"Negative SEO" link-removal requests

[EditorialGuy]

We've had a lot of discussion about "negative SEO" in the form of toxic links, but what about negative SEO in the form of link-removal requests?

Just today, I got a link-removal request from a gmail account that purported to be from a company I've written about a few times. (The address was [companyname][e-mail].) Supposedly the company had been penalized by Google and wanted to get rid of inbound links that might have caused the penalty.

I'm not about to delete a link on the strength of an e-mail from a questionable gmail account, but I'll bet a lot of site owners, bloggers, etc. are less suspicious than I am.

[n0tSEO]

I get those often. It's why I use link removal policies (even though only a few read it).

You may want to look up that Gmail address on a search engine and see what it retrieves. If it's legit, you should be able to find a company website or social profile to run a check.

Or you can contact the company you wrote about and ask them. Once I chased down a company's contact because their address was undeliverable and we got into talking via their web form. In the end, it was a legit request.

IMHO editorial links should stay and not be removed, though.

[engine]

Yes, i've had some of those types of requests, too. The fact that they came from throw-away e-mail addresses didn't give me any confidence. I ignored them and I never heard back.

It's going to be hard work for that process request being used as negative seo, compared to generating bad links.

[EditorialGuy]

It's going to be hard work for that process request being used as negative seo, compared to generating bad links/

True, but it could be more effective, since good editorial links don't grow on trees.

[Shai]

I also have a feeling that lately Google has been paying some attention and starting to deal with link based negative SEO. I don't have any proof, but it feels like the last few attempts that I observed, including one on our own site, has had little effect if any. I just don't think that the normal Fiverr type Xrumer gigs are enough anymore; Even on weaker, less authoritative sites.

[glakes]

I just don't think that the normal Fiverr type Xrumer gigs are enough anymore; Even on weaker, less authoritative sites.

True negative seo attacks cost money and much of that money is spent on buying blatant blog network links. Fiverr gigs are just used for fill.