Search Engines Spam Busters Website Spam
What Is Website and Search Engine SPAM?
SPAM is a word that was created to describe any internet activity that created repetitive nuisance, using the internet. This section discusses the various ways internet marketers can be penalised for unintentionally (or intentionally) spamming within their websites and web pages, with the objective of gaining better rankings within search engines.
What Is Wrong With Spamming in Websites?
The task of the search engines is to create a search experience for users, that is informative, safe and frustration free.
When a user seeks information upon the web, they desire to access what they need quickly, but if they find themselves wading through a bunch of sites, that have links to links, that link to links of sites, or websites that have nothing to do with their search query at all, then it is likely that they will probably revert back to using the yellow pages and start whining "There is such a lot of junk on the internet, I can't find anything." The Internet will collapse (again) and we will be out of a job!
Website SPAM is a cyber form of graffiti, and it is perfectly understandable why the Search Engines take a hard line approach to offenders.
Website and Search Engine Listing SPAM
SPAM No No #1. Multiple Word SPAM.
Search Engines utilise the words in your website to discover the subject(s) of a particular page, so it is important that the topic key words show up on your page at a greater frequency than all other words upon it. Some of the techniques used to weight the page are considered to be SPAM, and these include:
- Keyword weighted pages using repeated keywords e.g. spam, spam, spam in the copy, title and description of the page code.
- Large amounts of text and spam keywords contained within (and often hidden) within forms, e.g. Marquees, Sign Up Forms, <noscript> or <-- invisible text --> etc
- Large amounts of text and spam keywords hidden by making the text the same colour as the back ground (e.g. white on white) or hidden behind an image
- Large amounts of text and spam keywords within the "Alt Tag" of images and Link Titles, that includes CSS and Javascript called text.
SPAM No No #2. No Relevance Pages
Some clever SEO specialists create web pages to show up in keyword searches, just because they can, but if there is no relevance to a user, then it is a hindrance, thus a SPAM. Problems that we are currently experiencing on the web include:
- Web pages that promote an unrelated business, (e.g. web design,) in an irrelevant industry search (e.g. hospitality) to hinder a search for users.
- Web pages that have "stolen" links and web page copy from other websites (without permission) to weight their page for high ranking, often to promote sponsored or pay-for-click advertising.
- Websites that have a kaleidoscope of pages with the same keyword target that link to each other, and may bring in some links and copy from competitor websites for good measure.
SPAM No No #3. Hidden Websites and Web Pages
The practice of cloaking a website is not new, and it is a term that means, that what we are seeing on the screen, is not necessarily what the search engines spider sees when they visit. Using Web Page Frames and Site Encryption is a commonly used, legitimate form of cloaking, but it is when these, plus other methods are used for devious means, it becomes SPAM.
- Weighting hidden copy, links and keywords within any form, frame, javascript, css, https or html code, that is deviously intended to gain an advantage within search engines and hinder a users use of the internet is SPAM
SPAM No No #4. Multiple Website SPAM.
Splash operates around 8 websites we try hard to only have one showing per index (which is not always possible due to the aging links coming into the website) but two is an absolute max.
SPAM No No #5. Multiple Link SPAM.
Finally there are the link bombers and thieves who use mass linking upon their own websites to drag themselves up and our websites down.
Have They Lost The Plot?
Mwah! It is really disturbing that there has been an alarming increase in the number of "Search Partners" that are growing Directory Websites, that have been instantly created from database listings, and have gained almost instant ranking as a result of the Google Map and Google Ad being attached to the listing.
The problem I see with these websites (and Google Maps for that matter) is:
- The data is in no way verified as correct - ie. anybody can create a record to a non-existent organisation and website for spamming purposes. (Why do we bother with verifying .com.au domains with ACN and BN Numbers?)
- The quality of the information is poor - usually requires an additional click for the viewer to reach the site in question (i.e. if there is a site!) .... many are mere telephone listings and maps and many listings are out of date or fabricated ...
- The permission from the owners to use these listings are questionable ... and why would you deliberately risk your listing to the possibility of having the audience taken away to a Pay For Click listing?
- What about the Pay For Click Advertisers who fork out a fortune for placing and suddenly lose their listings and expensive websites to free for all link sites .... (duh!)
Don't get me wrong, I believe directories have their place on the web, and could be very useful allies to a search engine but haven't we been here once before?
So what's it going to be?
We gotta get this right, or a lot of money and good people are going to abandon the web in droves.
hmph!
< Back Internet Email Spammers - Internet Marketing Tools Next >