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Bill Hartzer

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Home » Link Building

Majestic Withdrawing from the Russian Market

Posted on March 14, 2022 Written by Bill Hartzer

Majestic withdrawing from Russian Market

Majestic, the link intelligence data tool, is withdrawing from the Russian market effective immediately. They will no longer provide link intelligence data for customer located in Russia. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Link Building

Majestic Just Changed SEO and Linking Forever

Posted on December 15, 2020 Written by Bill Hartzer

Majestic Link Graph

Majestic, one of the original link crawling and reporting tools, just changed how SEOs looks at links. If you do anything in digital marketing and search engine optimization with links and link data, today is a great day. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Link Building

Majestic Adds Outbound Link Counts to Link Data

Posted on September 14, 2017 Written by Bill Hartzer

One of the real reasons why I not only use Majestic every day and rely on it’s link data to do my job is the fact that they’re always improving their product. Improving their product, they’ve just announced three new features, giving us SEO consultants even more data to work with. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Link Building

Google: Link Search Operator No Longer Works in Search

Posted on January 11, 2017 Written by Bill Hartzer

Google apparently can’t publicly make up their mind as to whether or not the link search operator works or not. About a year ago I noticed that the link search operator (e.g., link:billhartzer.com) wasn’t working reliably for any website. At that time, Google’s Gary Illyes said that that “short answer is no”, implying that they didn’t remove it. But now, about a year later, Google’s John Mueller said not to use it. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Link Building, Search Engine Optimization

Upload a Disavow File and No Results? Here’s Why

Posted on October 29, 2016 Written by Bill Hartzer

google disavow backlinks

If you’ve taken advantage of Google’s Disavow Tool to disavow backlinks to a website, it’s quite possible that you may not be seeing any results. The whole idea of the disavow tool is to tell Google that there are certain links to your website that you don’t want them to count when they are calculating the Google algorithm. It’s can be helpful to use the disavow too to upload a disavow file if you can’t get rid of certain low quality links to the website. But, if you don’t do it correctly, you may not see any movement in search engine rankings. Here are several reasons why you may not see any results after uploading a disavow file. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Link Building, Search Engine Optimization

Using Cloudflare or Other CDNs Won’t Help You Hide Your Link Network

Posted on April 13, 2016 Written by Bill Hartzer

Robert Fisher recently asked a question over at Moz regarding the use of CDNs to potentially hide a link network. In the past, there has been (and currently is still) an issue regarding linking websites together that are hosted on the same Class C Blocks of IPs. Essentially, if you own several websites, they’re hosted on the same server, then they will be on the same Class C Block of IP addresses. So, the search engines can easily see that you most likely own all those sites linked together by looking at the sites’ IP addresses. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Link Building, Search Engine Optimization

Should the Phrase Link Juice Go Away?

Posted on January 19, 2016 Written by Bill Hartzer

I ran across an interesting conversation on Twitter, started by Ashley and her tweet: “Sign my petition to get all SEOs to stop using the term “link juice”.”

Ashley_(@BermanHale)_Twitter_-_2016-01-19_16.22.03

Do you think that the term “link juice” is gross? Does it relay un-professionalism in the SEO community? Well, let’s first take a look at a definition of “link juice” and what it means, according to Woorank: [Read more…]

Filed Under: Link Building, Search Engine Optimization

Directory Owner Charges $1,000 to Remove Low Quality Links

Posted on February 2, 2015 Written by Bill Hartzer

link directory owner
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. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Link Building, Search Engine Optimization

Google Penguin 3.0: No One Can Recommend How to Recover Yet

Posted on October 20, 2014 Written by Bill Hartzer

Google Penguin 3.0

Over the weekend, it was confirmed that Google has updated their Google Penguin algorithm. Or, at least while I write this, Google apparently is still in the process of updating it. So, if your website was previously hit by the Google Penguin algorithm, then there is a chance that your site may recover if you’ve truly cleaned up your site’s links. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Link Building, Search Engine Optimization

Google Penguin Refresh Widely Reported: Finally

Posted on October 18, 2014 Written by Bill Hartzer

Google Has Updated Google Penguin after a Year

Google Penguin Update 3

According to many SEOs in the industry, who are trusted sources, the Google Penguin algorithm is being updated as I write this post. There are reports that some are seeing organic ranking increases as high as 30 to 40 places from previous rankings. As you might recall, John Mueller from Google reportedly said that there would be a Penguin refresh by the end of the year. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Link Building, Search Engine Optimization

Advanced Link Training Seminar – Tonight Sept 25 in Dallas

Posted on September 25, 2014 Written by Bill Hartzer

Tonight is the night! This evening, at the Globe Runner offices in Addison, Texas (North Dallas area), we’re holding our first-ever advanced link training seminar. If you’re an online marketer, search engine optimization professional, business owner, marketer, or even a Public Relations professional and am responsible for websites, then you need to attend this event tonight.

6d91e7b0-c085-4ad1-86b2-30fbf6fa4697

At the Advanced Link Training seminar, we’ve teamed up with Majestic SEO and DFWSEM to provide the latest linking techniques, even from the very basic link issues to some advanced techniques that I’m sure you’ve never heard of. And since Google has been penalizing websites left an right these days for links, it’s important to know what you need to do in order to clean up a website’s links. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Link Building, Search Engine Optimization

Google Webmaster Tools Reports More than 100,000 Links

Posted on September 2, 2014 Written by Bill Hartzer

Over the weekend, Jim Hedger noticed that there were huge fluctuations in the numbers of links that were being reported in Google Webmaster Tools. He’s reportedly seen as much as 500,000 links reported, and then at a later time it was less than 1,000 links. Based on my own site’s link data, I’m now seeing over 200,000 links being reported.

From my past experiences, I’ve come to find out that Google Webmaster Tools, in the past, would not show more then 100,000 links, even for websites that I’ve worked on that have over 8 million links. So, doing a link cleanup project on a site with 8 million links: Google Webmaster Tools was pretty much useless. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Google, Link Building, Search Engines

Advanced Link Training Seminar in Dallas September 25th

Posted on August 20, 2014 Written by Bill Hartzer

advanced link training

My first advanced link training seminar, which I am running, will be held in Dallas on Thursday, September 25, 2014. In conjunction with Globe Runner, Majestic SEO, and DFWSEM, I will be talking about links, link acquisition, link cleanups, and even more about links. Did I mention that this is advanced link training about links? [Read more…]

Filed Under: Link Building, Search Engine Optimization

Is It Safe to Pay a Bookmarking Site to Remove Links with PayPal?

Posted on July 17, 2014 Written by Bill Hartzer

That’s actually a great question. Someone recently entered that question into Google and, because I’ve written about link removals before, they found my blog. So, I decided to go ahead and answer that question. I’m sure there are others that would like to know if it’s safe to do so.

is it safe to pay paypal [Read more…]

Filed Under: Link Building, Search Engine Optimization

Now Offering Advanced Link Building Training

Posted on July 2, 2014 Written by Bill Hartzer

broken link

As a part of my commitment to folks in the Dallas/Fort Worth area to help provide more search engine optimization knowledge, I’m teaming up with Majestic SEO (I’m one of their Brand Ambassadors), and Globe Runner (I’m a Senior SEO Strategist) to provide advanced link building training. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Link Building, Search Engine Optimization

In 2014, Are Free Link Exchanges Still Acceptable?

Posted on July 1, 2014 Written by Bill Hartzer

free-link-exchange

In 2014, is it still okay to participate in a free link exchange? That’s what I had to ask myself today when I received an email that proposed a free link exchange amongst “our websites”. I have to admit that I found this email rather odd. Especially given the fact that people just aren’t sending out these unsolicited emails anymore. But still, I had to ask myself, “technically speaking, are free link exchanges still acceptable?”

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Link Building, Search Engine Optimization

How to Post Articles on LinkedIn

Posted on June 23, 2014 Written by Bill Hartzer

Since there has been a lot of talk and controversy in the SEO community about guest blogging, and how guest blogging is either dead or not dead, a lot of people have been looking for other platforms where they can post their articles. Well, now there is a great new platform (site) where you can post article: LinkedIn.

LinkedIn_Publishing_On_LinkedIn_Wait_List_-_2014-06-23_09.06.14 [Read more…]

Filed Under: Link Building, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media

During Link Cleanup, Don’t Forget Links to Redirected Domain Names

Posted on May 9, 2014 Written by Bill Hartzer

link cleanup

One of several search engine optimization tasks that I am involved with is cleaning up a website’s link profile. Doing a link cleanup. With the Google Penguin algorithm update affecting so many websites, I have personally be involved in cleaning up a LOT of websites’ link profiles. So much so that I’ve quickly become the resident expert at cleaning up link profiles. This also involves cleaning up link profiles because websites have been manually penalized by Google because of unnatural and inorganic links pointing to a website. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Google, Link Building, Search Engine Optimization

This Has to Be the Worst Excuse for Charging for Link Removals

Posted on April 14, 2014 Written by Bill Hartzer

One of the tasks that I help website owners with is cleaning up their website’s backlinks. If a site has been penalized by Google, or the website has been penalized by the Google Penguin algorithm update, then it’s necessary to take the time to try to get the low quality and toxic links that are pointing to your website removed. I have actually a pretty good response rate when it comes to contacting the site owners. Many are very helpful and will remove links if you ask politely. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Link Building, Search Engine Optimization

3 Great Safe Alternatives to Guest Blogging

Posted on March 24, 2014 Written by Bill Hartzer

Guest blogging for SEO purposes started its downfall recently, especially with Google penalizing MyBlogGuest, and before that it was Google finding and penalizing advertorials. And before that, it was paid links in general. It’s not that Google’s against those advertising vehicles, it’s that they don’t want SEOs and website owners manipulating their algorithm, gaming the system so to speak, and “buying links that pass PageRank“. And now, if it’s paid, we all know that it’s not just Google’s problem: the United States FTC has also spoken up. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Link Building, Search Engine Optimization

I’m an Official Majestic SEO Brand Ambassador

Posted on March 14, 2014 Written by Bill Hartzer

majestic-seo-logo

I’m really excited about officially joining the Majestic SEO Ambassador program, and to have been accepted by the folks at Majestic SEO. I’ve been a proud user of Majestic SEO for many years now. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Link Building, Search Engine Optimization

Google Penguin Recovery: Site Owner Doesn’t Know About Resources Page on His Site

Posted on March 12, 2014 Written by Bill Hartzer

I spend a few hours each day helping site owners and business owners recover from the dreaded Google Penguin algorithm update. I thought that I had received crazy emails from site owners who don’t know how to update their website. But it’s also amazingly hilarious to me when I run into a site owner who doesn’t even know that certain pages exist on their website. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Link Building, Search Engine Optimization

Google Hosts Low Quality Article Directory with Links They Want Us to Remove

Posted on March 8, 2014 Written by Bill Hartzer

Oh, the irony. Google is hosting the very articles that contain links that Google is telling us that they want removed. Wait. What?!? That’s right, in what can only be a unique twist of irony, Google is playing web host to thousands of low quality spammy articles, the exact same type of articles that Google wants us to remove. And the links that they’re penalizing websites for having. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Google, Link Building, Search Engine Optimization

Linked from These Directories? Be Prepared To Pay for Removal

Posted on February 6, 2014 Written by Bill Hartzer

There’s a search engine optimization company out there that is requiring that you pay for removal if you want your link removed from their directory. This same SEO company built these web directories several years ago, touting the fact that they would help your search engine rankings if you were to get listed. Now they want payment for removal of your link.

link request removal

If you have a link on one of these directories, then expect to pay $25 for each link to be removed: [Read more…]

Filed Under: Link Building, Search Engine Optimization

Dear Shady SEO Firm: Stop Spreading Rumors about Unnatural Links and Google Penalties

Posted on January 6, 2014 Written by Bill Hartzer

Dear Shady SEO Firm:
Would you please stop, immediately, from spreading false and untrue rumors about the Google Disavow Tool? By spreading false rumors, you’re hurting the SEO industry as a whole and making it even more difficult for us honest, Google-Webmaster-Acceptable-Guideline-Abiding SEOs to get our jobs done properly. And don’t even think about threatening website owners about removing links to your client websites. That’s just flat out wrong. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Link Building, Search Engine Optimization

Use Google URL Removal Tool to Help with Google Penguin Recovery

Posted on December 19, 2013 Written by Bill Hartzer

Google has launched an improved URL removal tool that will make it easier to request updates based on changes on other people’s websites. But there is actually another use for this tool: it can be used to aid in a website’s Google Penguin Recovery if your site has been hit by Google Penguin. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Link Building, Search Engine Optimization

Google Reconsideration Request: How to Get a Manual Penalty Lifted

Posted on September 25, 2013 Written by Bill Hartzer

If you have ever received a manual penalty from Google, then you most likely have received this message in Google Webmaster Tools that could be an unnatural link warning, similar to this one that my client received: [Read more…]

Filed Under: Link Building, Search Engine Optimization

Link Building Firm: SEO Company Offers Natural Link Building Services

Posted on August 13, 2013 Written by Bill Hartzer

There are so many companies out there, some calling themselves a Link Building Firm, that claim to offer natural link building services, which is an interesting type of service. Think about it for a minute. If your company offered something called “natural” link building services, then the links that you get to your website uh, well, would NOT be natural? [Read more…]

Filed Under: Link Building, Search Engine Optimization

In a Post Google Penguin World, It is Still Okay to Link Out

Posted on June 5, 2013 Written by Bill Hartzer

In a post Google Penguin world, it is still okay (an natural) to link out to other websites. Here in June of 2013, I am horrified that I actually have to have this conversation with other website owners and bloggers. I mean, really. Why would it possibly hurt your search engine rankings if you linked out to a company’s website when you mention them in your blog post? [Read more…]

Filed Under: Link Building, Search Engine Optimization

Penalized or Banned in Google? Don’t Issue a Press Release Like IGXE Internet Gaming Exchange

Posted on May 13, 2013 Written by Bill Hartzer

If your website is banned in the Google search engine or if your website is penalized, then I don’t recommend writing and distributing a press release about it. IGXE the Internet Gaming Exchange, a company that specializes in selling MMORPG currencies, items, power leveling, and CD-keys, such as World of Warcraft gold, apparently got penalized in the Google search engine for buying links. As a result, instead of admitting that they did something wrong, they issued a press release telling others that they should not hire network marketing companies. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Link Building, Search Engine Optimization

It is Still Possible to Spam the Google Search Results

Posted on May 8, 2013 Written by Bill Hartzer

Breaking News: It is still possible to game the Google search results, even for commercial keyword phrases. In fact, you can even put up low-quality, low-content, spam web pages and get them to rank well in Google. Not only that, it is still possible, even when the Google Penguin and Google Panda have been in full force, to rank well with that low quality spam content and redirect visitors using a javascript redirect to another website. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Link Building, Search Engine Optimization

This is Not How You Should Perform Link Cleanups and Link Removals For Your Website

Posted on April 23, 2013 Written by Bill Hartzer

A UK-based online marketing agency named datadial recently received a threatening letter (a Cease and Desist letter) from Fox Williams LLP demanding that a link on their website be removed. The link in question was pointing to Shopzilla’s website. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Link Building, Search Engine Optimization

Marketplace to Buy, Sell Links Based on Google Authorship and Klout Launched

Posted on March 27, 2013 Written by Bill Hartzer

The first-ever online marketplace for buying and selling links in articles and blog posts based on Google Authorship and Klout score has been launched. Buying and selling links based on Google’s PageRank has long been a controversial topic, as well as a violation of Google’s Webmaster Guidelines. AuthorLinks is a marketplace for buying and selling links based on a web site owner’s Google Authorship and overall Klout score. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Link Building, Search Engine Optimization

Google Webmaster Tools Link Data Error Uploading into Google Docs

Posted on February 15, 2013 Written by Bill Hartzer

Way to go, Google. This just goes to show that the employees who work on your Google Webmaster Tools don’t talk to your Google Docs employees. Nothing can be more frustrating than using two Google products that don’t work with each other very well. Such is the case with Google Webmaster Tools and Google Docs. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Link Building, Search Engine Optimization

How to Respond to a Link Removal Request

Posted on February 3, 2013 Written by Bill Hartzer

Google has a lot of webmasters scared. Seriously, they really do. Webmasters are so scared now that they are randomly and blindly emailing all the sites that they know about that link to them–and asking for links to be removed to their website. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Link Building, Search Engine Optimization

Why I am No Longer a Link Builder But Now a Content Publicist

Posted on January 4, 2013 Written by Bill Hartzer


I think the title of this blog post says it all. Really. Here we are in the beginning of 2013 and many respected experts in the Search Engine Optimization industry offering their predictions for the year. I purposely have decided to not offer any predictions for the year. Rather, just go ahead and change my whole entire attitude and way of thinking when it comes to SEO, web site marketing, internet marketing, online marketing, whatever you want to call it these days. What is the change I’m making? [Read more…]

Filed Under: Link Building, Search Engine Optimization

Link Removal Request Email Related to Google Disavow Tool

Posted on November 25, 2012 Written by Bill Hartzer

Google has released their Google Disavow Tool, an online tool part of Google Webmaster Tools that allows web site owners disavow links to their web site. You really only need to use this tool if you’ve been unsuccessful in getting bad links or over-optimized anchor text links to your site removed. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Link Building, Search Engine Optimization

Google Sends Correction to Unnatural Links Messages in Google Webmaster Tools

Posted on July 23, 2012 Written by Bill Hartzer

If you have what Google calls “unnatural links” that hare pointing to your web site, then Google will notify you. They do these notifications via Google Webmaster Tools. In order to receive the messages, web site owners must go through a verification process to “verify their web site” and prove that they are the web site owner. Consider yourself lucky–or doing something right–if you have not received any of these “detection of unnatural links” messages. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Link Building, Search Engine Optimization

How NOT to Build Links to Your Website: Courtesy of American Express

Posted on May 11, 2012 Written by Bill Hartzer

As a courtesy and value-added service, American Express is building links and doing search engine optimization for many of their small business clients. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Link Building, Search Engine Optimization

Home Depot Caught Promoting Questionable Linking Tactics, Spreading False Information

Posted on April 11, 2012 Written by Bill Hartzer

Home Depot, the home improvement “big box” retailer, has been caught promoting what I call “questionable” link tactics and providing false information to their vendors. In an email to their vendors (specifically those who provide installation services), a representative from Home Depot encourages their vendors to link to specific pages on Home Depot’s website using specific anchor text–and then encourages those links to be “hidden”. Furthermore, Home Depot’s email tells the vendor that linking to Home Depot will essentially increase their website rankings in the search engines. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Link Building, Search Engine Optimization

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