How do I notify Google about this? Has anyone contacted Google before about getting a site banned? What should one say to them regarding a situation like this?

Please correct me if I am wrong..

Hidden text and links are often the only way that sites can hope to get pages indexed.

For example, placing a hidden site map on the front page can be a very useful way of getting all the pages of a site indexed.

And what is the problem with hidden text, as long as it is relevant? How else can Flash siets ever hope of being found?

IMHO, as long as the text is totally relevant to the site, then I have no problems with them using hidden text/links.

No doubt it was because the sites are involved in 'search engine optimisation'

I am not jealous of these companies rankings, I am sorry for them because they feel they have to do it to get ahead. Oh how easy to show a potential client this and point out the "rules" as specified by the search engine... What a joke.

"It maybe impossible for us to get a rank without building LINKFARMS for these kind of
competetive keywords."

There are better ways

What would you do to get a rank for this keyword?

On that particular keyphrase I wouldn't even try. The simple reason is too much work already comes in just by getting clients good top ten rankings using ethical means and if the results are there, word of mouth business brings in more than enough business. (But that is me just trying to keep a low profile .)

Please correct me if I am wrong..

I think you are wrong, it is a good idea to look carefully at what Google or any other searchengine might say on the subject of what they like and don't like.

You will see plenty of sites ranking well with "spamdexing" techiques but you gotta ask yourself "how long will that last before the engine algorithms tighten up and weed them out?"

I think GOOGLE banned my sites only because my sites got famous in ************** and it became a big issue. If it was not discussed I would have been in the index till now and forever. The rest of my "adult" related keywords was in the index for nearly 6 months and GOOGLE did'nt ban me (of course I was using the same techniques).

Sometimes i wonder why people have to rat others out... What's the problem with someone getting good ranking? I say good for them if they found a way to go around the system. It won't take long before the system gets them anyway. In a way, these people are vital to these engines as they help them to develop counter-measures, and make their engines better for the end user. The engines are big enough to take care of their own problems.

It feels like i'm back in elementary school and some kid in my class would go cry to the teacher... "Mrs Google! Billy's chewing gum! (and he won't share)"

Would you rat billy out if he shared with you?

You just can't cry and whine your way around. Instead, why not try to be better, find ways without abusing the engines and showing them that abuse will lead to nowhere? Why do people cry and report so much? Is it because you can't beat them at their own game? Try harder then. Alot of people live out of SEOing, and backstabbing someone with a family just doesn't do it for me. Even if they committed a hideous crime such as using hidden links.

Some people might consider it a flame, sorry about that, I get pretty pissy when i hear about people ratting others out.

To the people who ratted others out... was it really as satisfying as beating them while staying legit?
Gimme a break

Light fingered Phil has stolen my property and I can prove it. The police don't know who is responsible. Your advice is that I should keep quiet and work harder so that I earn more money so I can buy stuff faster than Phil can keep stealing it from me. This way I'll be better off.

Sure.

IMO, the more that rude and unethical behavior is socially unacceptable, the better a place the world will be.

Turning to a different point, and with blood-boiling outrage (warning...these are my _very_ strong opinions, and I'm afraid that I may not be able to find a tactful way of expressing them.)
---------------------------- flame alert -----------

>>Hidden text and links are often the only way that sites can hope to get pages indexed.

This is without a doubt the single most obtusely ignorant and obscurantist statement I have seen in these forums in a long time.

The fact is, of course, that hiding text makes it no more attractive to a search engine.

The fact is, of course, that text-based links are MORE attractive to a search engine than links with no text (that is, hidden via a period or tiny/invisible graphic.)

The fact is, insofar as it is obvious that search engines can't always tell whether text is hidden, it is even more obvious that there can be no search engine boost to hidden (as opposed to visible) text.

Now, anyone could be ignorant of simple facts. But it is hard (well, so far, impossible for me at least) to conceive of any way in which a statement so totally wrong and misguided could have been made through mere incompetance and ignorance -- powerful as that combination is. (Of course, I've been surprised by the level of, um, detachment from reality that can be achieved through creativity and effort, so I may be wrong, and if so I owe an apology.)

Perhaps I shouldn't have to say this at all, but we do have new people reading these forums, and I'd hate to leave the impression that such statements as quoted above are generally accepted as true here.

Thanks for your support! I'm going to rat away!

I still believe that sites deserves that rank since they have MONSTER (No. 1 Job site) as their client.

That proves their quality.

You have a strange logic, GetARank.

Read this topic again.

Spam should be reported when seen, some of us would like to see a cleaner environment on the search engines.

Reputable SEOs are sick and tired of the bad name "some" are giving the industry.

None of our members should feel the slightest doubt when they uncover the nasty little cans of worms that are visible for all to see with little trouble and report it to the search engine concerned.

Webmasters working with and not against the search engines can do much.

Its normally the guys that are below the site that complain and try to define what is spam and what is search engine optimisation and just by chance the definition is exactly what they are doing. There is no clear cut rules which you have to or should follow. BUT there are lines which should not be crossed and this site is not crossing the line.