Google Webmaster Central Badware Alerts

Google has teamed up with StopBadware.org to combat spyware, viruses, and so on. If StopBadware flags your website as either hosting badware or linking to another site hosting badware, Google will flag your domain and warn surfers of a possible threat. It is unclear whether actual rankings can be affected by this flag. Maybe Matt Cutts or Vanessa can give some clarification.

The good news is Google Webmaster Central now informs webmasters if their website has been flagged for badware. While I don’t use the sitemaps tool often, Webmaster Central really is becoming invaluable to any serious webmaster. First they start reporting website penalties and now this.