TF using Local Florist hosted sites to SEO for TF.com

[CHR]

Seriously, do shop sites hosted by Teleflora realize they're linking to a TF.com page from their home page and the landing page on TF.com contains a hidden link (only displayed on mouse-over) to the root TF URL?

If your site is hosted by TF, you'll note a graphic image saying 'Proud Member of the Teleflora Network". Click on the image, and a page from TF.com pops up: http://www.teleflora.com/popups/custom.asp?popupid=8488

Don't see any links from the page? If not, I'm not surprised since it is hidden and only underlines on mouse-over. It's the word 'flowers' near the middle of the second line of text:

Teleflora is the world's largest florist network, with over 16,000 member flower shops worldwide.
Whether you're sending <a href="http://www.teleflora.com/" title="Teleflora Flowers" style="text�decoration:none; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:10px;">flowers</a>
across town or across the globe, only Teleflora can guarantee your flowers will be hand-delivered by a florist every time, never dropped off in a cardboard box.

Just shaking my head. This is really low-class SEO and not in the best interest of the florists they host (who are paying for those sites).
1) They're taking shops' hard-earned pagerank and leveraging it to their own benefit.
2) The link isn't underlined because florists would go ballistic if they saw it on the page.

Really, really stinks.

 

[anytimeflowers]

NICE catch, Cathy. I'm predicting fireworks....

 

[theRKF]

Interesting ... since the popup is hosted on Teleflora's domain, all sites are linking to that pop-up page which in turn contains only one link - the semi-hidden "Flowers" link to TF.com.

If Teleflora wanted to be good about it, they could have nofollowed that link to the pop-up. This just reeks of amateur hour in the SEO department, which is about what we've come to expect from their team.

OSE reports that pop-up as having the highest page authority on their domain, with 11,547 domains linking to it - totalling 445,964 links.

By contrast, even with their paid link schemes, TF.com's home page has only 762 linking domains for 13,069 links total. That is a truly remarkable discrepancy.

 

[tomfromcrossroads]

Just called Teleflora Web services and had them remove "Proud member of the Teleflora Network" badge from my site... cause I ain't too proud to be a member anymore.... Jan. 31st will be my last day!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[CHR]

OSE reports that pop-up as having the highest page authority on their domain, with 11,547 domains linking to it - totalling 445,964 links.

There you have it. Save the Florists pagerank and use it to compete. Ugh

Just called Teleflora Web services and had them remove "Proud member of the Teleflora Network" badge from my site... cause I ain't too proud to be a member anymore..

Enough calls about this ought to get their attention. It's a slimy tactic and they should be ashamed.

 

[BOSS]

Very interesting..... indeed....

 

[BOSS]

This one should make it to the FFC page

 

[theRKF]

There you have it. Save the Florists pagerank and use it to compete. Ugh

Enough calls about this ought to get their attention. It's a slimy tactic and they should be ashamed.

I have a list of all the linking domains. Might be able to contact some of those florists - except that most are still using AOL/Hotmail/ISP email addresses instead of professional ones on their domain.

 

[Mikey the Flower Guy]

Remarkable catch Cathy.....I've fired off the contents of your post to several TF shops in our area!!

 

[meherr]

Ha, Ha, Ha.

Just called our TF rep to see if we're under contract for our TF website. All the TF reps
are in Oklahoma in meetings. He called us on a break to see if he can dissuade us and
maybe get us a better rate - he said any webhosting company that doesn't charge a fee per
order will not get us the volume of orders that TF does.

He wondered why we want to change. We explained the "Proud Member of TF
Network" badge on our website that links back to Teleflora.com website was the final
straw (he didn't know about that...). We also explained that we couldn't guarantee ANY
satisfaction on wire out orders anymore (he wants us to call him directly to handle those
problems from now on) and we're just generally unhappy with TF.

Wonder what their meetings are about?

 

[bootcampguy]

Group crying session, florists are leaving by the groves and coverage is being compromised.......florists (like you) are standing up to hard work and fruits of their labor.......

 

[BOSS]

he said any webhosting company that doesn't charge a fee per
order will not get us the volume of orders that TF does.

Bunk bunk bunkteebunkbunk~!

No web hosting company can guarantee ORDERS... the consumer controls that~!

Strider does not charge a per order fee, and they produce...

I'd bet he's telling the truth about the link, I doubt he knew about it... plausible deny-ability and all...

 

[meherr]

Just got info from Ryan today. Told our TF rep we're not willing to negotiate our fees - just done with it. He sent us a form showing what a great return we're getting on our TF site. Actually sent us 2 forms - the 1st one was wrong. Will work earnestly on the switch after we return from Atlanta. Also contacted Hal / MAS today for info on his system. We're working on cutting some cords - gotta pace ourselves Sorry, kinda hijacked this thread. I'll stop now...

 

[BOSS]

Call me if you have any questions from a user perspective...

MAS and Strider here... Awesome pairing!

 

[BMRH]

Don't know enough to be sure it's true but I just called web services and requested that the "proud member" badge on the lower right of the home page be removed. I then asked if there were any other "hidden" links I should know about within the site? The rep stammered a bit then said that if I had heard anything about there being issues that the "home team" had corrected the "errors" and that there should be no further issue. I did check the "flower" in the second line of text and that no longer highlights on mouseover. Thanks for the heads up on this!