BMW Germany banned by Google

[Kirby]

Go to Google and search on BMW.de - you get a SORRY page....



"From what it looks like, the German websites of car maker BMW have been kicked out of the Google index. BMW.de at this time has a PageRank of 0. A search for BMW Germany, which only days ago yielded BMW.de as a top result, now doesn’t show any sign of BMW.de at all. Instead, BMW.com – BMW’s international site – is on top for this search.

The reason for the ban is likely to be that the BMW websites have been caught employing a technique used by black-hat search engine optimizers: doorway pages. German and international bloggers last week were quick to spread the news."


FULL ARTICLE

 

[epj3]

I don't get it. I have a feeling they think they are employing an optimizer, but BMW has about 30 different websites that I'm aware of. All link to each other. I don't understand it. Oh well, censorship in china, now this! "Don't be evil"? Yea right.

 

[Stitch]

I am surprised and disappointed, if that is how they get publicity.

 

[Homeless]

I cant see why they need to do it. Anyone that visits a BMW web page does so kowing what they are looking for, how could you not? Anyone that searches for a luxury car online almost always does so knowing the type of car they want and if they dont, then no amount of text hidden behind javascript is going to influence them.

just an outright bad call by BMW or their consultants on this issue.

 

[foomonkey525i]

A search for BMW Germany, which only days ago yielded BMW.de as a top result, now doesn’t show any sign of BMW.de at all. Instead, BMW.com – BMW’s international site – is on top for this search.

Haha, and the second result is "BMW Germany Dinged For Doorway Spam."

Ironic.

 

[selavia]

I read the links, but I am a bit confused; how does a door way link work?

 

[MrElussive]

A doorway page is basically a BS page that a website has in their directory. Visitors cannot access this page from the website, but when people search for "BMW Germany" for example, the doorway page has keywords that causes Google, Yahoo!, and other search engines to help place the BMW Germany website at the top of all search results. Usually the doorway page shows up and you click on that link...as the visitor, you see a BMW Germany page with pretty much useless content, and the page usually has a link to the real BMW Germany website.

In any case, I am surprised that BMW's web design team/company used a backdoor/doorway page....we have learned time and time again that society hates it when big corporations do anything remotely unethical.

 

[epj3]

In any case, I am surprised that BMW's web design team/company used a backdoor/doorway page....we have learned time and time again that society hates it when big corporations do anything remotely unethical.

But the oil companies are exempt

 

[MrElussive]

Good call.