Flagged by Google

[Neballer]

Is there a way to check if a certain site has been flagged by google?

[SurfPark]

Checking your stats should tell you if the GoogleBot has visited the site. Your site should be indexed within a month of the bot's visit.

[Mynock]

What does it mean to be flagged?

[Neballer]

I was thinking more along the lines if google banned your site.

[Mynock]

What do you have on there Nebs? Boobies? The non-bird kind?

[Neballer]

I don't think boobies are grounds for banning from google.

I was talking to someone about SEO for their site - it's been up for at least six months and no matter what I searched for in google I can't find it. However, They have a bunch of key words in commented out span classes. Now I don't remember the details, but I remember in one of my classes the instructor was talking about improper use of content for SEO - like absolutely postioning something way off the screen with content in it, might be grounds for banning. I don't know, it just seems weird that I can't find it even if I search the actual address.

[chalsema]

i don't know too much about the technical side, but adding any content that people can't see but google can, isn't a good idea. i've heard that you can be put in the "sandbox" and removed from google. there's a way to email them to ask to be reincluded if you make the necessary changes.

[D-Frag]

yup, your both right. Google will put you on a banned list if you hide your keywords on your site. there are proper ways to do SEO, and then there is the cheating way. sounds like your guy is cheating

[Jackimalyn]

there are so many things that can get your site banned and they all have to do with wayd of "cheating" SEO.

i.e. adding keywords all over your background, the same color as your background so the user odesnt see it, but search engines do.

or having excessive keywords in your meta tag. anyone got a artice? Ive read a few good ones on SEO and getting banned

[Neballer]

word.
so is there a way to check and see if you are on that banned list?

[chalsema]

Not that I know of, but chances are if you can't even find your site when you search the address, then you've probably been banned

[webfinity]

If you search the domain... www.theirsite.com (http://www.theirsite.com) and nothing comes up it is probably banned.

[SurfPark]

It was just announced this week that Google, Yahoo, and MSN have agreed to follow the Google Sitemap protocol, which involves making a special site map file on your server that will be used as the base to spider entire web site. Having a formatted site map file will allow one of the big search engines to spot you even easier now.

Below is the link the the site map project...
https://www.google.com/accounts/ServiceLogin?service=sitemaps&nui=1&continue=https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/siteoverview%3Fhl%3Den&hl=en

Consider those three companies do 82% of the indexing of web sites online, it might be to your benefit to look into this.

[deviled egg]

I've also heard that bots only search the first 250 charcters of the keywords you list under the meta discriptions, but what I want to know is how people can guarantee better ranking through SEO?

[Neballer]

thanks for the link surf park

[Ned]

Yes, thank you Surf Park. I started browsing the Google Webmaster Tools, and they seem very helpful! My gmail account seems to be coming in very handy lately...

Unfortunately, I can't verify my site now because the server HDD is being worked on, so I haven't seen all their tools available. I hope I will be pleasantly surprised when I can. :)

[Caddyman]

MUCHO INFO on SEO, in particular for forums, but its almost the same for websites

http://www.vbulletin-faq.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=17

joeychgo knows alot, and has gather alot of info in that section

and this guy wrote the book (literally) on SEO

http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/