It is no doubt that the Internet has truly transformed the way we communicate, shop, and find information. However, with this revolution comes a darker side: negative SEO and link disavow companies. Google’s Search Advocate, Mr. John Mueller, spoke out against these marketing services and their potential to do more harm than good.
According to Mueller, these companies use very unethical tactics. They also have the potential to damage websites on a larger scale than they may realize.
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This Is Certainly Not John Mueller’s First Time Speaking Out
John Mueller, a Google representative, recently spoke out against SEO companies that provide harmful SEO marketing services. He also spoke about using link disavow services for purposes other than the tool’s design. He stated that these companies are taking advantage of clients who aren’t aware of the proper use of the tool.
Google employees like Mueller are at most times, perceived as being vague. But, they have consistently advised against the use of the negative SEO and link disavow action. This time, Mueller specifically criticized SEOs who have recommended link disavows.
What’s The Context?
The context of Mueller’s comments came from a tweet by Ryan Jones (@RyanJones), who expressed his surprise at the number of SEOs who regularly offer link disavow services. Ryan pointed out that unless the links are spammy or there is an involvement of manual action, using the link disavow tool can do more harm than good.
Google has only recommended using the link disavow tool to remove paid or harmful links that are the responsibility of the site (or its SEO). Despite this recommendation, there are still instances of SEOs misusing the tool to remove other types of links.
Mueller’s statement sheds light on the issue of SEO companies misusing the link disavow action and highlights the importance of using it in accordance with Google’s recommendations.
John Mueller Responds
John Mueller responds, “There are lots of companies out there that are making stuff up“.
Mueller pointed out that it is impossible to protect a website against malicious actors completely. Specifically malicious actors who use negative SEO tactics such as link-building schemes. He went on to say that many of the claims made by these companies are exaggerated. He also said that legitimate, reputable websites need not worry about them. Mueller also mentioned that Google does its best to detect attempts at manipulating search rankings and penalize those sites accordingly.
John Mueller’s comment pertains to the context for Ryan’s remark that SEOs are typically shocked about disavowed links. They are shocked to learn about how many links in their community are disavowed by their companies. An SEO company was quick to respond to the tweet. It said that websites continue to receive downvotes in spite of efforts to remove or disavow their content. In turn to which, networks arbitrate negative links by demanding members to disavow each other’s links.
Conclusion
John Mueller evidently feels that those who had discovered and provided negative SEO services and those selling unauthorized disavowal services beyond the intended use behind such campaigns are making things up.