yahoo ban

have been removed from yahoo index

[sunnyb6767]

Sometime in Dec 2004, our website was removed from yahoo index. Only index page appears with yahoo directory listing showing when you do sitename.com search and index page does not appear when you do sitename search. Have paid yahoo to be in sponsored listing in dec 2004, but that did not help. Have e-mailed yahoo to check if the site is banned, but no reply. Before Dec 2004 site was #1 on most of the keywords. Site is doing very well in google and msn. Submitted site to sitematch twice but was rejected. Any help will be really appreciated.

[jcbereznay]

The same thing happened to me. I have tried several times to contact Yahoo. It was interesting that this occured when I let my Inktomi position tech account expire without signing up for Overture site match. I've since signed up for the site match program, but have yet to see any URL's other than my main page indexed. Any help would be appreciated here as well.

[robster124]

Sunny - what kind of SEO stuff had you been doing on your site?

[Onders]

I think yahoo has hit me over the head as well - homepage (which ranked really well) has completely disappeared. Not even indexed anymore. I haven't changed anything, and am not doing anything I could get penalised for.. so what.. why.. how.. aaaahhh

[soapystar]

am not doing anything I could get penalised for

that sentence shows you havent looked into this closely enough.

[Onders]

Thanks soapystar. Bit of a flippant remark. Should read.. "have done lots and lots of research and am tearing my hair out, but still can't find out what, if anything, I am doing wrong"
Any way you can help soapystar? Thanks!

[jcbereznay]

Finally received a response from Yahoo Search Support. It seems my site in question has been flagged for non-compliance. They gave several potential reasons (hiddent text, massive cross-linking, too much affiliate content versus unique content, etc.)

I use a site template that serves content from the database. I have a few affiliate links on the template, which would be replicated across every page served from the database. I wonder if this is what is flagging me? They won't give me a direct answer.

Anyone with experience on this?

[soapystar]

you cannot possible say you havent done anything to justify a ban because there are no global rules for what justifies a ban....a quick check on sites that have hit the dirt will show one constant factor..and that is there isnt a constant factor!...their published guidlines alone would take down 90% of the internet on subjective quality issues alone...that doesnt mean blatant bending of accepted rules..that means retrospectively not conforming to their inhouse likes and dislikes...thats just the quality side of it..then theres white hat seo...basically theres no such thing as far as i can tell with yahoo..if you have tried in any way to take advantage of any part of their algo you cold be banned..i say could...because as many sites are left to flourish as are taken out...then theres a raft of other issues that could see you with a total demotion penalty...thats what i mean by ban...so...there is simply no way a person can say they have done nothing to be penalised...

[Rollo]

Wierd things seem to happen like this in Yahoo. I actually had a problem similar that started after getting listed in the directory and ended when I removed my site. Could have been a coincidence, but a strange one. What I don't like about Yahoo is they don't respond to email. After 6 months or so, I'm back in the top 5 in many of my search terms. I'm also happily out of the Google Sandbox and doing well in Google again. What was the key? To forget about trying to game the system and just build big sites with lots of relevant content and outbound links (oh, and I did get three new PR 8 inbounds which I'm sure didn't hurt in Google). I think patience is the key... if you're sure you didn't do anything spammy you may just need to wait a small eternity... one thing is for sure, with Yahoo nothing is fast and there's really nothing you can do about it.

[GerBot]

I think Yahoo have put their directory editorial team onto spam control.
I just had two networks crushed (they hadcloaked pages).

My guess is that if you throw up too many spam flags your sites join an editorial que, and if you are banned you're gone forever.

interestingly the "white hat" sites which did actually link to some of these same sites remained - I guess unique content makes the editors happy.

[hedd gwynfor]

what email do you use to try and get a response from Yahoo these days?

After being banned in Yahoo in March 2004, It changed to a demotion at the beginning of the year, adn I received an email on the 1th o Jan saying that they would look into this form me! I was absolutely extatic, as I haven't received a reply before, but since then ................

[Tim]

[e-mail] is the email for requesting a review or if you have a technical issue.
Tim