Looks like it is an actual ban, since when I logged into the Google Webmaster area today I saw this notice:
It would be much easier for site owners if your account would say ‘this is why you were banned’ when it does the check in this area. Instead it just says, ‘you’re banned, deal with it’.
I have no idea what could have caused this, as I don’t even do any SEO on this site… I decided to submit a reinclusion request, but there is no way I am agreeing (by submitting the form) that my site has in the past broken TOS, because I don’t believe that it has…
This isn’t really a huge deal to me, as the site isn’t really monetized well and most of my readers come from bookmarks, links to me or are RSS subscribers, but I can’t help but be a little pissed that it’s happened. I mean, what if I depended on my site for income, as so many of you do? The only recourse is to admit wrongdoing and ask for reinclusion? How am I supposed to know what I’ve done?
You tell em Robyn! I’ll testify to your character when we go to trial too. Grrrrr.
huh!! that really sucks of google.
alas, this also breaks your lijit search widget :/
Susan, I may hold you to that 😉
Bunny, bummer.. Didn’t even realize that! Duh! LOL
Did you do any cloaking like Search Engine Land? I don’t remember hearing that they were removed from the index. I’m surprised that they didn’t make you promise that you wouldn’t do it again… good luck with it. Keep us posted to the outcome!
That’s absolutely farcical. To be reincluded you first have to confess your sins – Google is catholic! No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!
I would certainly have a chat with some of your new friends in the Yahoo “mess halls” and see if they can do a quick site analysis. Maybe Jeremy might want to blog about it too 😉
Guilty until proven innocent isn’t a very good legal system.
I think any sensible person would refuse to admit guilt if they were innocent, even with Google, and shout about it a lot.
Get your site checked out, and then make some noise… I will certainly help.
Please keep us informed on this Robyn…
I think you got banned because you went to go work for Google’s enemy. 😉
What a load of crap – I’m so sorry that this happened to you. 🙁
Personally I hate google, they wave around this mightier than thou stick and I hope yahoo kicks it up a notch and kicks them in the doodle dandies
You guys are great. Thanks for helping me make some noise on this. I’ll keep you posted.
Surely this is an error! Can’t one of your ‘friends’ who are in pretty tight with Google check into this for you? Perhaps encourage them to give you a valid reason or something?
I have to agree with Andy Beard. Guilty until proven innocent? Usually it doesn’t work that way. Shame on Google for this.
Are you still banned from Google? Anymore information as to why? Do you have any guesses? I am sorry to hear this. I hope we can get down to the bottom of this and get this corrected for you.
Yep, still banned. I’m wondering if there is some place that your url can show up, externally, or some external factors, that could be to blame for this.
Could this be some SMO’s or SEO’s response to the ScMOe tag?
Honestly Robin, based on how much a big thing Google make about not banning “Mom & Pop” type websites without giving them some kind of email telling them why, you being banned doesn’t make any sense at all.
The Yahoo search engineers will certainly have tools available that in a matter of minutes can determine your whole linking profile, just like Matt Cutts has a little box of tricks.
You should have enough positive link equity that you should be untouchable as far as what effect external links could have on your domain profile.
Plus from what I saw about SchMOe, it was the legitimate people who took notice, who are still using MBL.
Andy, I really didn’t think if there were people ‘out to get me’ that they’d be people who actually spoke out. All of the people that blogged on the ScMOe debate are quite legitimate.
And, you’re probably right that external links are not likely to hurt my site, but I guess I’m grasping at the only thing I can think of that might have happened.
That is ludacris! Have you heard anything yet? How shameful that they can’t even tell you why they would ban your site. Isn’t it sad that most big companies have terrible customer relations? They could have at least e-mailed you! Have you e-mailed them at all?
Hmm….has the problem been fixed yet? Looks like you’ve gotten your PageRank back.