As you probably know by now, one of the search engine optimization services that I am heavily involved in is cleaning up low quality links to websites. If your website has been hit by any of the Google Penguin algorithm updates, then most likely you have links pointing to your website from a low quality directory. One of those low quality link directories is shown below, in a screen shot.
One directory owner, though, is cashing in on link removals. That directory owner is charging $975, nearly $1,000 dollars, to remove all the links to a website in his 1800 directories. And he charges $5 a link.
In a recent email exchange with this directory owner, Vikas Kumar, he revealed his price:
Subject: Re: Question about XXXXXXXXXXX.net
From: “Vikas Kumar”
Date: Mon, February 2, 2015 4:23 am
To: “Client Name”
Priority: Normal
Options: View Full Header | View Printable Version | Download this as a fileWe manage 1800 directories and we can remove each and every link from our
entire network at cost of $975.On Sun, Feb 1, 2015 at 12:58 AM,
wrote:> Vikas,
> How much to remove XXXXXXXXXXX.com from ALL of the directories
> you own?
>
> Bill
>
> > ?
> > Hi,
> >
> > We charge $5 for each link removal, Let us know if you are interested OR
> > have any concern?
> >
> > On Sat, Jan 31, 2015 at 7:16 AM, Client Name > [email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >> Hi alivedir.net,
> >>
> >> Recently when we reviewed all of the links to XXXXXXXXXXX.com,
> >> we noticed that your website is linking to XXXXXXXXXXX.com on
> >> this page here:
> >>
> >> http://www.XXXXXXXXXXX.net/XXXXXXXXXXX.com-5XXXXXX.html
> >>
> >> I’m wondering if you would remove this link on your website to
> >> XXXXXXXXXXX.com?
> >>
> >> Thank you, Bill (on behalf of clientname)
> >>
The majority of these low quality link directories use the “PHPLD” directory software, and while several years ago putting your website on those directories appeared to help website rankings, these are now considered to be “low quality” and those directory owners are now making more money on link removals because of Google Penguin. They used to make a lot of money by allowing you to get your website listed in hundreds of link directories. But now the tables have turned because so many websites have been hit by Google Penguin, and are wanting a Google Penguin Recovery.
Google officially has recommended that you do not pay these directory owners to remove links, although I have seen some people pay the fee. Google recommends that you disavow those links entirely. If you suspect that you have links from low quality directories or need help disavowing those links with Google, then feel free to get in touch with me.