Comments on: Mirror starts to remove MoneyExtra links

By: Richard York

Richard York — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 09:44:57 +0000

Hi Peter,

Please share the url so I can scrutinize it. Hell, I might even create a blog and start bellyaching as is the fashion nowdays...

By: Footprints (15.09.09) | Chris Deary

Footprints (15.09.09) | Chris Deary — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:12:35 +0000

[...] Mirror starts to remove MoneyExtra links [...]

By: Andy

Andy — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:41:55 +0000

I love the presumptuousness of some people. Can I just say, Peter, that I for one have had a number of sites ranking for probably the most competitive keyword you can fathom, and they ranked using 100% white hat techniques, and not 1 single link was bought.

By: Malcolm Coles

Malcolm Coles — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:35:09 +0000

Actually, Peter, I have, but it was a major brand. So you can imagine the view we took of people link buying to make their crappy sites do better than our good one.

However, I no longer work for them, so I'm doing this out of general interest, and not out of any ulterior motive. For the avoidance of any doubt, I'm not working for anyone who could benefit in any way by the positioning of Money Extra.

By: Peter

Peter — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:33:55 +0000

I can only assume Malcolm you have never worked on any significant keywords in your time as an SEOer. Here is a fact for you - right now you will not rank for gambling, insurance, finance or travel terms without being one of 2 things... blackhat with your link building, or a major brand. For most the latter isn't something you can manufacture.

You seem to enjoy outing this kind of activity, presumably to try and aid your own financial sites by getting the competition, or their methods, penalised.

By: Andy

Andy — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 09:16:25 +0000

I know, I've been following with much amusement

By: Malcolm Coles

Malcolm Coles — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 09:15:23 +0000

Too late - the original post has several comments from people claiming the link to my mum's website in my blogroll is the worst bit of black-hat SEO they've ever seen ..!

By: Andy

Andy — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 09:09:01 +0000

Quite possible. Careful now though, there are a few people that are going to start rifling through your pages looking for anything that could be misconstrued as "grey" hat and causing a fuss about it... LOL

By: Malcolm Coles

Malcolm Coles — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 09:03:20 +0000

You could be right - it was very clumsily done. Maybe that Habitat intern got a new job?!

By: Andy

Andy — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 08:54:54 +0000

Smacks of a junior-esque SEO being caught out and crapping his pants. I would guess MoneyExtra's lead SEO spotted all the commotion on your blog, twitter, Sphinn etc and contacted The Mirror post-haste to get them taken down.