How do you stop website attacks

[Ali-v-8]

case study,

Website "a" is high on organics for a great term.
All of a sudden 2000 links appear (not by site owner)
Also copy of site content are posted everywhere and linked back to original website.

Now here's the question. If Google interpret this as Spamming and Black hat and you get removed from the index (penalised) how do you repair and prevent this from occurring.

[petera]

case study,

Website "a" is high on organics for a great term.
All of a sudden 2000 links appear (not by site owner)
Also copy of site content are posted everywhere and linked back to original website.

Now here's the question. If Google interpret this as Spamming and Black hat and you get removed from the index (penalised) how do you repair and prevent this from occurring.

Is there any way to stop it?
I can't think of any pre-emptive measures you could take.

Once it occurs you could submit a re-inclusion request to Google but that might take a while.

I have to admit it is a bit of a concern with the number of dodgy companies out there.

I actually heard about a very big company who, as a matter of course, report everyone in the top ten listings for their clients keyphrases to Google for buying links. This is something they as a first step for every client campaign.

[Kev Jaques]

I've had a couple of other sites seen some linkage issues a while back when the hosting companies had been hacked and mass site attacks were done.

There is a way that you could possibly help prevent such issues and use xhtml with a strict doctype as the spam links that are added are not valid xhtml and so the page breaks before it is fully rendered, although not the best thing to do, it does allow you to set up a process that will monitor client sites for uptime and failing uptime you can check the site for issues.

The other issue is with weak passwords being set up by the hosting company who do a mass sweep change across all sites on a periodic basis, as soon as your password is changed by them you need to change it asap, to leave it is to leave a possible hole in the wall.

[Ali-v-8]

one of the content issues can be resolved by using copyscape.
I'm looking at ways to combat this as it will be another reason to employ an SEO.
defend against "competitor spam"
I have just appointed a guy in the adword department to review ip clicks to see if they are being used up by one source.
Its getting really cut throat

[websitedesign]

If the copied content is only a short overview (not full page content), and the links are from high quality, page rank, relevant content then don't worry.... will help your seo.

If your competitors are reposting your content on crappy sites to get you punished for duplicate content then attack back. Research/check the info of the person posting the content, use copyscape and contact each site to remove the content, if they don't then report them to Google through a dmca.

[openmind]

I though this was the point of the canonical meta tag to show which site should be the one that is the trusted source?

[petera]

I though this was the point of the canonical meta tag to show which site should be the one that is the trusted source?

The canonical tool is used to show Google which canonical version of your page is the primary. eg.

http://www.example.com - primary
http://example.com
http://www.example.com/index.html

[Ali-v-8]

yes but that doesn't take into consideration malicious link building and content posting.

[openmind]

Ah ok, misunderstood the definition...

[crossdaz]

I actually heard about a very big company who, as a matter of course, report everyone in the top ten listings for their clients keyphrases to Google for buying links. This is something they as a first step for every client campaign.

Having suffered malicious attacks myself I can well believe this is standard practice with a lot of 'consultants'?

[Ali-v-8]

The moment i find a company that does it i will make it public knowledge.
I'm speaking to a guy that chases "rogue traders" and educating him about SEO basics. What a client should be expected to pay for.

[petera]

The moment i find a company that does it i will make it public knowledge.
I'm speaking to a guy that chases "rogue traders" and educating him about SEO basics. What a client should be expected to pay for.

I think we should all name and shame any company who does this sort of thing. I won't be shy in naming names.

[OldWelshGuy]

Get ready to be sued then guys, because your opinion on what is right and what is wrong might not be the same as the opinion of the law!

Naming and shaming bad practices is a SERIOUSLY dodgy area, because on who's word do we go?

Client site cloaking to remove etc are black hat methods that have been around since the dawn of time, back when altal vista was king. This is not a new thing. it is just that some of the Black Hat methods are now coming to the fore of knowledge. These are OLD OLD OLD methods, there are far easier ways to blow a competitor out of the water, and, if done properly you will never find it. :(

[Ali-v-8]

So your an internet terrorist OWG.
Please remember I'm your friend and Sir earls the one who called you names. LOL