iAcquire was cited as the agency behind Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corporation’s link buy request emails. For more on that see our story named What Can We Learn From The Latest Brand To Be Called Out For Paid Links?

A site command search for [site:www.iacquire.com] returns no results. Here is a screen shot:

iAcquire’s robots.txt file and source code has no signs of them manually requesting to be deindexed from Google. So this seems to either be a weird bug or an intentional penalty delivered to the agency by Google.

It also appears that the parties discovered in this investigation are all delisted from Google.

We reached out to Google for a comment but at the time of publishing this story, we have not heard back. If and when Google does reply, we will update the story.

Mike King, the Director of Inbound Marketing at iAcquire, responded to a tweet I sent him asking if Google delisted iAcquire. He said, iAcquire “sure was” delisted by Google. He then went on to explain that there was “no network” for Google to ban so they had a “hissy fit” and decided to ban the agency.

Here is his tweet:

@rustybrick sure was. There’s no network for them to kill so that’s them throwing their hissy fit.

— MyCool King (@iPullRank) May 25, 2012

I am not aware of another agency that was banned by Google for this practice. There were link networks and link brokers that have been banned but I don’t believe there was ever an agency that was banned for this practice.

We will update the story when we learn more.

Postscript From Danny Sullivan (May 25, 4:15pm ET)

As noted in the comments below, this is probably not the first time an agency has been banned because Google believes that it has bought or sold links — if that’s why iAcquire was indeed banned. We still don’t have an official word from Google on this, but it seems the most likely explanation.

However, it’s also likely the iAcquire was banned not for buying links but because Google believes it actually does control a paid link network or operates at least in significant part as a paid link company, despite iAcquire’s denials.

From my story yesterday, iAcquire said:

To be clear, we are not a link network. Every link we build is based on the very same principles touted throughout the industry. Our links are contextual and relevant through outreach performed by 40 actual in-house people that sit in our Arizona office and everything is pushed through strenuous quality assurance….

We are not a paid link company.

This leads to an important graphic from Josh Davis that connects iAcquire with companies that apparently are buying links (click to enlarge it):

The graphic, from Davis’s article here, explains why Davis believes the link request he originally received from a company called InternetReach.org is either owned by, controlled by or works in close association with iAcquire.

The companies in the graphic are mostly the same as the companies that DBBC listed in a letter it sent out yesterday to Google and DBBC’s SEO agencies, in hopes of getting the paid links removed.

InternetReach.org (where the original link request is said to have come from), MediaFinders.net and iOutReach.org all have the same San Francisco address listed on their contact pages, as does LinkBuilding.net (it’s LinkBuilder.net in the chart above, but that’s clearly a typo — Davis uses LinkBuilding.net in his story). MediaFinders.net and iOutReach both use virtually the same site template.

LinkBuilding.net has a Better Business Bureau logo on its site leading to a BBB listing for iAcquire, for its office in Arizona. That’s the connection between all four of the companies above to iAcquire. Certainly anyone might have added a BBB listing to iAcquire as some type of set-up, but this seems more farfetched than the idea that iAcquire has some assocition with LinkBuilding.net.

The story from Davis outlines other connections, such as things he was told when he called the number in the link request, that further seem to tie these companies back to iAcquire. By the way, InternetReach.org, LinkBuilding.net and DigitalPros.org all appear to have also been banned by Google.

In addition, there’s evidence that iAcquire acquired the paid link operations of Conductor, when it sold that operation last year, including three iAcquire employees having gone directly from Conductor to iAcquire, according to their LinkedIn profiles (see here, here and here).

I asked Joe Griffin, cofounder and partner with iAcquire, if the companies involved were part of iAcquire, subsidiaries or contractors and if iAcquire had purchased Conductor’s paid link service. I was told, similar to yesterday, that because of confidentiality reasons, iAcquire couldn’t comment on any of this.

As for an official comment on apparently being banned, Griffin emailed me:

iAcquire doesn’t take the position that Google is throwing a hissy fit. Mike mentioned that on Twitter to Barry, and perhaps he is right, but that’s not our position on the matter. Google has a job to do. This was a harsh lesson, but our position is to grow from this, make the required changes, get back in Google, and continue to offer world class WHITE hat services to our customers (financial compensation will not be considered in the outreach process).

We’ve also received an email from someone who said they were an iAcquire client and asked the company about the current situation. This is the email they say iAcquire sent back:

Thank you for the email.  Rest assured that we have always followed best practice and as we don’t have a network and our publishers and clients won’t be impacted.

Going forward we will be ending the ability to compensate for new links. That said, our non-compensated link services are VERY good. This is a good opportunity for us all to evolve our practices and a powerful lesson for our agency, your agency, our clients, your clients.

Our outreach technology continues to be the best in our industry and we have been working on all white-hat options aggressively for the past year. While I understand your concern we have been evolving and have been performing incredible work.

Let’s use this opportunity to serve the greater goals we all have. We know how to deliver amazing white hat off-page SEO solutions – this pushes us all to focus on the right things.  Feel free to contact me anytime if you have any questions.

I’m set to talk with Griffin further on Tuesday, after the long holiday weekend here in the US, and I expect he’ll have more to share on the situation then.

Search Marketing Expo – SMX Advanced hits the Bell Harbor Conference Center in Seattle June 5-6. Be part of this exclusive event when you pre-register for a Network Pass.

Here’s everything you get…

Attend “Plus” sessions that cover emerging search engine marketing topics. Plus sessions feature case studies, best practices and search marketing solutions presentations. Check out this great line-up:

• A Summer Blockbuster: Famous Brands Showcase Four Star Consumer Search and Social Strategies
  Tuesday, June 5 at 1:45pm – Sponsored by Covario
  Presentations from Sony Pictures Entertainment, T-Mobile and Celebrity Cruises. See the full description here.
• Up Close With Bing Webmaster Tools!
  Wednesday, June 6 at 10:45am – Sponsored by Bing
  Bing Webmaster team will address updates, introduce new tools and answer your questions. See the full description here.

Visit the market-defining vendors. Exhibitors include the search engines, PPC management platforms, web analytics solutions, site development tools and a host of others. See the complete list of exhibitors and sponsors.

Watch the keynote on Tuesday June 5 from high-def monitors in the Expo Hall. The keynote features Google’s Matt Cutts and Search Engine Land editor-in-chief Danny Sullivan in a no-holds-barred Q&A.

Network with speakers, conference attendees and vendors. A Network Pass earns you admission to:

• SMX Meet & Greet on Monday, June 4th. Sponsored by Adobe, Brafton, BrightEdge and Bruce Clay Inc.
• SMX Expo Hall Reception on Tuesday June 5th
• SMX After Dark on Tuesday June 5th. The legendary event will be held this year at the Seattle Aquarium, sponsored by Covario.

Still need convincing? Learn more about the Network Pass. Ready to block out time on your calendar? Register now!

Come spend a couple of hours, a day or stay for both days! You’ll be a more knowledgeable, inspired and motivated internet marketer.

Register today for your SMX Advanced Network Pass, just $99 when you pre-register by June 4th!

Sam Applegate put together a hysterical parody video of Matt Cutts talking about how to achieve number one ranking in Google. The video takes dozens of the videos Matt put together from the YouTube channel and mashes them into a video I think you all will appreciate.

Here is the video:

Which is why we thought it would be great to have Google’s Amit Singhal sit down with Search Engine Land editors Danny Sullivan and Chris Sherman at SMX London for a keynote conversation to talk about the recent changes, and perhaps even more importantly, what’s on Google’s internal radar that’s guiding its future direction.

Amit is a Google Fellow, an honorary title reserved for Google’s most accomplished engineers, and he has spearheaded Google’s core ranking team since 2000. He’s also a key influencer of Search plus Your World, Google’s search experience centered around people, that lets you find personal results from your world — your photos, your friends, your stuff — in search.

We plan to talk with Amit about the Panda and Penguin updates, Google’s increasing use of structured data like microformats and social signals, personalization and how all of these factors will impact SEO efforts going forward. We plan to ask him to peer into his crystal ball and discuss Google’s efforts at moving beyond the link graph to the “knowledge graph” where Google takes the next step forward in truly understanding searcher intent.

We’re quite excited about this keynote conversation, and think it’s going to be a great kickoff for an exceptional two days of content from some of the best speakers in the industry.

Don’t delay – register for SMX London 2012 today!

Keynote Address – Google’s Amit Singhal

You can thank Amit Singhal if you’ve ever been pleased with a Google search result. Amit is a Google Fellow, an honorary title reserved for Google’s most accomplished engineers, and he has spearheaded Google’s core ranking team since 2000. He’s also a key influencer of Search plus Your World, Google’s search experience centered around people, that lets you find personal results from your world — your photos, your friends, your stuff — in search. Join us for an engaging keynote conversation with Amit, with Search Engine Land editors Danny Sullivan and Chris Sherman.

New This Year: SMX Boot Camp

Search Engine Marketing (SEM) can be overwhelming when you are just starting out. That’s why we created SMX Boot Camp — a one day conference experience featuring:

• Solid introductions to the key fundamentals of successful search engine marketing techniques
• Sessions that will prepare you to implement traffic- and revenue-boosting SEM techniques, right away
• Networking opportunities that will introduce you to others in the industry who will prove to be professional resources and personal friends

The SMX Boot Camp sessions include:

• Keyword Research & Copy Writing For Search Success
• Link Building Fundamentals
• Paid Search Fundamentals
• Search Engine Friendly Web Design

SMX Boot Camp sessions are taught by seasoned, highly-respected professionals who share the best practices and tactics for success they’ve honed over years of experience. And now, you can attend SMX Boot Camp for an incredible low price!

Something for Everyone

Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or an advanced search marketer; whether your interests are specific to PPC, SEO, mobile or social media — there’s plenty of sessions to choose from. The search landscape is broad and deep, so we’ve brought together the most important topics featuring the strategies and tactics impacting search marketing success today.

Here’s a high-level overview of what you can expect.

SEO & Social Media

The world of search and social is both changing rapidly and converging. Traditional SEOs have to worry about how Google’s new emphasis on content quality will impact them, with ongoing Panda and Penguin updates. Social media keeps growing and becoming more important – both to people and search engines. At SMX London, you’ll learn about:

Why You Must Google+ify Or Die
Real Answers For Technical SEO Problems
King Content Vs. Panda: How To Survive & Thrive With The New Content Rules
SEO & Social Media Power Tools
Hardcore Local SEO Tactics

You’ll also have the opportunity to ask your own questions with our “search veterans take all questions” session where anything goes!

Paid Search & Analytics

It’s not just the world of organic search that’s changing – if you’re involved with paid search, or understanding how visitors interact with your site, your world is going through its own turbulence. That’s why these sessions will prove invaluable to you:

Maximizing Paid Search Campaigns With Google
Winning The Click: Creating Great Paid Search Ads
Winning The Conversion: Creating “Can’t Say No” Paid Search Landing Pages
Overlooked, Underloved & Unknown Analytics

Advanced Search Marketing Tactics

As said, SMX London has something for everyone, including experienced veterans. For those of you who’ve been around for years, you won’t want to miss these sessions:

Real Answers For Technical SEO Problems
Complying And Coping In The New World Of Regulated Global Marketing Environment
Mobile Trends: Search, Apps & Landing Pages
Life In A [Not Provided] World
Schema & Authorship: 1 Year Later
Retargeting & Remarketing: The New Behavioral Ads

Superior Knowledge, Great Networking

All of our speakers have proven track records, and are expected to share case studies, best practices and the knowledge and experience gained from working in the trenches and managing successful campaigns. So feel free to jump between tracks to attend those sessions that meet your own specific needs.

And be sure to take advantage of the networking opportunities between sessions, at lunch and at the networking reception. Networking is a hallmark of SMX and you’ll meet some fascinating and engaging people over the next two days. Most of all, enjoy the show!

Presentations from speakers who provided them will be posted to the conference web site. We will send you an email with a link and a password as soon as they are posted. This will be about a week after the show.

At SMX London, we encourage you to submit questions online. Simply use the online form we provide on site, select the session you’re attending from the dropdown menu, and type your question. Your question will then be entered into the queue for the Q&A session at the end of formal presentations.

Don’t delay – register now for SMX London,

Enjoy the show!

Rounding out the top five were Dentsu’s 360i, WPP Group’s Group M Search, Aegis Group’s iProspect, and Performics, a Publicis Groupe company.

Several standalone agencies did make the rankings. The Search Agency, based in Los Angeles, came in 7th, with $32 million in search revenue in 2011. New York-based Acronym Media was 9th in the listings, with $31 million in search revenue last year. Covario, based in San Diego, brought in $21 million from search last year, earning it a number 15 spot in the rankings.

Most of the agencies increased their search revenue from 2010 to 2011. Covario was the fastest-growing, raising its search revenues by 76% year-over-year. Other agencies showing strong growth include Merkle’s Impaqt (46%) and BKV (43%), of Overland Park, Kansas.

Some companies’ search revenues did slip, however. Neo@Ogilvy was down 6% year-over year. Rapp, an Omnicom agency, showed a 5% drop; and Atrinsic Interactive was down 4%.

Workshops@SMX Advanced: Choose from any of the six day-long workshops on Thursday, June 7. Each is an internet marketing deep dive led by renowned experts in their field. Workshops are:

• In-house SEO Exchange: Trade tactics, share solutions and build relationships with other in-house SEO peers at this unique, interactive event.
• International Search Summit: Arm yourself with the knowledge to boost your global online performance with the latest best practices, actionable tips and solutions.
• Bruce Clay, Inc. SEO Training: Acquire the ranking and placement techniques you need to out maneuver your competition for top search engine rankings.
• aimClear Facebook Marketing Intensive: Learn free and paid community building and customer converting tactics using the world’s largest social network.
• Advanced AdWords Training: Master Google AdWords with advanced level strategies and tactics that will positively impact your paid campaign ROI.
• GetListed.org Local University Advanced: Take a deep dive into local and mobile SEO tactics in this intimate, action-packed workshop of advanced level content.

SMX Advanced Network Pass: Networking with SMX attendees at a variety of social gatherings for less than $100 is a bargain. Register for a Network Pass and you will have access to:

• a video simulcast of Matt Cutt’s keynote conversation
• Plus sessions produced by leading solution providers
• the Expo Hall, where over 30 leading solution providers will explain how they’ll make you more profitable and efficient
• three networking events: the June 4th Meet & Greet, and the Expo Hall reception and legendary SMX After Dark Party on June 5th, sponsored by the good folks at Covario.

Learn all about the Network Pass here.

SMX Advanced Track @ SMX East: We’ll be bringing the best of SMX Advanced Seattle to a special “SMX Advanced Track” at SMX East, October 2-4 in NYC. In addition, there will be plenty of other advanced-level session that take place outside of the track, as part of the overall 3-day event. Pre-register now or leave your email to be notified when the agenda is up at smxeast.com.

We look forward to hosting you at an SMX conference soon!

Foundry Group put in $15 million and Ignition Partners put in $3 million.

Co-founder and CEO of SEOmoz, Rand Fishkin detailed the financials, growth, future plans and management changes of SEOmoz. One big change for the SEO industry is that Rand’s mother and co-founder Gillian Muessig is stepping down from the board of directors and resigning her title of President.

Here is the slide deck they shared:

For more details see Rand’s blog post at SEOmoz.

Image credit to ShutterStock.

• SMX Advanced features one-of-a-kind sessions. See the agenda.
• Over 75 of the world’s most knowledgeable search marketers will present. They’re selected based on ability and their willingness to share the tactics and strategies that make them successful.
• Reconnect with old friends and make new contacts at our networking events. We keep SMX Advanced intimate, so you are sure to connect with the people you want to meet.

Join us in Seattle June 5-6 for two days of expert level sessions and discussion you’ll find nowhere else. Don’t miss out on your chance to attend SMX Advanced this year. Register today!

The stats are from an infographic produced by Onward Search, an online recruitment company. Last December, created one about SEO salaries and job locations. This time, paid search gets the focus:

Want the infographic guide for yourself? You’ll find it here: PPC Jobs Salary Guide.