Rejecting Links from people who add you

asking people to remove links

[DXL]

I added a little code box on my site with a submit form, so that other webmasters (who meet my criteria outlined on the page) can use my link code and then email me their linking details plus the recip address.

About 50% of the requests that I've been getting don't meet the criteria (200+ links on a page), and are totally unrelated (widget enlargement and such). Should I be emailing these people and asking them to remove my link from their sites?

[treeline]

While you could just ignore them, that's not very polite given they're doing something you asked them to. Of course, they didn't do it exactly as you requested, so....

I'd just drop them a very short note, quite polite, saying that unfortunately their site doesn't meet your criteria so you'll be unable to add a link, and that they obviously don't need to continue linking to you. Sorry for the confusion.

I wouldn't insist that they do anything. If they're too lazy or automated to go find and remove the link, no sense being a pain in the butt when you did invite link swapping.

[CainIV]

Add your criteria on the page (ie instructions regarding who you regard as suitable partners)

If they add your link and must read that page to submit, I would not bother messaging them back as they did not even take the time to read what you prefer.

[DXL]

As far as them not bothering to read the criteria, my question is less about the courtesy of letting them know that I'm going to return the link, and more about whether or not I should be asking them to not link to me because they have a spammy or questionable site. I'm trying to determine if I should ask them to remove the link because it my hurt my ranking.

[bufferzone]

It is my understanding that you will not be penalised for the fact that spammy site link to your site, You will, however, be penalised for linking to spammy sits. If you could get into trouble for incoming links, it would be a perfect way to kill the competition.

Build a spammy site using all the forbidden techniques, fill it up with offers for loans, gambling, sex, get-rich-quick schemes and then link to all your competitors.

Don’t go into any troubles over who link to you, but go into great troubles over who you link to. These links are in your span of control and these links are used to evaluate your site

[graeme_p]

Most of the sites that I get link exchange requests from are ones that I would never link to.

One even failed to give a valid reply-to address.

I now specifically say on my links page that I do not accept three way links and I do not accept links from certain types of sites (which I specify). So far it seems to have helped.

I am beginning to wonder if link exchange is worth it any more. SEs will definitely try to favour natural one way links and I am beginning to get reasonable number of one way links.

[Iguana]

It is my understanding that you will not be penalised for the fact that spammy site link to your site

Have you read Matt Cutts blog on that issue? No longer true (and hasn't been for at least 18 months).

[CainIV]

I have a hard time believing that you are penalized in any signifcant way by a single link to your site that isnt reciprocated and isnt a 302 or similar redirect.

Matt Cutts would naturally say this as it keeps webmasters on their toes and reduces link building.

[treeline]

I think if you could really damage a website by building a spammy neighborhood and then linking to your target site a lot, well, then we'd see a ton of posts here that read like:

"I did nothing wrong and then I looked into it and these mean, mean webmasters googlespambombed me into oblivion."

I'm sure there are a few out there testing the theory.....

[Lorel]

I even get link requests for sites that are no longer online so you know they didn't look at the linking requirements. They buy emails and send it out to whomever.

[DXL]

Lately I've gotten a lot of emails from webmasters overseas who ask for a link, and the page they say my recip is on doesn't exist when I click on the link provided. Sometimes its just a page where the recip is supposed to go but hasn't been added yet, but to post a link to a page that doesn't exist?

I guess they're hoping people use an automated link system and never check to for backlinks.