I'm concerned about becoming a Google "Bad Neighborhood" by Hubs

1. 61

   cyndeehaydonposted 16 years ago

   I am enjoying hubpages however my websites and blog are for my business and generate a lot of leads. Google is getting more sophisticated and penalizing people associating with links it considers "bad neighborhoods"
   
   After posting my first 2 hubs I did a check and was disappointed to find 2 questionable links associated with me after 2 days. This hubber seems new so maybe there are some "quality control guidelines" for hubpages to keep the content off "bad neighborhood" topics. Does anyone know?
   
   Here's the tool that shows if you are linked to "bad neighborhoods" - which is specifically discouraged by the Google Webmaster Help guidelines,   
   
   http://www.bad-neighborhood.com/text-link-tool.htm
   
   Any thoughts? Are their any hubpage community moderators or guidelines that address this   kind of thing.
   
   I want to be clear - this is not a "personal judgment" against these hubs it is strictly an "important business position" of not wanting to risk all we've worked for since I drive 90% of my business from the internet and being on Page 1 of Google.   
   
   Thanks for any insights on how you handle this.

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      djtphn1posted 16 years agoin reply to this

      Wow, my neighborhood for my blog has no problem according to your bad neighborhood link tool.  I have never heard of bad neighborhood till now, so thanks for bringing it to my attention, tho, I am still not certain of what it means.

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2. 72

   Inspirepubposted 16 years ago

   This looks like a dodgy "tool".
   
   I ran a check on one of my pages and got flagged a couple of times because of links in the Adsense ads that showed up when they checked my page.
   
   We have NO control over where those point!
   
   Jenny

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3. 61

   cyndeehaydonposted 16 years ago

   Here's what Google has to say officially about "bad neighborhoods" .....
   
   http://www.google.com/support/webmaster … swer=35769
   
   It is becoming increasingly more important to maintain your ranking.
   
   djtphn - when you ran your hubpages profile did any "questionable links" come up from hubpages?

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4. 61

   cyndeehaydonposted 16 years ago

   Inspirehub - I'm not how it works for your industry but being a real estate site we don't have much "relevancy" to things of a sexual nature for example which ultimately is what Google is working into it's relevancy part of it's algorithm - so for us we need to steer clear of that ourselves.   
   
   If I was selling stuff like Victoria's Secrets then it would be relevant and I would assume it would be applied differently.

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5. 63

   Mishaposted 16 years ago

   I never heard about that tool, and I don't know what exactly it measures.
   
   I doubt very much Google discloses its list of "bad neighborhoods" to any third party. Since this tool is not endorsed by Google in any way, whatever it shows is pure speculation - to say it nicely.
   
   It's your choice to either stay with Hubpages or to move on to "better" neighborhoods. Nobody really keeps you here, and you don't have to search for a reason to leave.
   
   Good luck!

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      mvandemarposted 16 years agoin reply to this

      Actually, Jenny, that's impossible, since the tool does not read or process Javascript, which is what drives AdSense. It can only read regular HTML links.
      
      cyndee, I hope you read the clarification about the tool when using it:
      
      http://bad-neighborhood.blogsblogsblogs … -detector/
      
      The tool doesn't flag bad neighborhoods, it flags potential bad neighborhoods, things you might want to review more closely. You still have to decide for yourself if you want to link out to them.
      
      
      
      Misha, the tool may not do all of the work for you, it is simply what it is... but it is more than pure speculation. That's like someone who doesn't know how to use a screwdriver calling it useless, just because they don't understand what it is for.
      
      -Michael

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6. 61

   cyndeehaydonposted 16 years ago

   Misha - I respect your comments and appreciate you taking the time to reply, however, if you look at the link to Google's guidelines it does say associating with bad neighborhoods can  affect your ranking and since most of us are concerned with being found by Google it's important to realize how our online associations (including through social networks) can affect our on-line google presence.
   
   My real question was that since I'm new I wondered if hubpages monitor those "more adult" themes in any way for lack of a better term. The only one's it found were two newer hubs. If it does then it's probably a situation where it keeps the neighborhood safe. 
   
   You're right the tool I shared is just that (and nothing I have any vested interest in - just something I have found helpful for me) - it is also never a substitution for human judgement and discernment - for example if I used words to describe real estate that are typically used in more adult themed material if would be obvious when you looked closer at the article that it was about real estate and not adult themes.
   
   I find the tool is helpful for me in social networks as a way to be aware as I become "friends" and "fans" of a diverse group of people from a wide range of ventures - all of which are fine however also being aware of those that may not be the best fit for us.     
   
   I will obviously monitor it and make my own decision - as each of us does.

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7. 61

   cyndeehaydonposted 16 years ago

   Michael - thanks for your reply - looks like we were writing similar thoughts. yes - I agree it is just a tool to shortcut our own personal discernment process. I found your comments very helpful - thank you! - Cyndee

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8. 63

   Mishaposted 16 years ago

   Michael,
   
   I don't think your analogy is accurate. I'm not that unfamiliar with SEO as it might seem:) And I think mentioned tool is not an analog of a screwdriver in SEO set, but rather of some pretty exotic rarely used wrench...

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      mvandemarposted 16 years agoin reply to this

      It is entirely accurate. In the very post that you authoritatively claim that the tool must be pure speculation, you state that you have never heard of it and have no clue whatsoever what it is measuring. No offense, but that pretty much says it all.
      
      -Michael

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9. 63

   Mishaposted 16 years ago

   cyndee,
   
   Hubpages is a diverse community, which includes "adult" information, too. Not porn, but definitely perceived by most Americans as not being suitable for kids. You have to either live with that - or to leave. Hope this answers your question.

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10. 63

    Mishaposted 16 years ago

    Michael,
    
    We obviously have some very different approaches to SEO, so I'm just going to agree to disagree with you. This tool never had a place in my toolbox, and I don't know anybody who uses it. That simple.

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       mvandemarposted 16 years agoin reply to this

       Misha, I never said you had to use it. I wasn't commenting on the usefulness of the tool at all... I was commenting on the fact that you chose to disparage something that you had never heard of and obviously knew nothing about.
       
       Your claim that the tool must be based on pure speculation was entirely baseless, and I'm really not sure why you felt the need to make it. That's all I was saying.
       
       No biggie, really.
       
       -Michael

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11. 0

    Iðunnposted 16 years ago

    hubpages has a good reputation.  it's considered a viable source for educational, how to, artistic, political and geographic information.  it is not disneyland, but it is not as 'bad' of a neighborhood as any average message board and certainly nowhere in the spirit of a myspace or other blog areas.
    
    misha is quite right.  if you find it a 'bad neighborhood' that wouldn't be an opinion shared by many googlers and users who have found it helpful and even joined following discovering it to offer their own knowledge. 
    
    I think there are some bible boards and stuff out there, perhaps that would be more to your liking.

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12. 61

    cyndeehaydonposted 16 years ago

    You're missing the point - however your sarcasm is duly noted. I was having a business discussion about ideas and strategies and purposely was not disparaging anyone or any content -  just asking a real question - your response obviously is not in the spirit of respectful dialog however I respect your opinion just disappointed in your style. Enough said.  (I'd have addressed you by id - but I can't decipher it)

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13. 58

    Mark Knowlesposted 16 years ago

    Hey Cyndee -
    
    I too has never come across that tool, but I think you are unduly worried about  a few "questionable" links. I am sure google will not penalize you for a couple mixed in with the amount of other links you have associated with your hub.
    
    If you had 600,000 questionable links it might be a worry, but it is unrealistic to check every single link on every single site you link to.
    
    On the whole, I trust google NOT to screw it up - It is in their interest to get this right so I shouldn't worry about it too much.

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14. 61

    cyndeehaydonposted 16 years ago

    Mark I appreciate your thoughtful reply - that makes sense - it seems from reading more about the hubpages guidelines - hubpages does not allow adult content however we all are working to attract readers and sometimes a saucy title with great content can throw a tool like this.  I appreciate everyones feedback - thanks.

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