Won't allow a competitor to ride on my coattails

[wheel]

I just had a blog ask me for some cash to renew a *cough* unpaid link. The deal initially was a nice link on a nice clean, relevant site. But it seems I opened the flood gates. They've got every manner of garbage outgoing links now.

First, the've got everything from pharma to insurance to computers - blatantly paid links. Secondly, they've got a competitor of mine, though one that does low end link building.

I think I'm going to ask this site to remove my link. First, if Google did a hand check, well, my link alone was fine but it's pretty clear to anyone what's going on now. Secondly, I think my competitor may get some benefit simply by being listed on the same site as me - kind of a 'similiar site' thing. And I don't want them to get any kind of goodness from my site rubbing off on them, no connections.

Am I being sane or paranoid? What say you?

[cnvi]

With all due respect Wheel, I think yer being a touch paranoid. Don't worry about a junk site linking to your site. If you are not linking back to the site, its not going to hurt you. It won't help your competitor to be on a page where you are also listed. It might hurt your competitor if he is linking back to the site.

Remember the search engines realize you cannot control who links to your site. But they do know you have full control who you link out to so just make sure your outgoing links are quality with high relevance. If you reciprocate a quality link its ok as long as you do it in normal natural volume.

[Freedom]

Do what your gut tells you and get the link pulled. From what you described, the site has gone too far and greedy. That's the time to pull out.

[cnvi]

The problem I run into alot of times is that the site operator might not remove the link due to lazyness, or my request hits their spam folder or they just ignore it because they are too busy scamming elsewhere.

[buckworks]

I agree with Freedom: trust your instincts and get the link pulled if you can.

[Leosghost]

Agree with Buckworks and Freedom ..if you don't feel positive about it ..try to get it pulled or it will worry you ..besides ..you ;-) can get links easier than your competitor.

[mrblond]

the search engines realize you cannot control who links to your site

Won't having an outbound link on a junk link site taint the OP's site by association?

If the site is full of paid links, who's to say that ALL the links aren't paid?

[Planet13]

Out of curiosity, does the link bring you any traffic?

What do the backlinks TO that page look like?

[piatkow]

I got caught by a couple of these in my early days. Nice free link with a little info about your site. As soon as something changes they want money. Pretty soon search engines, as opposed to directories, were becoming serious players and I just let the old links ride. They never seemed to hurt the site.

[wheel]

What do the backlinks TO that page look like?

They're great. That's why I have a link there. I was the first.

This is the second time it's happened. Many many years ago I got a link from very similiar website. Good backlinks, on topic. Came back a year later and my link was surrounded by every credit card company in the world - my link seems to have incentivized them to start selling links wholesale. I haven't been back since. Unfortunately this time I know the site owner, deal with them on other things.

The link sends no traffic. I have two links on the entire internet that send me traffic, and neither send me much. All the rest send me nothing. That's the industry.

I know I don't want my site linked to on a page that is full of low-end bought links. But I was also a bit put off that another site in my niche (that's low end, all they do is buy crap links) might somehow become similiar to mine in Google's eyes. Given my decent backlink profile, I don't want them seeing any benefit like that. Maybe I'm too suspicious.

The other dealings I have with this site are probably the largest source of income the site has by many multiples. Perhaps I should put the hammer down and tell them I'll take a link, but I want exclusivity in my niche - screw my competitors following me around. I'm reluctant to be that much of a hard nose though.

[defanjos]

If you have a good relation with the owner, why no ask to move the link to a different area of the page?
Add the link within a good writeup about your site - something that will look like an honest endorsement by the site owner.

[Planet13]

If you have a good relation with the owner, why no ask to move the link to a different area of the page?

I like this idea. Or move to a different page altogether. Maybe this is an opportunity for submitting some content to them (not so much a blog post, but maybe ghost writing some of their content)? With the understanding that they won't put any other links on that page?

Or maybe you could ask them on a new page to link out to a couple of HIGH QUALITY non competitors as well? I know this would "diminish" Page Rank, but at least your link would be in "good company."

But I was also a bit put off that another site in my niche (that's low end, all they do is buy crap links) might somehow become similiar to mine in Google's eyes.

Off topic, but I have to ask: Does the competitor with the crappy bought links rank well? (The sites ahead of me are either small businesses with crappy links, or mega-sites ebay and amazon - who recently vaulted on to to first page).