Companies creating spammy links to charge money to delete them?

[anagentile]

Hi all,

Yesterday I was checking out ahrefs.com and realizing that one of our main competitors was getting new spammy links to its website from junk directories, rusian forums, porn sites etc. I found it to be weird but I thought that maybe they hired a black hat company without knowing it.

Today I began finding the same type of spammy links pointing to our site. I'm completely sure we did not create them.I was checking out some of the new directory links and their listings consist of new pages including only our company's website and absolutely no descriptions. I did a little more research and find out that many of those new directories/listings belong to the same company ( seems to be located in Argentina, but I'm not sure). I also remembered paying that company long time ago to delete two links to our website that were included in their directories.

I have to tell you, I'm completely out of my mind and I really don't know what to do. The two possibilities I can think about are:

1- A competitor has hired somebody to point spam to our site, to our other competitor, and may be some other competitors in the industry.(because as I tell you before our main competitor in the area is getting new spammy links too)

2- These black hat companies that own directories and other junk websites are pointing spam to us to get paid to remove links.

Whether is #1 or #2 is getting out of control and I really don't know how to manage it (except from disvowing links as soon as I find them).

I would appreciate suggestions/advise. Thanks.

Ana

[Lumina]

Hi Anagentile,

While paying a company to remove links to your website seems like a good idea, it tends to be a slippery slope - ending up exactly as you've summarized (like a blackmailer asking for more payment every time you pay).

If requesting that a website remove links to your own doesn't work, the next best option is to disavow the link(s). Check out Google's support in disavowing links here: https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/2648487?hl=en

I hope that helps you and that it works out OK; cheers!

[anagentile]

Thanks for answering. If that is the case , is there any legal action that can be taken against the blackmailer?

[Lumina]

I don't believe there's any legal action that can be taken as it's not actually illegal for someone to link to your website; regardless of what harm it might cause you. Unfortunately, there's too much truth to the saying that law is always 10 steps behind technology.

However, I do believe that if the problem persists, you have the option of emailing Google support and reporting the website(s) in question - stating your case and the specifics may go a long way in ensuring that it doesn't happen again.

[seovp]

I see this sort of thing a lot and will not respond to companies who request payment to remove a link but instead just disavow the domain. Google will often ignore some of these sites as they are often aware it is happening but always best to disavow.

If everyone just chooses to ignore sites that charge for removing links then they will eventually just die off anyway, but whilst they are getting paid, they will continue to operate.

[JVRudnick]

As noted this is really a Negative SEO type of thrust, into the marketplace by folks who IMHO are idiots!

Disavow anything that looks shady....and also ensure that you check now every single week on the new IBLs....now that someone has started on you in your channel, it may be worse before it gets  better, eh?

Oh - google for "Negative SEO" and read some of the lastest case studies too....knowledge learned is a good thing, eh!

Jim Rudnick
KKT INTERACTIVE Inc. www.canuckseo.com

[KeriMorgret]

Thanks for your answer! There's no need for a signature line on Q&A answers, however. Interested people can click through to your profile page to see your contact info (and all of our links in Q&A are nofollowed in any case).

Signature lines tend to make the answer look a bit self-promotional and can result in thumbs down by some users.

[JVRudnick]

Sorry...didn't know about the no-sig thingy...am new to the Q&A area...but  I hear you!