Have you ever reported a website for participating in link schemes?

[vlexo]

Google advises us to do the following:

"If you see a site that is participating in link schemes intended to manipulate PageRank, let us know. We'll use your information to improve our algorithmic detection of such links."

[google.com...]

My question is whether you use this tool to report your competitors?

For example, one of my competitors has created a promotional widget for blogs that has keyword rich anchor text it. It has no other function, and is solely a promotional syndicate. Google says you should nofollow those links within the widget, but I've found over 100 referring domains linking to the competitor using this widget.

Would you expose your competitor by reporting them to Google? Have you before? Do you do it regularly?

[netmeg]

No.

[nomis5]

Me niether. I don't even look to see who's in link schemes. I have 0% belief that if I reported anyone who did such things any action would be taken by G. In any case they would immediately be replaced by someone else doing exactly the same thing.

Look elsewhere to concentrate your efforts is my friendly advice.

[ken_b]

Would you expose your competitor by reporting them to Google? Have you before? Do you do it regularly?

No, no, no.

[ohno]

Judas.

Bing it :)

[Shepherd]

no.

[SevenCubed]

No no no no no no no and not even the black hatters either.

[buckworks]

Mostly, I figure my time is best spent working to improve my own stuff, rather than calling down someone else.

However, I did report someone a few years ago, and I know I wasn't the only one. He wasn't a competitor but he was doing something truly dishonest and dreadful.

[phranque]

welcome to WebmasterWorld, vlexo!


you know what they say about karma...

[n0tSEO]

No no no. Never. If I have a problem with a website, I'll email the webmaster, not Google.

[McMohan]

If I have a problem with a website, I'll email the webmaster, not Google.

Calling the thief to say you are stealing? How cool is that!

[vlexo]

Thanks for the responses.

@phranque, I've been a member since 2008, but like most forums I just lurk. I had this question and where no better to ask than Webmaster World? :)

[aakk9999]

^^^ Absolutely :)

And this is quite some amount of lurking, thanks for coming out!

[Lame_Wolf]

thanks for coming out!

giggity giggity goo.

[n0tSEO]

@McMohan - The Web for me works without Google in the equation. I don't give it any importance, really. The only time I advised a webmaster to report someone to Google (and that was a few years ago) was for a case of heavy, aggressive Negative SEO.

[Montresor]

Yes. I have gladly and even gleefully reported websites to Google. I never threatened them nor gave them any reason to suspect that I had vowed revenge. They deserved it for insulting me.

[EditorialGuy]

No. (I see nothing wrong with reporting manipulative link schemes, but I also suspect that Google is better at discovering them than I am.)

[FranticFish]

I used to sometimes, if there was hacking or deceptive links involved.

I have also on occasion reported networks of sites from one business that are monopolising results by pretending to be different businesses.

These days I'm as likely to be appalled by Google's actions (host crowding for example) as anything any other webmaster is doing. Haven't reported anyone to Google for several years now - I tend not to bother.

They won't take action in individual cases unless there is a PR angle in it for them. So if your competitor is a well-known brand it might be worth it.

[my_name]

I report web spam if I come across it.