Manual Action - When requesting links be removed, how important to Google is the address you're sending the requests from?

[Patrick_G]

We're starting a campaign to get rid of a bunch of links, and then submitting a disavow report to Google, to get rid of a manual action.

My SEO vendor said he needs an @email domain from the website in question @travelexinsurance.com, to send and receive emails from vendors. He said Google won't consider the correspondence to and from webmasters if sent from a domain that is not the one with the manual action penalty.

Due to company/compliance rules, I can't allow a vendor not in our building to have an email address like that.

I've seen other people mention they just used a GMAIL.com account. Or we could use a similar domain such as @travelexinsurancefyi.com.

My question, how critical is it that the domain the correspondence with the webmasters be from the exact website domain?

[WilliamKammer]

Google doesn't care where the email comes from to request a link removal. I've never seen a disavow report where the email of the requester is even mentioned. All Google wants to see in a disavow report is which links you want to disavow, and how much of an effort your made to get them removed manually.

The reason your SEO is requesting an email address at your domain is likely because he's using software to request link removals, and that software requires the email. Services like Rmoov are great for streamlining the disavow process, but in order to use Rmoov, you have to prove you're part of company, which requires the email address.

[Patrick_G]

Thanks for the note. I really appreciate it.

@William Kammer, get this, my agency admitted they are using Rmoov, and need it for that reason. So you were exactly right.

[MarieHaynes]

I've done both.  If it's possible for me to use a domain email then I do so, not for Google's sake, but rather, so that it looks more official to the people who are receiving the email.  If I can't, then I make up a Gmail account like sitenameemails@gmail.com and when I send the emails I include a line saying, "You may have noticed that this email did not come from an @sitename.com email address.  Because we are sending a large number of emails out we did not want to risk our domain being flagged as a sender of spam.  If you would like verification from a site owner of this link removal request, please email siteowner@sitename.com."

[Patrick_G]

Thanks for the insight. Will have to check out your book.

One follow up. Is there a rule of thumb between the time you get a message in Google Webmaster Tools, and the time you get penalized for not getting rid of those links or sending a disavow report?

[DanielFreedman]

I agree is always better to use a company address when representing the company (for link removal requests to third parties... or anything else. e.g.. creating Linkedin profiles or acting as Privacy Officer.)

I have had many "lively" discussions with clients about getting company email addresses.

Bottom line: hopeless with Fortune 500 or large companies with rigid policies. They are not going to make an exception for you, however compelling your case. They are hung up on (often phoney and imagined) compliance issues. Even if you clear that hurdle, they can always fall back on the old "we have to treat all vendors equally" claim.

But I have had some success with medium sized companies. In one case, I offered to let the IT manager monitor my email to ensure I was using it only for agreed upon purposes....on pain of contract termination.

[Patrick_G]

Thanks for the insights Daniel.

Yeah, it is difficult the bigger the company.

Do you have any insights into whether I need to worry a lot about getting spammed, if I use an email on my domain?

[Patrick_G]

Is there any fear that the entire domain would be considered spam, if you use a company domain?

Or is it just that you want to use a separate email address, so it doesn't get intermixed with other items? Seems like some people on the web strongly advise to use a Gmail address.

http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2237534/Google-Unnatural-Links-Manual-Penalty-A-Recovery-Guide

What is the Best Email Approach?

Some prefer to use an email address associated with the penalized website: Joe@example.com.The thought is that a domain based email provides maximum credibility. My concern with this approach is getting a domain's email torched by having it marked as spam.

My preferred method is to use Gmail from the Dedicated Account created for the link removal campaign. A cc to Joe@example.com seems to add sufficient credibility. By having all of the email outreach documented there, it's easy to share with Google. Using Gmail canned responses further adds to the efficiency.

[DanielFreedman]

Thanks for the thanks, Patrick G.

An amusing sidelight: one company that refused my request for company email had previously  entrusted me with use of their corporate credit card -- and continued to do so after refusing my request.

Go figure.

(sigh)