I received an email today, apparently from a 'Search Engine Optimization' consultant for an insurance company, requesting I remove a link from a page on one of my servers..

I looked at the 'offending' link and saw that it was part of the No Agenda shownotes, from a topic in July 2011 where we discussed how GPS and other tracking systems are affecting insurance premiums. I recall we had a 1984-type discussion about it.

Click here to read what she wrote.

• Hello,

• I am emailing on behalf of http://www.co-operativeinsurance.co.uk/.

• We have been reviewing our website and have become aware of a drop in our rankings for certain terms. When in

• conversation with Google via webmaster tools they highlighted our link at

• http://321.nashownotes.com/shownotes/na32120110714Shownotes/expandAllTopicsClickOnTheIconsForLinks as being one

• that they consider potentially unnatural.

• Can I therefore ask how we can get that link removed please?

• I think that if Google consider this link potentially unnatural that removing it will benefit both our site and

• +yours so I am keen to work with you to get it removed.

• Please let me know if that is possible and what we need to do to get it removed.

• Thanks in advance,

• Marie Davis

Perfectly normal to have this documented in our notes, yet Google is apparently penalizing the company's rankings and maybe our (I have no idea if that is true or even how to check) and even call it an 'unnatural' link. WTF.

Click here to read my reply to the consultant:

• Hi Marie,

• This is very interesting. This link and associaate text, was used in context of 'shownotes' for a podcast, where

• we discussed the "Smartbox" for young drivers that affects insurance premiums.

• Why should either of us have to accept Google's analysis that this is ann 'unnatural link'. And what does that even mean. Moreover, why should either of us be penalized for this?

• Please send me the exact language google webmaster tools used to explain this and I would also appreciate at leas

• t a try at resolving this with google, since their claim is simply untrue.

• We should not have to bend over backwards to this pressure if it is completely unwarranted.

• Regards,

• AC

This situation doesn't really affect me or the show one way or the other, but someone, and I think users of the internet in general should stop being so submissive to google.

I personallyhave been weening myself off of google by installing my own node of the peer to peer search network YaCy