Forbes Axes Its Coupon Directory, As Google’s Spam Policy Surges On

Forbes has eliminated its coupon directory, issuing a 410 status code for access attempts. You can see for yourself if you try to access the page.

A couple of weeks ago, Forbes started to put this into motion when it blocked the coupon directory from being crawled by Google. Now, it has been completely removed from the publication’s site.

It does not feature in the site’s navigation and the 410 status code suggests this is a permanent removal.

What’s going on?

While Forbes has not issued any official statement regarding the matter, it’s speculated this is in response to Google’s updated spam policy.

Back in March, Google announced the launch of a new core update to boost ‘helpful content’ and downgrade spam in the SERPs. Sounds harmless, right? Nope.