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I hate for my first post to be negative oriented but I have been lurking around here, learned quite a bit and follow all the rules with my SEO strategies. Unfortunately for me, I have a competitor that does every possible neagtive thing, garbage doorway pages, ghost-texting, etc... It gives him an edge and I am simply not willing to stoop that low.
It has now reached a critical mass though and I would like to alert google to the offending website. However, I have no clue how this is done? Could anyone direct me?
I'll bet that if I took a good look at your website I would find plenty on there that some would consider spam.
We've been here before - with the argument that all optimization is spam (aren't you just trying to manipulate the Google index?).
Obviously the offending site is using a 'technique' that you are not, hence your description of it as spam. Everyone defines the term differently... and the only definition that counts is Google's.
If it is a problem, Google will find it in good time. They must have a good laugh though in the plex at webmasters pointing fingers at each other.
Quite apart from that, it is interesting to hear the same people who have reported other sites subsequently squealing when Google catches their own site for one reason or another. It's called irony.
If I were you I would concetrate 100% on looking after your own site, rather than worrying so much about competitors. If they are really beyond the bounds, they'll be caught soon enough.
Why not send a friendly note to your competitor warning them about this and that they may wish to hire an SEO that will not do things that might cause them to be banned by google.
Point them to some of the discussions on this site, especially some of the PR0 threads.
It might actually get you quicker results than contacting google. Then you will at least be playing on a level field.
I've done that, though it wasn't a competitor at the time. I wrote a friendly note to the webmaster suggesting that they have their SEO fix the broken cloaking script or they'd be in trouble.
Sometimes the site owner is innocent and just doesn't know, something helpful can be the solution. But other times the site owner *is* the SEO. I once found some form script on a page not working. The site was actually very well done PR-boosting spam - if you can call it that. Some would say it's just good SEO. I dashed off a note with a link to the page AND the cached page, got a thank you note back. Next thing, that site's pages weren't being cached any more, I guess he hadn't realized people would be checking him out. They're still not cached, but view-source: and looking with JS turned off still works. ;)
You are right, sometimes it is intentional, and even when it isn't, they sometimes try and fix the problem by doing something like the nocache.
In those cases, I would report them and happily go may merry way, and quit worrying about it.
Or I might just write some spam catching code and submit it to the next google programming contest.
My immediate thought to your posting is "I hope he's not looking at one of my sites!".
I certainly do not consider myself a spammer BUT I do use techniques which allow my sites to be easily found when searching for a particular product listed.
Although it is not spamming, it could be looked upon as devious as there is some duplication. However, the duplication is to allow the power of a dynamic site for the user, whilst having targetted html pages for the benefit of the search engines.
I think if everyone on this forum, were to report their competitors for spurious links, doorway pages, SE reverse psychology (don't ask) etc.... and google were to act, we may see 80% of "optimised" sites with PR0! What do the rest of you think?!
If you report a site make sure you are sqeaky clean, cookies deleted, clean ip, etc.. Otherwise the site you get banned may be your own.
A better strategy is to simply learn from the "spam"/competition.
Also, the good clean quality site will survive - the "clever temporary spammer" will likely eventually fall.
Keep trying to optimise in a way which is unlikely to be taken offence to and you will eventually succeed!
Good luck!
Since our site and our key phrase have to do with psychospirituality, the spam is pretty blatant. You can even see it in Google's results on a search for "key phrase":
-----------------------------
Key Phrase
xxTo get the Key Phrase, please click here.... you will be automatically redirected in 5 seconds. [xxx.com....] ...
-----------------------------
this is a redirect to a product in the category of [directory.google.com...]
No thank you. If I see somebody stealing my car I'm not going to go to my neighbor's garage and steal his.
GoogleGuy has explained exactly cooperation Google wants from reponsible webmasters. Use the spam form, tell `em GoogleGuy sent you, report what you consider abuse and why, and Google then will then consider it and decide based on their rules. It works and it is the responsible thing to do.
Anyone who cares about good search results when you do your own personal searching should be wishing that everyone be a responsible netizen and report any theft of ranking that they see in their own prime interest areas.
From a responsible webmaster perspective spam reporting is the #2 most important job there is, after creating content. And Thanasus, yours isn't a negative post. The competitor is (if Google agrees) a thief, stealing ranking from those who it belongs to according to the rules of the game. It is a serious positive to be responsible and do your part to report a theif to the authorities.
It's not my car, [the serp] is Google's car hehe. ;)
cminblues
I didn't say to duplicate it. One of the things you will learn is what google will and will not tolerate (both are equally important).
since noone else has mentioned it...
welcome to WebmasterWorld.
(and I thought I was slowing down!)
