I hate it when I see companies in our industry acting unprofessional. It makes our whole industry look bad and encourages ill-informed authors to write bad things about this industry. Why am I upset?

Well, I saw a thread at Google Webmaster Help posted by a site owner who is afraid that his old SEO company will hurt his site in the search engines. This SEO company allegedly wrote him the following email:

Per your request we have shut down both of your web sites to the search engines *websiteName* is ranking fantastic on the front page of google example *searchTerm* with over 9 million competing pages you rank number 3 and number 4 on the front page your other site was ranking equally as well. You are releasing *SEOfirm* from any and all liability for your web site placements. As you know we don't do competitors so before you drop off of Google I have to go out and sign another company and once I show them where I placed you no doubt they will sign. People would give anything to have your rankings. I hate losing clients but in your case I can replace your site on google with someone else. I wish you good luck in the search engines and remember in june or july when google goes through there change it will be nearly impossible for you to return to front page...

What should this person do? Here are the things that come to my mind as I write this:

• Remove access to their domain name
• Remove FTP access or CMS access
• Remove their access to Google Webmaster Tools, Yahoo Site Explorer and Live Search Webmaster tools (here is why)
• Report them to the BBB
• Keep an eye on your links and site for the next month or two

Times may be getting tough in this recession, but to use fear tactics and threats to keep business, seems wrong.

Forum discussion at Google Webmaster Help.

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