Inherited links to new domain from "bad neighborhood"

Might we be penalized?

[suzieq]

We recently secured a domain for our very legitimate apparel business, and I just found out that we're being linked to by some pages that are in what I think are called "bad neighborhood," and we had absolutely nothing to do with it. So II went on an expedition to figure out how and why. It looks like our domain name existed before, for several years, as some pretty bawdy stuff (found on the Way-Back Machine). So these links to our domain look like the are hold-over links to that domain that had the same name, which we inherited automatically. As far as I can tell, there are about 5 or 6 different "links" sites with us on it, all of which apparently have the same links--just going under different domain names.

I sure hope we aren't going to get penalized for the completely unintended association. Does anyone have any idea if we will, or what we can do about it?

SuzieQ

[pmac]

Welcome [webmasterworld.com] to WebmasterWorld suzieq!

Was it an expired domain? If so these threads may be of some value to you.

[webmasterworld.com...]
[webmasterworld.com...]

[dazzlindonna]

You won't get penalized for bad neighborhoods linking to you. Just don't link back to them and you're fine.

[suzieq]

Thanks very much, pmac. I read both of those threads and it was something like standing under a piledriver. After coming to I began to wonder what I was doing here at all. I feel like Alice. :)

We're pretty thoroughly in the "mom and pop" category. We'd wanted to start up this business for quite some time, finally felt we had the resources, thought up what we felt would be a good name for the business, did a domain-name search for it on the web, and voila! it was available. I mean, we felt fortunate, but I'm getting the idea from all I've just read that it was a truly uncanny serendipity. Now it's downright scary!

We never dreamed of researching the history of the domain name. I feel kind of Pollyanaish saying that now, but we never even thought the thought. Now I've found out what the domain was before. (Cringe.)

Now I'm off to find out what this "PR" stuff is all about. So far I've just learned that it's somehow connected to a "Google toolbar," which isn't even available on a Mac, so I don't have a clue, but I see everybody going on and on about it, so I guess it's going to be part of my continuing reluctant education.

SuzieQ

[suzieq]

Thanks, dazzlindonna. Not a chance we'd be linking back to them!

I feel like I need to get the equivalent of a college education in all this now.

SuzieQ