Inc.com posted a really great article with a very catchy title. The title is a bit misleading, it reads How Google Cost Me $4 Million. In short, it goes through a story of how a site was doing great on Google, until Google penalized them and they rankings tanked, costing them a fortune of money.
The article ends very well:
We didn't see the kind of ratings we had before the penalty until Google's Caffeine update, this June. That was our final pardon. Now we're back at the top.Without the Google penalty, we wouldn't be anywhere near as far along as we are. You have two choices: You can roll over and die, or you can grow beyond it.
But I love how Googler's respond to the title. Let me quote some Tweets:
I'm pretty sure I even know the specific SEO that caused http://goo.gl/JIYp @gmtgiftbaskets are you going to name them? ;) #youveheardofthem
Matt Cutts
mattcutts
This co. hired a Link Curator. Maybe link manipulators in the SEO trenches will reinvent themselves? http://goo.gl/JIYp
Brian White
brianwhite
Reading http://goo.gl/JIYp . Agree with the comment by JustinM @ http://goo.gl/OdCW . Our guidelines are clear on this topic.Matt Cutts
mattcutts
Clearly the company and Google know stuff we don't know. But in the end, this company received a nice amount of links and even asked Matt:
@mattcutts But you could link to us out of the kindness of your heart ;)
Gourmet Gift Baskets
gmtgiftbaskets
I doubt you will see Matt link to them any time soon.
So who cost this gift basket company $4 million? Was it Google, a link builder or themselves?
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