Is Google encouraging Negative SEO?

[Dan]

Post Panda, it would seem that Google might be encouraging negative SEO campaigns.

This is an interesting discussion about Negative SEO involving Dan Thies (https://groups.google.com/a/googleproductforums.com/forum/#!category-topic/webmasters/chit-chat/Azfly-iRtLs) - a recognised WhiteHat in the industry.

To summarise, he claims that two of his websites have received "unnatural link" messages in Google's webmaster tools (this is the method Google is employing to inform website owners that they have unnnatural links) despite his sites never having undergoing any link building campaigns.

So, in his eyes, someone has purposely built spammy links to his website.

I've always said, it doesn't matter what links you have to your site, Google would devalue a link before it devalues the site IN the link. But it seems they are no longer holding to that maxim.

So the question now is, are they actively encouraging people to go out and spam links to their competition to kill them off?

It would seem to me that Google is creating a counter-productive situation that would actually create multitudes more spam in the index. Not reduce it.

[Dan]

Aaron Wall writes a good follow-up discussion regarding Negative SEO (http://www.seobook.com/negative-seo-outing), how Dan Thies got torched, and the possible outcomes for the lay person as a result of what's happened.

[kiviniar]

Panda has been a case since launch. And if Negative SEO really worked as pointed in this case, it will go! SEO is supposed to be a complex Science and this is just too easy and instead of preventing SPAM it actually gives a reason to create more. Now that this is in the open, i predict we will see a Panda update more sooner than later.

[Watchdog]

It's ironic that a company speaks out against over-regulation by sovereign governments elected by the people of sovereign nations yet wants to be the one and only Internet overlord. I am yet to see anything worthwhile come from Google and the way they operate as a business. Every time they make a move they encourage spammers rather than curb them, regardless of what their intentions may be.

[James Donovan]

I think so, that Google is encouraging web masters to do negative seo. Because to get site in rankings is not so easy now days. But yes by spoiling other's reputation and by ruining their position, one can be in the list bit easily.

[smokdarecki]

Hi!,
Recently, I saw an advertisement, one big fish SEO guru do not offered SEO campaign to boost website. He offered (for $15.000) camaign to say "bye bye" for any chosen competitor.
With all that bulk changing in algorithms, it is very easier now to handle and manage negative campaign than the positive one.
Websites owners desperately need better rankings and search engines do not help much.
From my observations, the biggest search player tends to show relevant content-rich quality websites, on worst positions, just in order to force them using ads. No comments!

[James Donovan]

I guess Google's updates are nothing but the signals to webmasters saying that you guys can'y rank your sites until you don't use your head, because now seo would not work any more to rank.