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Google Attacks REW Websites Could You Be Next?

By
Real Estate Agent with Re/Max Velocity Cedar City

As many of you already know google gave many Real Estate Websites a 50 position penalty for excessive reciprical linking with other real estate websites.  Why would google do this?  Matt Cutts who is googles chief anti spam engineer basically says that exchanging links for the purpose of manipulating the search engine results is against googles rules and you will be punished.   

What can you do to aviod bing penalized?  Well the first thing you can do is delete your recip links, DONT BE AN JERK and not notify your old partners.  You can also look at other ways of gaining valuable backlinks to your site such as posting articles on article distribution networks such as ezine and isnare.  You can also write blog posts like this, or add a link in your signature in forums you frequent.  Another idea is you can submit your site to high quality directories like best of the web.  

Anyways these are just a couple things you should keep in mind as a web savy realtor.  I personally add a link to my site in every blog I post.   This may not do a ton but every little bit helps.  St George Real Estate   

Comments (12)

Bob & Carolin Benjamin
Benjamin Realty LLC - Gold Canyon, AZ
East Phoenix Arizona Homes
Interesting post. Search engine rules change often and it's tough to stay on top of them all.
Jul 04, 2007 06:02 PM
William Collins
ERA Queen City Realty - Scotch Plains, NJ
Property and Asset Management

Sam,

I was not aware of the penalty. I am about to launch another website, out of necessity and I was concerned about the large number of real estate links I would lose or have to subsequently reconnect with. However,this information changes the landscape and therefore my plans. Thanks again.

Jul 04, 2007 06:03 PM
Wendy Montoya, REALTORĀ® Broker Associate, 254-315-4906
Towne Adams REALTORS - Waco, TX
Well this doesn't sound good. I am obviously no expert on the subject, but I certainly don't need anything like this working against me. yikes. I've also always understood like Bob and Carolin that the rules constantly change. Best way to get word out about your site is to advertise it on everything and anything. *shrug*
Jul 04, 2007 06:05 PM
Melody Young
Milestone Motoring - Auto Broker/Dealer - Westlake Village, CA
Auto Broker-Milestone Motoring
It's getting to the point where I'm thoroughly confused as to what's good and what's bad for SEO.  So far whatever I'm doing is working but I'm always afraid I'll mess it up.  Thanks for this useful information>
Jul 04, 2007 08:03 PM
John Lockwood
Lockwood Real Estate - Sacramento, CA
Another thing you could do is read the Google webmaster guidelines.  It's all in there.
Jul 04, 2007 08:45 PM
Chris Griffith
Downing-Frye Realty, Bonita Springs, FL - Bonita Springs, FL
Bonita Springs Listing Specialist - Agent
Don't worry, google will change the rules 15 minutes after everyone starts obeying them.  A lot of sites have been hit in my area with the reciprocal link penalty.
Jul 04, 2007 10:09 PM
Matthew J Blum - (retired from the business)
Palm Beach Gardens, FL

Sam, Thank you I was unaware of this information

Jul 04, 2007 11:16 PM
Wayne McMullan
Royal LePage ProAlliance Realty - Belleville, ON
Quinte Real Estate
Everything I have read about SEO says that reciprocal links are no where near as effective as one-ways to your site. So 2 months ago I eliminated all my reciprocal links and notified the other sites. Believe it or not some have kept me on, to what benefit I do not know.
Jul 04, 2007 11:34 PM
Scott Daniels Florida Real Estate 2.0. Agents Earn 100% Commission.
Florida List For Less Realty, Inc. Broker/Owner. - Cooper City, FL

The google v yahoo wars continue.

You need a score card to stay abreast of what goes on.. 

Jul 04, 2007 11:37 PM
Todd Murphy
Fitts Agency - Tuscaloosa, AL
I don't see how anyone can keep up with all the tricks, curves, and rules that Google has.
Jul 05, 2007 12:37 AM
New Jersey Real Estate James Boyer Morris, Essex & Union County NJ Realtor
RE/MAX Properties Unlimited, Real Estate - Morristown, NJ
Sam not sure why you linked out to REW when you put this post together.  There were about 12X as many Advance Access websites that got hit as there were REW websites.  My understanding was that there were only 8 or 9 REW websites that got hit and the rest were Advance Access and a few other providers.
Jul 05, 2007 02:01 AM
Fred Light
| Nashua Video Tours - Nashua, NH
Real Estate Video Tours for MA and NH

Todd... that's the key issue there.  Google has no tricks.  They are trying to foil realtors and webmasters from THEIR tricks that they continuously do to try and manipulate search results. 

If you look at some of these sites (Advanced Access for one), they have HUNDREDS and HUNDREDS of links that they have 'traded' with other people.  Who does that benefit?  The customer?  The realtor?  NOBODY.  If I'm on your Florida site, why do I care about a link to a realtor in Nevada?  It's done soley and purposefully and ONLY to get better rankings.  Period.

Google wants the most RELEVANT site for a particular search word or phrase to be at the top, not the site that has figured out the 'tricks' to play to GET to the top.  They are becoming more sophisticated every day.

Trust me... when I see sites that are deliverately trying to spam Google search results (especially sites that are competitors to my clients) I report them immediately to Google. 

Everybody looks for the easy way to the top (I guess that's why people gamble and buy lottery tickets, right?)

It takes hard work and time and energy.  And the people that do it correctly SHOULD be rewarded.  I'm glad they're cracking down, personally. 

Jul 05, 2007 03:51 AM