2005, 06:24 PM

At midnight EDT Thursday andilinks.com was completely dropped from the Google index without warning or notice. Apart from the money, which is substantial, I am heartbroken over this. I am not a big-time developer with dozens of sites, I just have this one, it is my baby. I'm not one given much to emotion but I admit I've shed many tears this week-end. If I've seemed quiet lately this is why.

It may be that someone that I have rubbed the wrong way (I do that from time to time as you know) has reported me for some violation real or not. I have some other possible theories but at least one SEO guy has looked over my site and could not find any reason why I should have been banned.

I in fact have been scrupulously avoiding all SEO techniques not recommended by Google itself. If anyone has any idea what the problem may be I'd be most appreciative.

I have written Google the appropriate letters. If anyone has any suggestions about that I'll be happy to share the letters I've already sent.

I need suggestions on how to build my Yahoo and MSN traffic which have never been as good as they should be but are neglected because Google has always been so good to me.

I need suggestions on how I might shred and dissect Andilinks such that it might be monetized in ways other than as a website at andilinks.com...

My sadness and shock are turning to anger and I am going to turn this around. Expressions of sympathy are welcome but what I'd most appreciate are suggestions on how I might relentlessly beat this sucker until it bleeds lemonade.

Andi

*Snarpy* · 07-31-2005, 06:30 PM

So sorry to hear this, Andi.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andilinks

I need suggestions on how I might shred and dissect Andilinks such that it might be monetized in ways other than as a website at andilinks.com...
Andi

I don't qhite understand what you are asking here.

Snarpy

*Wassercrats* · 07-31-2005, 06:46 PM

Is it possible to call Google to expedite a reply? Whatever the problem is, you can fix it, and you'll be back.

Quote:

I need suggestions on how I might shred and dissect Andilinks such that it might be monetized in ways other than as a website at andilinks.com...

You can create a new website with most of the same content, but changed a little, maybe under a different name, but you need to know what happened. You'll find out.

*Andilinks* · 07-31-2005, 07:04 PM

Quote:

I don't qhite understand what you are asking here.

The data and the skills I've used to compile and edit Andilinks are valuable to many in a variety of ways. I don't expect quick answers on this whether from others or the from cauldron that is my meager brain.

But make no mistake, this data has value and now I need to exploit it. Since the beginning of 2005 I have been running Andilinks as a business and this is the first true crisis--cash flow has been very easy and the margins very fat until now. This is a whole new mode. I am asking for suggestions but in the end I know that it is I that must do the heavy lifting.

Quote:

Is it possible to call Google to expedite a reply?

Until I get a reply to my first email (or realize there'll be no reply) I will hold off on this. From what I've read over at WMW and elsewhere a polite but steady stream of emails is best. Google tends to be aloof when it comes to webmasters asking about this, and especially will penalize impatience or arrogance. I want to be very careful with this.

Quote:

You can create a new website with most of the same content, but changed a little, maybe under a different name, but you need to know what happened. You'll find out.

Yes, I've thought of this. I need to be careful about duplicate content, especially content duplicated from a banned site. I would like to sell pages outright to another website since I want to narrow the scope of Andilinks to Women's Wear, Pop music, and a few other related topics. I'd like to sell off the tech pages.

Thanks

Andi

Don · 07-31-2005, 08:06 PM

If you do a MSN search on "The links are checked frequently, details" you'll find a number of sites that have duplicated the content of a particular page on your site for the purposes of the MSN cache but then redirect to the actual page on your site when you click on the live URL. What the implications of that are I do not know.

--
Don

*Andilinks* · 07-31-2005, 08:48 PM

Hmmm... the answer may indeed lie with these but I'm baffled as to how right now.

A Google search (even now) on the term "andilinks" returns 36,000 results and recently this figure was as high as 56,000. Before I began the website that term returned two results--one personal teen site long-gone and one Dutch porn site, which still exists and remains one of those 36,000.

Many of these are so-called "scraper sites" which collect content from other sites to monetize it with Adsense. There is a theory afloat that the purge that occurred Thursday night was directed at these scrapers. Andilinks differs from a scraper site in several important ways, hand editing being one. But it is possible I was swept up in this. So it is important that I carefully point out the differences to Google...

Thanks, Don.

Andi

*Juan G* · 07-31-2005, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andilinks

Many of these are so-called "scraper sites" which collect content from other sites to monetize it with Adsense. There is a theory afloat that the purge that occurred Thursday night was directed at these scrapers. Andilinks differs from a scraper site in several important ways, hand editing being one.

Yes, it seems that Google is employing more than algorithms, and maybe one of the people who are working for Google to rate sites misunderstood completely your directory and the spamguide (a confidential document that seems good and fair, but Google doesn't like how it's circulating on the net).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Don

If you do a MSN search on "The links are checked frequently, details" you'll find a number of sites that have duplicated the content of a particular page on your site for the purposes of the MSN cache but then redirect to the actual page on your site when you click on the live URL. What the implications of that are I do not know.

Perhaps Andi is a victim of 302 redirect hijacking? That's one of the possibilities indeed. (A Google search on this gives detailed info).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wassercrats

Is it possible to call Google to expedite a reply? Whatever the problem is, you can fix it, and you'll be back.

This seems good advice.

Stecyk · 07-31-2005, 09:55 PM

Hi Andi,

First, my heartfelt sorrow for losing your Google ranking.

I don't know if my information will help or not, but I thought I would pass it along.

http://www.google.com/webmasters/guidelines.html

Keep the links on a given page to a reasonable number (fewer than 100).

Good luck.

Best regards,
Kevin

Stecyk · 07-31-2005, 10:00 PM

Hi Andi, you've probably already seen this article:

Help! My Site Has Disappeared From Google!

But on the off-chance you haven't, I thought I would flag it to your attention.

Best regards,
Kevin

*Wassercrats* · 08-01-2005, 10:50 AM

Your back, I think, at least in a small way. http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&l...te%3Aandilinks

Oh, wait.... what site is that

No page there.