on the lack of Google's response to negative SEO

[littleman]

This is a pretty damning article about how one business got crushed by negatived SEO and Google's lack of concern or will to fix it.

Edit: made the link look more like one by adding an underline.

[buckworks]

Link?

[ergophobe]

It is linked bucky - hover over the text... haven't had time to read it yet

[nffc]

"Although Mark never intentionally engaged in off-guideline tactics to game the search results, he had paid seos to build links, not aware of the negative consequences of that decision."

If Google had a $ for everytime they have heard that they wouldn't need adwords.

[littleman]

I hear you NFFC, but the field had been set by Google -- to rank sites did what worked until it didn't anymore.  The average startup would be dead in the water playing by the suggestions outlined by Google.  So, its a situation where they either break the rules and succeed for a while, or stay in park forever.