Comments on: Absolutely terrible advice given by +Google Webmasters in a comment on this post…

By: Jim Munro

Jim Munro — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 03:54:31 +0000

It's a difficult situation rapidly becoming murkier, +Google Webmasters.

What's needed is someone from the top to check it out and conclude that it's a problem of Google's creation that has to be fixed.

The longer you leave it, the worse it will get. Bad practices will become normal because you have left them with no other options.

Quaint phrases and excuses are not just insulting to the victims, they are hurting you too. You are causing a generation of industry operatives to hate you.

By: Richard Hearne

Richard Hearne — Sat, 07 Feb 2015 04:44:52 +0000

Perhaps it would be good for you to place this in the original thread +Google Webmasters where it has context and users are likely to see it?

By: Google Webmasters

Google Webmasters — Sat, 07 Feb 2015 02:28:07 +0000

Sorry about the confusion—our phrasing came off as a little strong. If you think that unnatural links to your site are having a negative effect on its ranking, even if you don't see a manual action, then you might want to go in and try to clean up or disavow those links. That can help to avoid algorithmic changes based on those links and also help to avoid a future manual action. It's also nice to keep the web clean whenever possible.

If random links to your site don't seem to be causing a problem, your time may be better spent on serving your customers and making a great site.

By: Masatake Wasa

Masatake Wasa — Fri, 06 Feb 2015 13:40:22 +0000

It might help if +Google Webmasters were to clarify the meaning of the word should in the sentence You should always try to remove inorganic, low quality, and/or bad links pointing to your site regardless if you have or don't have a manual/algorithmic action on your site. The degree of compulsion depends on the interpretation of the word. Does the word (i) convey the meaning of duty or obligation on the part of webmaster to remove bad links (i.e. we're telling you that you should do it and you have to do it), or (ii) indicate the desirable or expected state of such but not its necessity (i.e. you should do it but you don't have to do it), or (iii) advise or suggest webmasters to do so (i.e. we think you should do it).