I have been using a company that has been helping us with SEO. In order to do this, they have created a site on their server with all sorts of relevant information. When someone types in the URL that they created for us, you see our logo on that site for about 3 seconds before you get sent over to our home page.

I have been getting conflicting comments about this and wanted to get feedback from this forum -- and hopefully directly from google.

When I called the company this morning, they told me that what they were doing is not a violation of Google's terms of service as it is technically not a re-direct. They told me that a re-direct just goes to another page right away, while with their methodology, it first goes to the page that people chose to see (albit for a short period of time) and then goes to another site.

Please can you let me know if this is OK as the last thing I want is for my site to get banned from google.

Thanks!

It's a redirect and mostlikely spider food meant to rank and then redirect traffic to your site. AS long as your main site doesn't link to it then you'll be ok. If you do link to it take them down now or you run the risk of losing both sites like all the clients that traffic power had http://www.google.com/search?q=traffic+power&hl=en&lr=&start=20&sa=N

They did the same concept. Build a doorway of spider food put a shi**y redirect on it and then have the clients link to it (the doorway). Burned a ton of good sites and started a class action lawsuit against the company.

It's definitely a violation of webmaster guidelines, for any search engine, inluding Google AND Yahoo.

>>it is technically not a re-direct.
Then what did they say it is, if it's their page ranking and the visitor is being sent to your page?

What you're paying for is just for them to send you traffic, that is not having SEO done for your site. To achieve long term goals, it's safer and in the long run cheaper to get your own site optimized fair and square.

It's definitely a violation of webmaster guidelines, for any search engine, inluding Google AND Yahoo.
I totally agree. It's definitely a violation of the webmaster guidelines. It could also get your website banned.

they told me that what they were doing is not a violation of Google's terms of service as it is technically not a re-direct. They told me that a re-direct just goes to another page right away, while with their methodology, it first goes to the page that people chose to see (albit for a short period of time) and then goes to another site.

Wow, we have a winner! That's such a load of crap my dogs would be embarrassed had that come out of them.

Ditch that company, throw them away fast and find a reputable firm ASAP.

>and find a reputable firm ASAP

Easier said than done but good advice.

Here's the deal:

You should have respect for SEO companies that tell it like it is, if they tell you they are going to set up domains with the express purpose of ranking and redirecting the traffic to you then go with them.

If a.n.other company tells you they follow the particular search engines guideline to the letter and will still rank you and bring you traffic then go with them too.

On the other hand if they are economical with the truth as to their methods, or they use the "webmaster guidelines" as a marketing method then stay well clear.

As a general rule if an SEO firm says "well technically its not" they are a bad choice, if they say "you should write a page on the history of your widgets" thats generally a bad choice too.

In the SEO game you need to be on your guard against sheep wearing wolves clothing more than anything else.

As mentioned, it depends on what you hired them for.

If it's to send you traffic, no problem, if it's to optimise your website, big problem.

*..if they say "you should write a page on the history of your widgets" thats generally a bad choice too.*

I'd be interested to know a bit more about that one...

*..if they say "you should write a page on the history of your widgets" thats generally a bad choice too.*

I'd be interested to know a bit more about that one...

I think he's implying that the seo should do that. :D

In order for you to be getting "ethical" or "best practices" SEO work, the project should center on your site, not some landing page that has been created for the purpose of fooling the Search Engines. This can get your site banned from Google. Have you searched for the SEO company that you are working with in Google recently-by their name? Are the keywords that you have targetted bringing at least their site up in order to drive this traffic to your site? How can you be sure the traffic you are getting is even legitimate?

All-in-all, you are treading on dangerous ground here. I agree with St0n3y that their assurance is quite "rich."

Let's not also forget that if your relationship with the company goes sour for any reason then that optimized set of pages are not yours - they are theirs.

They can send that same traffic to your competitor in a heartbeat (one line of code would do it), and you will have paid for the priviledge of developing it!

I try hard to be pure "white hat", but I have far more respect for someone using non-compliant tactics but are open, clear and honest with the client than I do for someone who claims their method is "white hat" but in reality is not.

It's either incompetance or fraud - neither of which would be my first choice in a trait of someone controlling the lifeblood of my business.

My opinion,

Ian