Consensus on Paying to Remove Links

[TomKing]

Hi all,

For discussion...

I am painstakingly working my way through a link profile, highlighting 'unnatural links' and contacting webmasters to try and get the links removed - I haven't got as far as 'disavow' or a 'Reconsideration Request'

I have found a large number (around 150) of links from http://www.bookmarks4you.com and when I have attempted to contact the site for link removals I have had a payment request in order to do so.

Now the amount being requested is low and so it may be worthwhile, however, I wondered what the consensus was with regards to this sort of demand?

I know I could simply add the links to my 'disavow list' but for the sake of a small payment, I could get rid of them much quicker!

Also, the majority of sites that I am contacting only have a contact from as opposed to an email address that I can use directly - what I am doing is taking a screen print of each contact form in order to have proof that I am actually doing the 'hard graft' as opposed to simply adding sites to a disavow list - is this a worthwhile exercise?

Many thanks

Andy

[artdivision]

Hello Andy,

To my experience if the amount is low there is no harm in paying them to remove the links, in the end of the day they will do some admin work and noone wants to work for free (plus they didnt put your links there - you or your SEO guy did). Google wants to see that you are doing effort in getting rid of all the spammy links and they expect that some people would ask money. make sure you include this to your reconsideration request document, at least I did.

A quick advise. Make sure you remove EVERYTHING that is spammy. That includes even one single article you spinned. Once you submit the reconsideration request they will dig in to see if you have any further faults.

A client contacted me recently and I removed roughly 80% of his link profile before submitting a reconsideration request. Google came back and pointed out an article from a spin blog which is not your regular wordpress spam crap rather a very high reputable authoritative site. While other people hosting articles do not have a "link warning" or "manual penalty" Google still says it should be removed.

Best of luck!

[zoicaremus]

Hi Andy,

You do not have to pay the webmasters to remove the links.

Here is a detailed article that could help you:

Google: Don't Pay The Link Mobster For Link Removals, Just Disavow Them

On the long term they will suffer if you use the dissavow tool, so it's in their interest also. The more people will use it against them the worse it will be for them!

[artdivision]

Noone suffers if you use the disavow link. Because you disavow a web site that doesnt mean that google blacklists it. Not as far as I know at least. Got a source confirming this?

[zoicaremus]

Hi Yiannis,

I did not say they will be blacklisted. But they will have consequences for sure.

Listen to Matt Cutts video about the disavow tool, starting with min 6.20:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=393nmCYFRtA

[Martin_S]

Anyone out their actually used the disavow tool? A lot of SEO's on Moz recommend it as a (last resort) solution but don't seem to have actually submitted a disavow and documented what happened next.

Anyone?

[artdivision]

1. Remus - thanks so much for the link. Kind of missed that video and it does make sense. Thanks

2. Martin S. I have used the disavow tool and submitted a reconsideration request thought that was clear from my first reply which I explain how google reacted to this?

In particular: A client contacted me recently and I removed roughly 80% of his link profile before submitting a reconsideration request. Google came back and pointed out an article from a spin blog which is not your regular wordpress spam crap rather a very high reputable authoritative site.

Regards

[Martin_S]

Did you see much movement with your SERPs after submitting the disavow?