There is a Virtual Assistant that I owe a great deal of gratitude to - today she saved my hard earned Google ranking simply by being kind enough to let me know that I was asleep at the wheel. 

How so?  Well, if you've been to my blog in the past and happened upon my post on "Seeing spots - How not to design your real estate site" anytime after March 30th or so, then you saw what Google saw:  Over 3000 bleeping porn trackbacks!!!  Yes, I wasn't just asleep at the wheel, I was in a blasted coma!  LOL  Over the last week or so, I had been seeing a significant and sudden drop in my ranking and inbound links and I couldn't explain it - all my link partners were still valid and operating - my content was still good...what could be the issue?  Well, I had become a "bad neighborhood" and I didn't even know it.  So, stay awake folks!

How did it happen?  Well, in using a blog for your search engine marketing - it is imperative that you not just build it, but open your blog to comments and trackbacks to encourage the blogosphere at large to notice, comment on and promote your ideas and concepts.  Thus, I had installed a comment/trackback component that could handle that for me.  I even thought ahead enough to choose a component capable of 'image captcha' security - where an image of numbers are displayed for the user to enter to prevent automated "spambots" from being able to submit posts.  I thought it covered the trackbacks too, but I was misinformed.

So, a robot placed over 3000 trackbacks to porn and prescription drug sites into my system so that my one blog post linked out to over 3000 very bad neighborhoods.  Thus, ranking suicide!  Arghhhh!

I've since gone in and removed all of the trackbacks and set my system so trackbacks are NOT allowed - but learn from my mistake; Don't get so busy that you fail to take a good review of your website weekly if you have any functionality that allows the general public to submit items to your site or blog.  I will seek an upgrade or new component that will have secure trackbacks - I will not abandon the huge benefits of blogging due to a handful of irritating buffoons, (nor should you!) - but I will be keeping a much closer eye on my website and I hope my ranking recovers in the next few days.  I'll post an update, but first I want to acknowledge the fantastic lady that clued me in - call her and hire her, she's the definition of professionalism:

"Office Details integrates superior customer service with our uniquely tailored programs in order to meet the needs of each individual client. We believe that all of our clients deserve VIP treatment, not just a select few. No matter if your business is established or just starting out, let Office Details help you optimize your time today."

Janice Dillard - Program Manager - Office Details ~ Virtual Assistance & Concierge - Optimize Your Time. Maximize Your Life.
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