Google also says..

Some more good news from Google

[GoogleGuy]

I wanted to do a quick post and let people know that another set of penalized websites are about to re-enter our index. The last times I mentioned something like this, it was for clients of a particular SEO or company who went way past our guidelines:
[webmasterworld.com...]
[webmasterworld.com...]

This time, it's mostly independent websites that were outside our quality guidelines, but that corrected whatever it was (hidden text, hidden links, etc.) and asked to be re-included. Many sites will return to our index within 24 hours. A few sites that used to be way past our guidelines will have to wait for a complete crawl/index cycle before they return completely.

I've said it before, but ultimately each webmaster is responsible for what happens on their own pages. Don't let someone else convince you to put hidden links, hidden links, or other tricks on your domains unless you know what problems it can cause. If you think your site may have penalties for violating our guidelines at one time, but the site has now corrected any problems, you can send an email to [e-mail] with the subject line "reinclusion request". Wait to email us until you're sure your site complies with our quality guidelines at
[google.com...]

One of my resolutions for this year is to continue to communicate and to increase communication with webmasters when they've run into problems. The process we're putting into place for these reinclusion requests should help make that easier for webmasters who have made mistakes.

Hope this little GoogleGram helps,
GoogleGuy (topping 900 posts! Woohoo!)

[fathom]

It would be interesting to know if Google was able to grab the recent DMOZ RFD this time around?

[finditnow]

LETS DANCE! ANYONE NEED A PARTNER?

[WebRookie]

This is great to hear, GoogleGuy. Sometimes clients get caught up in methods they don't understand, then they endure the consequences. Glad to see there is a way to fix situations through Google.

[rogerd]

People tend to get a little antsy around update time...

Nahhh, not us! ;)
Glad to hear about the planned improvement in response mechanism. I have few complaints about Google, but the autoresponse/no response issue seemed really out of keeping with the quality standards set by the rest of the company. Thanks for stopping by, GG, and "feeling our pain". :)

[born2drv]

Googleguy, Any chance you call tell us what the sentences are? 3 months in jail, 6 months, etc, before being released? :)

I would like to if sites are penalized for certain periods of time until Google feels they've served their sentence.... or is it more of a "let's be generous and give all these guys a second chance" thing? Like taking all convicts off death row? :)

[rfgdxm1]

Oh great GoogleGuy. So you mean to say the governor has pardoned a bunch of cheaters who had been given the Google Death Penalty and they will again be allowed to dishonestly dominate the SERPs again? Too bad for all the honest webmasters who'd have been happy to pull the lever to give them the chair. Probably won't make a difference to me, but I can imagine better news.

[taxpod]

I'm with fathom. I've got a half dozen new listings in DMOZ and am most anxious to see if they're in the directory this go around.

GoogleGuy, I take Norvasc and Atacand HCT. I've had to double up on my meds since the 20th. That gets expesive. Please take it easy on us hypertensive types next month!

[rfgdxm1]

>I'm with fathom. I've got a half dozen new listings in DMOZ and am most anxious to see if they're in the directory this go around.

I'm an ODP editor. We are the Rodney Dangerfield's of the Internet, and get no respect. My guess is no.

[rogerd]

rfgdxm1, I wouldn't assume that the pardoned sites are serious cheaters. The real cheaters abandon penalized domains and move on to new ones. My guess is that many of the pardoned domains are smaller scale businesses that either unknowingly did something that looked dodgy or read an out-of-date SEO guide and tried an obsolete technique.

[Chicago]

I'm with Fathom too,

but ODP should be downgraded as part of the algo not up upgraded. rfgdxm1, I feel for you, but ODP these days reminds me of 1996 (7,8.or 9)...where perception of value was better than value itself.

i know....not germain... i think i caught the dance bug through osmosis. not like me....

[edited by: Chicago at 3:54 am (utc) on Mar. 6, 2003]

[GoogleGuy]

right-o, rogerd. These are mostly small-scale businesses. You'll be happy to hear that I believe that we did get a newer RDF dump of the ODP. I don't know how new it is, but it should be fresher than before.

[diddlydazz]

<-- You'll be happy to hear that I believe that we did get a newer RDF dump of the ODP

excellent news, thanks GG

Dazz

[nipear]

It's funny to say but I am more excited about the new directory than the dance. I've got a few sites in the new dump in some categories that should bring some decent traffic.

[edited by: nipear at 4:11 am (utc) on Mar. 6, 2003]

[rfgdxm1]

>right-o, rogerd. These are mostly small-scale businesses. You'll be happy to hear that I believe that we did get a newer RDF dump of the ODP. I don't know how new it is, but it should be fresher than before.

*I'm* an ODP editor (at least last I checked my password still worked, so I guess that means I still am.) Last I checked "fresh" would mean more recent than fall, 2002. Google has updated beyond that?

[quotations]

> newer RDF dump of the ODP.

That is the best news I have heard in months.

Thank you, thank you , thank you.