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For one of my targeted keywords, the number 3 result in Yahoo is a page that is simply a redirect to an affiliate site... No problem, I get that one. I notice that the store you are redirected to doesn't rank that well on its own based on On Page optimization, so I check the guys backlinks in Yahoo. Again, lets assume that the domain for the number 3 result I am talking about is widgetstore.com, but he redirects his affiliate code to widgets.com which is a big online store with many affiliates.
So when I check the backlings to widgetstore.com, I get a bunch of really nice professional sites and stores that appear to be unrelated. We aren't talking huge brand names, but stores you can tell are some of the bigger online stores in their particular niche. When I look at the source code, there are no links to widgetstore.com. I then go back and check the cached page in Yahoo and this is what I get...
A blank white page with nothing but about 100 blue text spam links down the left hand column.... Once you scroll down below all of the text links, you see the page of the intended site. Imagine the Best Buy online store with 100 lines of blue text links at the top before you get to the real store and graphics etc. Of course, my competitor's link is one of these.
Again, the sites these links are on in the Cached pages are not spammy sites. They are good sites with all of these links at the top. When you check the current version of the store there are no links on the page or in the code.
Is this somehow timed or set up for a Yahoo crawl, or what could it be. It gives my competitor great position through some black hat method I am not aware of. Since I am more interested in learning rather than emulating this technique, could someone here enlighten me?
Also, one simple question... what determines if Yahoo shows a link for a cached version of a page or not. Many times it is available and many times not. Why?
Thanks Again
Ken
If the sites all appear to be unrelated and what you consider to be above board companies then you'll probably find they have all employed the same SEO agency to help their rankings.
I would suggest these clients have no idea what they are part of.
I will never get ahead of him
Why not? IF you think that way you might aswell turn off your PC!
I have on occassion reported people to varying SE companies and its never done me any good! What a waste of time typing those emails was.
Work on your own site, learn the techniques that a good SEO will use for the engine and words you are targetting. You might not get the result you want tommorrow , but if you work at it you will get it, the algos may change to favour you.
Heres a thought, what if he gets caught by the algos? It has been known to happen..
