SEO companies that own linking properties

[ptdodge]

Hi everyone,

I do some SEO work for a personal injury attorney, and due to his profession, he gets cold-called by every digital marketing company under the sun. He recently got called by a company that offers packages that include posting in multiple directories (all on domains they own), creating subdomains for search listings, and PR services like writing and distributing press releases for distribution to multiple media outlets. The content they write will obviously not be local. All this and more for less than $500 a month!

I'm curious if any of you have any experience with companies like this and whether you consider them black hat. I realize I'm asking you to speculate on a very broad description of what they offer, but their linking strategies sound risky to me. What experiences have you had with companies like this? Do you know anyone who has ever gotten a penalty using these tactics?

Thanks, in advance, for sharing your thoughts.

[EGOL]

posting in multiple directories (all on domains they own)

This is a "link network".  Google is getting good at identifying their footprints and busting them and all of the sites that they link to.  Dangerous.

When you finally divorce this company they will yank all of your links, then call your competitors and sell them the links that you just gave up.  Bam, you drop and competitors shoot up above you.  Your competitors will think these guys are genius because they kicked your butt.

Or, they don't wait for you to leave, they wait just enough for you to get improved rankings and business, then, just when you are enjoying the bigger money, they call your competitors, sell them links, competitors shoot up in the rankings above you, then they call you and say... Need more links?        Be careful.

PR services like writing and distributing press releases for distribution to multiple media outlets

This is likely a good way to get poorly-done, duplicate content, posted all over the web with your attorney's face on it.   :-0

whether you consider them black hat

Oh, yeah!  (personal opinion only - weasels in black hats)   Some of the work you list is against Google's webmaster quality guidelines and will get you in trouble with their Penguin Algorithm.

their linking strategies sound risky to me

Do you know anyone who has ever gotten a penalty using these tactics?

Read here.   and here.

[ptdodge]

You just confirmed everything I suspected. Thank you!