Forum Moderators: open
It's unlikely to lead to some sort of life-time ban! Submit properly using the page they provide if you feel the need to, or just wait for the bot to pick you up from inbound links from other pages - because without some inbound links you're unlikely to stay in the Google index anyway :)
[webmasterworld.com...]
It sounds like a problem that has been going on for some time. If the symptoms are the same as in the thread above, it's extremely unlikely to have anything to do with automated submission.
Welcome to Webmaster World.
Whether or not automated tools are the cause of your current situation the answer to the question "Is there any real evidence that they penalise sites for using this software? Can they detect it?" is a resounding YES to both questions. There is an abundance of evidence.
Besides Google's recommendation against such use (you can't get much more specific than "Don't send automated queries to Google"), back when Googleguy was able to be a bit more forthcoming he was able to identify specific sites which used such programs and which were penalized/banned because of such use.
One relevant WW thread is [webmasterworld.com...] Pay particular attention to GG's comments in message #20:
Hey Neil, were you using webposition Gold for this domain until recently? Looks like that's what did it for you. I'll re-enable your domain and you should be back in within a day or so. Please help spread the word that rank checking programs can lead not just to IPs being banned but trouble for domains as well. We did another pass to turn off a chunk of domains that use rank checking programs recently.
Re-read that comment. Google can identify such sites and does turn them off.
A Google search of WW ( [google.com...] ) will bring up many more threads on the use of WPG alone. Search around different ways and you'll find other threads.
Again, whether or not automated programs are the cause of you current situation, be paranoid and stop using them now before you compound any problems.
Did he actually say he had used WPG?
<snip>
Come on now - there are thousands of white-hats on this (excellent) message board, who have been entirely and excellently stuffed by Google's recent behaviour. Nothing to do with auto-submission.
How can Google possibly penalise someone who has used an autosubmission program in ignorance (I recall using something called 's*bmitwolf' in the past myself!)
<snip>
Google is in a total mess as far as I can see. Don't compound it by pretending they penalise too.
<snip>
[edited by: Marcia at 10:59 pm (utc) on Feb. 6, 2004]
[edit reason] Rude comments removed. [/edit]
Did he actually say he had used WPG?
Yes. And in that same thread, msg #38, GG restates the use of WPG as one of the factors in another site's problems:
you used webposition Gold, you were in a Buddy Links program, and it looks like you were in the LinkTopics link exchange as well?
And why did you write: be paranoid?
Because if you use any type of automated query programs with Google (without using the API) you run the risk of hurting your site. If used at all it must with extreme caution.
What are you trying to achieve?
Pass on information that has been clearly and repeatedly articulated by Google.
Don't compound it by pretending they penalise too.
Not pretending. GG is the one who said "We did another pass to turn off a chunk of domains that use rank checking programs recently."
More from GoogleGuy on the subject:
From [webmasterworld.com...] msg #9:
Google doesn't like any automated form of rank checker. People who use these tools put their domains and IP addresses at risk. Many people think that Google can't detect queries from the top rank checker programs. They're welcome to believe that.
That sounds pretty specific and without pretense.
Feel free to ignore the advice if you want, it's just my 2 cents. There are plenty of other views here at WW and I'm sure others will come along to cite theirs.
