> Matt said, "For example, if you had been attempting to get PageRank
> via paid links
> on various templates, then when that PageRank stops flowing (e.g. if
> Google improves its detection in various ways), the fact that you have
> less PageRank can also mean that a site won't rank as well."

> Which to me means that the site may have been ranking higher than it
> should have been before.  Now that they've discovered and subsequently
> devalued the paid links it has sunk to its appropriate rankings.  The
> reason I bring this up, that if I am correct in my reading of Matt's
> comment, then even after a reconsideration request is filed and looked
> at, you may not see a regain in rankings since the higher rankings you
> were enjoying before were false to begin with.  What appears like a
> penalty is  really not, and therefore there is nothing to be removed.
> I just want to prepare you for that possibility.

> I'm not buying the paid link ignorance after looking at how prolific
> it was, looks like a lot of the buying started in September.  I feel
> duped on this one.

> On Feb 22, 12:50 pm, ShyBoy wrote:

> > ok, forum is now gone. I know it's a bit drastic, but I had no choice
> > and to be honest, it was a pain to moderate anyway for the amount of
> > users it had. It was only a way for us to quickly announce new
> > products etc with some extra pictures.

> > Matt, Yes, I have sponsored links and I honestly had no idea it was a
> > problem. I never actually bought a link from a high pr site just for
> > the sake of the PR. The amount of people sponsoring links without ever
> > saying they had any problems and a recommendation from my SEO guy led
> > me to believe it was not something that was wrong.

> > Removed the forum
> > Removed reciprocal links
> > Got rid of the proxy site
> > Sent emails to all the other sites copying us to remove text
> > Will never sponsor any themes ever again.

> > Anything else you can suggest?

> > Thanks everyone for all the great replies and advice up to now.

> > On Feb 22, 6:30 pm, Matt Cutts wrote:

> > > ShyBoy, have you been collecting backlinks in any unusual ways? It
> > > looks like you may have, and I would pay special attention to that.
> > > For example, if you had been attempting to get PageRank via paid links
> > > on various templates, then when that PageRank stops flowing (e.g. if
> > > Google improves its detection in various ways), the fact that you have
> > > less PageRank can also mean that a site won't rank as well.

> > > If that applies to you, my advice would be to pay special attention to
> > > that issue, in addition to the other good advice you've already
> > > gotten.
> > > Matt

> > > On Feb 22, 10:12 am, ShyBoy wrote:

> > > > Thanks guys. If I remove the forum tonight, how long would you say it
> > > > will take for the site to return to normal? Aaron, you seem very sure,
> > > > can I take that as a definite?

> > > > Many thanks everyone, I feel much better now.

> > > > On Feb 22, 3:59 pm, Aaron Pratt wrote:

> > > > > JLH - Please warn people whn you link to malware sites, I clicked on
> > > > > one of those spam links and it tried to take over my computer. :(

> > > > > yes, that site is under a -SPAM penalty.

> > > > > On Feb 22, 10:48 am, JLH wrote:

> > > > > > I suspect spammy links may have been a culprit here, some have been
> > > > > > indexed:

> > > > > >http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:r7iJxoTglK8J:www.farawayfurnitur...

> > > > > >http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0geu.q0575HpkQApt9XNyoA?p=-asdfa...

> > > > > >http://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&safe=off&q=site%3Afarawayf...

> > > > > > So I looked on your site for other links that actually exist today:

> > > > > >http://zelnorm.idoo.com/vaigra/

> > > > > > is onhttp://www.farawayfurniture.co.uk/forum/memberlist.php?sid=6e9ef35efc......

> > > > > >http://view-videos6.about.tc/(whichredirectsandthentriesto
> > > > > > install malware)

> > > > > > is on:

> > > > > >http://www.farawayfurniture.co.uk/forum/memberlist.php?sid=6e9ef35efc......

> > > > > >http://freepornshare.net/

> > > > > > is on:

> > > > > >http://www.farawayfurniture.co.uk/forum/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&...

> > > > > >http://bear0porn72.greatnow.com/

> > > > > > is on:http://www.farawayfurniture.co.uk/forum/memberlist.php?sid=6e9ef35efc......

> > > > > >http://air908.airbiz1.info/(anothermalwaresite)

> > > > > > is on:

> > > > > >http://www.farawayfurniture.co.uk/forum/memberlist.php?sid=6e9ef35efc......

> > > > > > This being said, anyone of those links that currently exist, or that
> > > > > > you've already cleaned up could have triggered and automatic penalty
> > > > > > from Google.  Since the forum seems to be the problem, I'd get rid of
> > > > > > it, at least from a robots point of view and block the crawling (since
> > > > > > it uses session IDs is a good enough reason to not let a crawler into
> > > > > > it)

> > > > > > Cleaning up the spammy links, blocking the forum so it can't happen
> > > > > > again, getting rid of the exchanged link scheme, should all be written
> > > > > > up and included in the reconsideration request.

> > > > > > On Feb 22, 6:51 am, silverstall wrote:

> > > > > > > As Robo has pointed out there are other issues which may be the casue
> > > > > > > for the loss in the serps.
> > > > > > > Blocking the IP of the proxy server itself may help prevent further
> > > > > > > attacks however you must check it is the proxy server you have blocked
> > > > > > > and not a  visitor - a human or a robot that accessed your site via
> > > > > > > the proxy link that was indexed.
> > > > > > > A proxy attack of this nature i think can sometimes bring the
> > > > > > > attention of a closer scrutiny of your site by google. Previously
> > > > > > > Pages may have escaped their filters but because they have been
> > > > > > > recrawled and re-examined they are now subject to penalties. I am sure
> > > > > > > this was the case when we recently had a proxy attack as when i looked
> > > > > > > at some of our pages in finer detail i thought how the hell did i
> > > > > > > overlook that or why the hell did she put that in etc. Also i ran a
> > > > > > > check of ALL our pages at copyscape and was horrified to see how many
> > > > > > > times some text had been copied. Regretably your homepage when i ran
> > > > > > > it through copyscape churns up a lot of duplicate content found
> > > > > > > elsewhere
> > > > > > > I am afraid there is a lot of work ahead. I know i have recently been
> > > > > > > there and it requires a closer loook at EVERY single page on your site
> > > > > > > before thinking about filing for re-inclusion. Having re-styled,
> > > > > > > rephotograped and rewritten our homepage and all key level 1 pages i
> > > > > > > found our serps are returning so on a positive note a proxy attack can
> > > > > > > act as a wake-ip call to improve quality and cut out all the errors.
> > > > > > > In the meantime finding out more detail of the proxy hijackers is
> > > > > > > useful - as i found telephone calls and even a 'visit' acts as
> > > > > > > deterrant from further attack.
> > > > > > >  As Robo points out the forum is a breeding ground for trouble - is it
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