If you’re trying to get your website to the top of Google here in Grande Prairie, you need to be cautious about how you do it. Some Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tactics can not only hurt your rankings, but get your website banned from Google’s listings entirely.
The one I want to talk about today is blog spamming. This one drives me up the wall, but more importantly, it’s bad for you. In this article I’ll explain what it is, how to spot it, and why you should avoid it. Read this to save yourself trouble & headache.
What is blog spamming?
Blog spamming is a tactic employed mostly by inexpensive outsourced SEO service providers. They run software that finds blogs related to the subject of your website and post comments to those blogs. The comments are gibberish, usually, but are used to create links back to your website and trick search engines to making your website look more popular than it really is.
How does this increase my search ranking?
Most blogs accept the following information when posting a comment:
- Name
- Email
- Website
- Comment
When spammers submit a comment, the email is usually fake, and the comment is usually a compliment about the blog (often written in poor English.) The comment is designed to trick the blog owner into approving the comment (who doesn’t like a compliment, after all?)
But what the spammers really care about are the Name and Website fields. When the comment is posted to the blog, the name becomes a link to the Website address provided, like so:
[divider]
Best Website Company
I really love this site, the information enlightening to find new path. Keep up good work.
[divider]
This allows shady SEO companies to create a bunch of links back to your website. Further, they can place keywords in the link. Since Google places a great deal of importance on the number of links back to your website, it can improve the search rankings of your website.
At least, in the short term.
Does this actually work?
Unfortunately, for the time being, it seems to. We’ve watched some local websites that are using this technique climb the rankings.
So, what’s wrong with it then?
It’s fool’s gold.
Everything you achieve using blog spamming will be, sooner or later, wiped out overnight. Google has been cracking down on shady SEO practices in the past few years. You may have heard of the Pengiun or Panda updates they released not long ago. Both of these updates were designed to put a stop to webmasters trying to game the system, and they worked. Entire networks of sites went from top rankings to being invisible overnight. Some of the worst ones were even banned entirely.
When it comes to blog spamming, it’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. Google is already working on an update that will effectively wipe out rankings made through blog spamming.
It makes you look like an idiot.
Anybody who happens to find one your spam comments will think you’re an idiot who can’t spell. It’s damaging to your brand and reputation.
You’re probably getting ripped off.
If you’re paying a company for SEO services and this is what they’re doing to achieve results, then you’re probably getting ripped off. Most of these services are outsourced completely to cheap providers overseas. Chances are you’re paying your provider to send a couple of emails with reports each month. For an interesting inside look at this, check out Confessions of a Google Spammer on Hubspot.
It’s unethical.
Spamming is a shady practice that’s highly unethical. And if that’s not enough to convince you, think about how much you hate getting junk emails. If you spam blogs, you’re just like one of the people who sends you junk mail.
Do what you will with that, but remember that it reflects on you, your brand, and your business in the long-run. What do you want to be known for? Taking shady short-cuts or doing things the right way?
Do SEO the right way.
Like anything in life, lasting results don’t come from shortcuts. If you truly believe they do, then you should quit your job to make “$50,000 per month from your own home doing data entry.” We specialize in ethical, honest-to-goodness SEO. It takes time, it takes effort, and it costs more. But in the long-run, you can sleep at night knowing your website won’t end up banned by Google and that you won’t look like an idiot. Talk to us if you’re interested in doing things the right way.
Trying to Be First in Google? Don’t Spam Blogs.
If you’re trying to get your website to the top of Google here in Grande Prairie, you need to be cautious about how you do it. Some Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tactics can not only hurt your rankings, but get your website banned from Google’s listings entirely.
The one I want to talk about today is blog spamming. This one drives me up the wall, but more importantly, it’s bad for you. In this article I’ll explain what it is, how to spot it, and why you should avoid it. Read this to save yourself trouble & headache.
What is blog spamming?
Blog spamming is a tactic employed mostly by inexpensive outsourced SEO service providers. They run software that finds blogs related to the subject of your website and post comments to those blogs. The comments are gibberish, usually, but are used to create links back to your website and trick search engines to making your website look more popular than it really is.
How does this increase my search ranking?
Most blogs accept the following information when posting a comment:
When spammers submit a comment, the email is usually fake, and the comment is usually a compliment about the blog (often written in poor English.) The comment is designed to trick the blog owner into approving the comment (who doesn’t like a compliment, after all?)
But what the spammers really care about are the Name and Website fields. When the comment is posted to the blog, the name becomes a link to the Website address provided, like so:
[divider]
Best Website Company
I really love this site, the information enlightening to find new path. Keep up good work.
[divider]
This allows shady SEO companies to create a bunch of links back to your website. Further, they can place keywords in the link. Since Google places a great deal of importance on the number of links back to your website, it can improve the search rankings of your website.
At least, in the short term.
Does this actually work?
Unfortunately, for the time being, it seems to. We’ve watched some local websites that are using this technique climb the rankings.
So, what’s wrong with it then?
It’s fool’s gold.
Everything you achieve using blog spamming will be, sooner or later, wiped out overnight. Google has been cracking down on shady SEO practices in the past few years. You may have heard of the Pengiun or Panda updates they released not long ago. Both of these updates were designed to put a stop to webmasters trying to game the system, and they worked. Entire networks of sites went from top rankings to being invisible overnight. Some of the worst ones were even banned entirely.
When it comes to blog spamming, it’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. Google is already working on an update that will effectively wipe out rankings made through blog spamming.
It makes you look like an idiot.
Anybody who happens to find one your spam comments will think you’re an idiot who can’t spell. It’s damaging to your brand and reputation.
You’re probably getting ripped off.
If you’re paying a company for SEO services and this is what they’re doing to achieve results, then you’re probably getting ripped off. Most of these services are outsourced completely to cheap providers overseas. Chances are you’re paying your provider to send a couple of emails with reports each month. For an interesting inside look at this, check out Confessions of a Google Spammer on Hubspot.
It’s unethical.
Spamming is a shady practice that’s highly unethical. And if that’s not enough to convince you, think about how much you hate getting junk emails. If you spam blogs, you’re just like one of the people who sends you junk mail.
Do what you will with that, but remember that it reflects on you, your brand, and your business in the long-run. What do you want to be known for? Taking shady short-cuts or doing things the right way?
Do SEO the right way.
Like anything in life, lasting results don’t come from shortcuts. If you truly believe they do, then you should quit your job to make “$50,000 per month from your own home doing data entry.” We specialize in ethical, honest-to-goodness SEO. It takes time, it takes effort, and it costs more. But in the long-run, you can sleep at night knowing your website won’t end up banned by Google and that you won’t look like an idiot. Talk to us if you’re interested in doing things the right way.
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