Link Request Spam

From time to time we receive Link Request Spam (also known as Back Link Requests) where someone contacts us by e-mail or website contact form and asks us, often weaving a complete fairy story, to link to a particular website.

Whoever they claim to be they are SEO Marketeers working on behalf of the website to obtain back-links to their site which they hope will help their position on the google search engine.

Now you will know if you have explored this website that we have a directory page of links to resources that we think may be of benefit to internet users and particularly webmasters, web designers and other IT (semi) professionals. I don't have hard and fast rules about what I include or what I refuse to include (link requests to gambling websites, pharmaceutical products, adult sites, alternative lifestyles are unlikely to be considered for inclusion) we do however view adversely people who lie to us and people who expect us to help them make money without there being anything in it for us.

So let's look at this recent contact form submission received on this website:

Notes: Let's take the e-mail address Michael.Cooper@onlinesafetymasters.com, this suggests that there might be a website https://www.onlinesafetymasters.com and so there is though there is only a placeholder page and has been for several years through all the time the domain name has been registered. This suggests a lack of enthusiasm for sharing online safety information via the website.

Checking visitor logs for visitors to our website about the time the website contact form submission was made suggest only one visitor, one from North Macedonia (a relatively new state in the Balkans).

I don't usually sit around and message people I don't know, but a recent event made me do it. Long story short, Liam, my child, became a victim of cyberbullying (don't ask me how), with consequences (hope therapy will soon land results! That's exactly why I set a goal for myself - learn something new about it every day and share with others with the hopes it won't happen to someone else (and for good karma, no?)

Totally unbelievable, a completely made-up story I don't believe there is a Liam Cooper who has been cyber-bullied and is in therapy, because if there was you would not share the personal details to all and sundry on the internet.

Here's this week's find - https://www.vpnmentor.com/blog/the-ultimate-parent-guide-for-child-internet/

Since you are already covering aspects of the theme here: https://www.mf3.co.uk/technical-resources.html, I thought this one would complement it well.

If I found your page, lots of other frantic parents will too, and we could really use all the help we can get! Thoughts?

Anti-bullying concerned dad,
Michael Cooper

First I will say that VPNMentor.com is a good website for comparing VPNs available. I don't currently have it listed but have a similar website listed. The webpage given above is a blog page to draw people into the parent site via the inbound link. The page is not directly linked to the subject matter of the parent site but has been created with the purpose of increasing search engine positions through additional inbound links.

Since receiving this contact form submission we have updated our directory listings concerning online safety but have done it by links to uk charities and non-profit organisations rather than by a link to a commercial company acting as an affiliate for a number of VPN perveyors. If we were going to link we would link through a directory entry in the VPN section.

I hope Michael Cooper has received this script from someone else because his wording in the following is so dramatic...

If I found your page, lots of other frantic parents will too, and we could really use all the help we can get! Thoughts?

And as I have indicated before Is he a concerned dad?

If anyone reading this is concerned about online safety for children then just do a google search and you will get much more relevant information and advice.

Recommendation:

I did respond giving details of my paid link inclusion program (PLIP) offering back links to commercial companies from US$50 per year. I get very few link requesters offering to pay US$50 and that is the last I hear from them.

Further Reading

Teacher asking me to include a link on my website

Random emails asking me to give someone a back link?

Known Senders of Unsolicited Commercial Email (UCE) aka SPAM

Personalize Your Link Request Spam Already!

Are Link Request Emails Spam?

Michael Fowler

Articles > Link Request Spam

Link Request Spam

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