Competitor Gaming First Page Results with Different Websites

[LukeG]

Hi Guys, long-time lurker first time poster.

I work for a company in the timeshare resale industry and we have a competitor with some pretty deep pockets that is gaming the first page results with different websites.

Let me go into a little more detail...

Do a Google search for "sell timeshare", "buy timeshare", and "rent timeshare".

All three of the websites that show up on page 1 of Google (pretty much in order of 1-3 at the top) and are owned by the same company. They openly admit it to prospective clients by saying it is their "network." The sites and logos even look very similar.

Currently we are near the top of page 2 and being held back from making page 1 because of these guys manipulating the rankings. They have a huge budget and can buy links all day long. I do applaud them for their effort, but how do I go about reporting this and bringing some sense and credibility back to the SERP's in our industry?

I've tried contacting Google through one of their contact forms and never got a response.

Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

- Lukas

[AussieWebmaster]

There is a link to reporting sites but you could reverse engineer what they are doing and use some of their methods.
also if you are regional try using that to raise up for your areas over them

[LukeG]

I know they are buying links like mad on relevant websites and doing a boatload of press releases for the main site. It isn't too complicated, but they buy a lot of links and have a pretty big budget. Multiply that times their three sites and it is hard to keep up as a smaller company.

[cryptblade]

If the websites still have differing content, there's nothing wrong with what they are doing. As you wrote before, they have the will, the action, and the resources.

Imagine an enterprising fast foods franchiser has a McDonalds, Taco Bell, and Subway franchise and secured locations for all of them at a major intersection. This allows this franchiser to corner that market.

Are you gonna cry about it and try to report them to the BBB? No! That's giving up!

If you are a real business man, you'll fight back (The Donald style). You place ads, you do some guerilla marketing, you try to divert traffic to your locations.

Same thing here. If this competitor has those keywords you listed cornered, then change your keywords. Research additional "longtail" keywords, strategize how to reach your target market and get higher conversions.

You, as the smaller company, have more limited resources and a smaller budget. So make the most of what you have. To quote "Top Gun" - "You need to be doing it better and cleaner than the other guy."

Don't get all Obama on this. You have options to fight and still get a share of the pie.

[Mark]

What does "Don't get all Obama on this" mean?

[cryptblade]

"Don't get Obama on this" means - Don't be like Obama and scream this isn't "fair", you have too much, so I want take things away from you and hope you die - as per him and his party's platform.

[Mark]

OK, thanks for the clarification. We didn't get that bit of coverage outside the USA

[cryptblade]

Really? I thought the UK (and EU) was all over the financial crisis? I read recently that EU president Topolanek thought that Obama's economic policies are "road to hell". Would've thought that the UK, EU, and Asia would pay attention to Obama at least for some "sign" with regards to the financial markets???

I just don't like hearing from people who think just because one competitor outranks them and has more sites ranking that it is somehow not fair. It's just business. But there are always more than 1 way to fight back.

[bradbox]

Errrr, no the financial crisis still isn't over - another bank went out of business last weekend. (Actually it was a Building Society, but that's another conversation altogether)

I agree with your comments about LukeG's competitor - if they're smart enough to run several website without duplicate content, even having several independent sites all at rankings 1, 2 & 3, they're clearly very smart.