To Disavow or Not to Disavow?

[PROFRBcom]

So Search Console updated today and, as usual, I went to disavow all the shitty backlinks pointed at our site over the last few days which I assume are negative SEO attempts.

As soon as I saw the URL, socalfd dot info, I knew I would be disavowing it. But, just to be sure, I clicked through to see the website before pulling the trigger. Then, something curious happened that I have never seen before.

The aforementioned website had redirected'd itself to a different domain. Now, this I have seen before, and in cases like this, I disavow both domains and walk away.

What was curious about this particular instance was that the domain in question had redirected itself to Google dot com.

This is where I'm in murky waters and unsure how to proceed. If in fact this 301'd itself to Google, and I disavow the site, am I de facto disavowing Google dot com? That is of course something I wouldn't want to do...

Anyone have any thoughts on the matter?

 

[Casinoer Danmark]

Hello!

So the 301 chain look something like this:

socalfd dot info (here you had the backlink?)
301-»
Shady domain
301-»
Google dot com

If thats the case you are not disavowing Google, you are only disavowing the URL's you type into your .txt file.

 

[PROFRBcom]

The 301 chain looks like socalfd dot info > Google dot com.

 

[Asmodeus]

WHOIS says it's a fairly new domain hosted by Cloudflare with an SEO score of 89% for "Google".

I think they are trying to build up a rank for that and then put up a site as some sort of Google search site affiliate website.

 

[PROFRBcom]

What could they possibly be building up a rank for with the domain socalfd and pointing to an online poker website with?

Socal = Southern California I presume
FD = Fire Department, French Dip, Freaky Deaky?

I can't figure out anything that would make sense to link to a site like mine, from a newish domain, then redirect to Google's homepage. Makes no sense what so ever to me.

I also get a LOT of .info spam sites linking to me. In fact, I don't know that I have a single legitimate .info site in my link profile. I certainly have a couple hundred or more shitty, spun, spam domains with .info extensions. This just seems like more of the same to me... I just don't know what exactly its purpose is at this point.

 

[Rick Perry]

It is a good question "to disavow or not to disavow". I think you can't do it worst if you disavow them in this case..

 

[Biti]

Of at least 95% of the links I do not know the purpose. A lot of crappy .info and .xyz websites. Some of them even not existing anymore.

To me it seems some casinos are making a business of this as a lot of them are pointing to certain reviews.

 

[PROFRBcom]

Of at least 95% of the links I do not know the purpose. A lot of crappy .info and .xyz websites. Some of them even not existing anymore.

To me it seems some casinos are making a business of this as a lot of them are pointing to certain reviews.

Yes, I disavow tons of .xyz and .info domains. I suppose they use them because they are cheap.

I presume they are some form of negative SEO... send tons of shitty domains our way and hope it trips something in the algo to chop out our legs in the SERPS.

 

[Biti]

Yes, I disavow tons of .xyz and .info domains. I suppose they use them because they are cheap.

I presume they are some form of negative SEO... send tons of shitty domains our way and hope it trips something in the algo to chop out our legs in the SERPS.

Yes, at a webhost where I had some domains before, I even got them for free from time to time if you order something.

I've found also some link sellers creating this kind of domains and putting up the best ranking websites, to attract competitors to buy links at their website. Some people have the strategy to just buy links that competitors also have.

But 99% is nothing good indeed. Even if sometimes I do not get the point, it must be something dodgy as it makes no other sense.

 

[TheGooner]

Never disavowed a link. Ever.
I think many of the traditional SEO tasks are worthless.

 

[PROFRBcom]

Never disavowed a link. Ever.
I think many of the traditional SEO tasks are worthless.

You aren't the first person I respect who has said such a thing. Yet I could swear my rankings improved when I started disavowing and again when I started disavowing regularly. I have also been to SEO discussions/seminars/panels where everyone would swear to you that negative SEO is real and disavowing is basically the only defense.

OTOH, guys like you figure Google is pretty good at weeding out the shit sites/links *shrug*

Then again, it does come to mind that you recently said (when you thought that guy was trolling you) something to the effect of "it used to be hundreds per month, but maybe now more like dozens"...

So perhaps you have been negative SEO'd, lost business, and don't even realize it? Just a possibility

 

[CL-Ed]

Never disavowed a link. Ever.
I think many of the traditional SEO tasks are worthless.

Ha. The day you get linked bombed by tens of thousands of unmaintained forum profiles and blog comments with anchor text varying from weird sex acts, to pharmaceuticals, illegal and/or criminal stuff, and child p___ by angry criminal Israeli casino owners (who later on thankfully enjoyed a stay in the slammer) ... that's the day you might find yourself reconsidering your stance on that.

 

[Biti]

Never disavowed a link. Ever.
I think many of the traditional SEO tasks are worthless.

Yes and no.

Yes, when you're disavowing every unwanted link. In fact, that's nothing more than showing you're cheating. Nothing so unnatural as having good links and disavowing the few bad links you have. A natural link profile means also crappy, unwanted links.

No, if you get dozens of crappy links with even crappier anchors with the only goal of getting down certain casino reviews in the rankings and not care about the colleteral damage. I got hurt by such an attack.

 

[TheGooner]

Then again, it does come to mind that you recently said (when you thought that guy was trolling you) something to the effect of "it used to be hundreds per month, but maybe now more like dozens"...

That's all down to tracking failures as we move to a world of mobiles, cookie strippers, and tracking blockers.
The affiliate programs know it - but all the failures are "errors in their favour" as affiliate free players so they don't fix it.

 

[Webzcas]

Ha. The day you get linked bombed by tens of thousands of unmaintained forum profiles and blog comments with anchor text varying from weird sex acts, to pharmaceuticals, illegal and/or criminal stuff, and child p___ by angry criminal Israeli casino owners (who later on thankfully enjoyed a stay in the slammer) ... that's the day you might find yourself reconsidering your stance on that.

Unfortunately it appears we have identical T Shirts.

 

[PROFRBcom]

That's all down to tracking failures as we move to a world of mobiles, cookie strippers, and tracking blockers.
The affiliate programs know it - but all the failures are "errors in their favour" as affiliate free players so they don't fix it.

All? All down to tracking failures? Respectfully, I have to disagree with a blanket statement like that.

With that said, I do agree with your premise. Those things are anathema to affiliates. They are also a boon to operators. And I 100% agree with you that operators are unmotivated to rectify the issues. Many operators outsource their affiliate tracking/back-ends. Maybe we should all lobby against MyAffiliates and other affiliate software providers to improve their tracking methodologies?

I wonder if there is a way for us as affiliates to fight back? Maybe the only option are those full screen pop-ups when a visitor with adblocker first hits a site asking them to shut it off?

 

[eton]

You aren't the first person I respect who has said such a thing. Yet I could swear my rankings improved when I started disavowing and again when I started disavowing regularly. I have also been to SEO discussions/seminars/panels where everyone would swear to you that negative SEO is real and disavowing is basically the only defense.

OTOH, guys like you figure Google is pretty good at weeding out the shit sites/links *shrug*

Then again, it does come to mind that you recently said (when you thought that guy was trolling you) something to the effect of "it used to be hundreds per month, but maybe now more like dozens"...

So perhaps you have been negative SEO'd, lost business, and don't even realize it? Just a possibility

Who is putting such .info etc bullshit links to our domain, any competitor?