Welcome to the Q&A Forum

Right now, I can tell you that I have a message proving that directories will indeed get you penalized.  I had a pr4 51 authority link on a directory site that was very popular.  Google doesn't generally give you an hints on links, but they did and I have proof.  They told me to take specific directory links down that we built to very relevant sections.  Not only that, but even told me that my main url of my site I used as the keywords was still spam.

So, Google I feel is hand picking the directory sites like DMOZ, etc, etc.  I also don't feel directory sites are that high of a quality in a link anyways.  What can you really say in 30 or so words about your site.

I am not saying to stay away from them all, I am just saying be very careful, because I thought they were ok to use if you picked good ones too, but it's not.

Have a great night.

MB

Citations need to be for address specific, because they should all match up.  So just area specific no, because if it was possible it would allow others to rank up for local terms in any city they would like around the world.  So I highly suggest you get an address in some way.  Maybe a friends address, a home address of your own, or something in that area you could possibly use as an address.  It has to be a location that has never been used with Google local before though.

How did you signup with Google local or place page with no address?

Have a nice day.

MB

Yes actually,

When you submit your reconsideration request make sure you get everything above I said in her message together such as your lost links overtime.  You can use those lost links as some of your advantage and make it look like you took time to remove links to your site which they like the efforts.

No one really knows how many links need to come down, but many studies show 16% of your links.  Now I have had some sites where it's 80% and some that I didn't have to remove any at all which is very odd, but yes your reading that right 0 links removed and I got back into Google for a clients site.

Don't get discouraged though if the first time you respond they turn you down.  It's pretty normal for them to turn you down the first time and then after you resubmit a 2nd time I feel that a real person views it instead of a bot/automation process which is usually the 1st time.

Have a nice day.

MB

Hello Carla Dawson,

You have a few issues, 1st you have a 26% anchor text ratio for that keyword which is very high.  2nd you lost 234 backlinks since Nov 19th.  I would find out why your losing backlinks that quick.

I would do the following

1. analyze your competitors densities and find out what is working for them, then use it.

2. Figure out if the quality of links your building are high enough quality, because it doesn't look like they are all sticking.  However never count on all of them sticking, but 234 in a little over a month is a lot and I would question it.

3. Start working on diversifying your backlinking structure with Ip, region, Anchor, and platform diversity.

Have a great day.

Matthew Boley

I would use a canonical link as well on every page, just to add to what you guys are talking about.

Have a great day.