I have been following a WebmasterWorld thread that has a site owner asking why his SEO company is requiring him to remove his verification code and add only access to Google Webmaster Tools for the SEO company.
Again, Site Owner A has hired SEO Company B. SEO Company B is requiring that SEO Owner A drop his verification for Google Webmaster Tools and then add SEO COmpany B to that access. But they are saying only they can have access and not Site Owner A.
What is the rational of this SEO company? And I quote:
We need to change our Google web master account due to some technical reasons, we have informed you to change the Google site map verification code. We will not be able to verify the site if more than one verification code is added in the server.
This seems extremely weird, since most of us know that it is perfectly fine and acceptable to use two verification files to give multiple access to your Google Webmaster Tools data for your site. In fact, Google recommends it over here:
How can I give other people access to my Webmaster Tools account?Each person that needs to access data for your site in Webmaster Tools should be verified separately.
There is even a way for a site owner to manage who has verified ownership of your site.
So either this SEO company doesn't know that two verification files is doable or they are indeed hiding something. Either way, it seems way to sketchy for my taste. Either they don't know their business or they are not telling the truth about something.
Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.