PR4 Problem

[Chris1974]

Okay, this has gotten a bit out of contol and I need some guidance on what to do.

I have a simple link directory (using phplinkdirectory script) website that is niche specific. I've been slowly but surely building this directory and finally about two weeks ago got a PR4 rank. Ever since I got a PR rank with google I'm getting hit with with spam submissions for pre-paid phone cards, cheap long distance, online pharmacies, etc, etc.

This has never happened until the very second I got a PR rank. Every since then it's a daily occurence.

I have visual confirmation on the submit page so these people must be doing it manually.

How are they finding me? Is this a robot.txt issue? I'm presuming spiders or robots. Is there a way to block them without blocking the legitimate spiders. I looked in my control panel and the only unknown spider is labeled "crawl" if that helps any.

[JuggoPop]

I'm bumping this... I'd like to know the answer as well...

Anyone got any input for Chris?

[cldnails]

I don't think the 'crawl' bot is the answer. You've probably hit the nail on the head though with that last PR update being screwy and all, your just probably gaining unwanted attention.

I have found that the spam I receive comes in spurts, so you may be going through a spurt. lol, sucks I know.

[DebbieV]

Originally Posted by Chris1974

How are they finding me? Is this a robot.txt issue? I'm presuming spiders or robots. Is there a way to block them without blocking the legitimate spiders. I looked in my control panel and the only unknown spider is labeled "crawl" if that helps any.

Where have you promoted your directory? It's in your signature here. I'm going to guess that you might have posted in the Solicitations and Announcements forum over at DP? Have you posted in the phplinkdirectory forums?

If I were one to spam directories, I know where I'd be looking right now. It's become a really popular directory script.

Sorry about that last submission PR4 Problem - I was just trying something.....

[Whitefox]

Chris I'm not sure it's the link to your directory that's the problem, do you receive orders by email or do they send to a database? - If it's an email then it's quite likely that someone has captured that email address with a spider somehow. If that's what's happened then you can filter out the spam either on your server or in your email client. I may be misunderstanding your problem, if so tell me to shut up! ;p

[Chris1974]

Originally Posted by DebbieV

Have you posted in the phplinkdirectory forums?

I think your right DebbieV. This has to be the reason. I did once post on the phplinkdirectory forum once with a question. What other better place for link spammers to hunt down link submissions than on a link directory script forum?

These people probably specifically search for all the PR ranked sites in profile signatures. Makes perfect sense why I didn't get any spam submissions til I got ranked.

OUCH Lesson Learned

[dvduval]

Here are a couple of other good places to submit your directories as well:
http://www.webmaster-talk.com/submit-to-my-directory/
http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=251258