Over the last couple of weeks, I was toying around with Open Salon’s search engine when I made an interesting discovery.
I started typing some common names in the search field and setting the search parameters to “Search by Name”. For example, I typed in the name “Anne”. Then I clicked “Go”. When I got to the “Search Results” page, I clicked the drop down menu for “Search” and selected “Name”. Of course, I got a bunch of bloggers named Anne. Some I recognized, others I didn’t. So, I clicked on the ones I didn’t know. Some seemed legitimate bloggers who rarely posted; others may have posted once and abandoned the site, or opened an account but never did anything with it. This is understandable. I have opened accounts on other websites and haven’t done anything with those accounts.
However, I noticed that there are some bloggers who opened an account, have never posted, but have links listed in the “Links” section of their blog page. I hovered over these links and noticed that (in most cases) they lead to the same website. I clicked on the link and it took me to a website that was basically trying to sell me something. I tried the same with various names. Again, I only picked commonly known names nothing exotic like Mary Lin, Bendan Bendan, or adshjk adshjk. I got the same results with every name. This is how I found “Anne Parker: an OS Spam Link Farmer” and others like her.
While by no stretch of the imagination am I a Search Engine Optimization guru (SEO), I do know a little bit about the subject. For instance, I know that, aside from title and relevant content, the more links you have going to your webpage, the better your chances are of having your webpage (or post) rank high by search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, or Bing. For example, if I have a webpage about acne and how to fight it, the more links I have going to my site, the higher my ranking will be in search results.
If you go to “Anne Parker’s” OS blog page, you will notice that “Anne Parker” has no personalized avatar nor does “Anne” have a customized banner and of course the obvious, this blogger has not posted anything. However, “Anne” has four links listed in the “Anne Parker’s Link” section. If you hover over the links, you will notice each of them takes you to the same website. It is a “dot org” site that deals with acne. The site has articles relating to fighting acne. The last post was on February 6, 2010. The right side of the webpage features products that can be purchased online to help clear up pizza faces. To me, this site is set-up to sell acne medication. The same thing happens with the other names I listed below only it goes to other sites.
What does this mean? To me, it means that either the individual E-tailers are using Open Salon (and I’m sure other sites) as a link farm, or some self-proclaimed SEO gurus are using OS as a link farm for their clients (most likely). However, there is just too much coincidence to be the work of random SEO specialists.
Personally, I think it is one of our own who is selling his or her SEO expertise and using OS as their own little cash cow. I can only propose the following hypothesis: Blogger X opens accounts on behalf of his or her clients and creates links to their site. Then, Blogger X monitors the site to make sure the links stay active and that the false accounts are not deleted. Blogger X may or may not be a popular blogger, but I’m sure he or she makes occasional posts to keep his or her account current.
In all honesty, I cannot prove my hypothesis nor can I even venture to guess whether these spam link farms are affecting the performance of Open Salon’s servers. However, I really think Open Salon’s webmaster or management should look into this matter.
Searching for spam link farms is a very tedious and exhaustive venture. The list provided below is by no means comprehensive, but it should give us (the bloggers) and OS management something to think about.
To find some yourself, all you have to do is think of some very common names like Billy, George, heck even Sue. Then use the Search by Name option. Click on the names (especially the grey heads) and you will soon find some link farmers.
Links to some of the Spam Link Farmers on Open Salon:
Profile: Anne Parker is a skincare specialist with an interest in getting rid of acne using acne light therapy and good acne skincare
Links to: getridofacne.org
Profile: Hi Kimberly here. I love this forum. A great site on how to get rid of bats. Thanks for stopping by my profile.
Links to: ezinearticles.
Profile: http://open.salon.com/blog/bcc81810
Links to: the businesscardcreator.com
Profile: http://open.salon.com/blog/twitterappssg5
Links to: twitterproductreviewss.com
Profile: Hello. I am Bob. It's good to be here in the forum. Thanks for dropping by.
Links to: wii fit reviews, silk wedding flowers brisbane, wedding flowers brisbane, birthday cakes brisbane
Profile: Author Bob Hill is one of the managers of a site that offers access to discounted, quality RC Helicopters and RC Helis information online.
Links to: www.archelicopters.com
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Comments
There's a right and a wrong way to increase traffic to your site and when I see unsolicited links posted in various locations that serve no purpose other than to stick in another referral, it immediately puts the linked site on my blacklist. It's a great way to ensure that your reputation amounts to something less than the mud on a pig's foot.
While we encourage people to participate and, in doing so, gain exposure to their own site, we ban link farmers with prejudice.
let me ask a scarier question. is there a reason that salon mgmt isn't doing more to stop this? might it have something to do with pageviews coming *to* the site? i'm not accusing, just asking. great post, trudge.
the s/w and spam and server problems on this site, despite kerry's assurances, are ridiculous.
Colleen, I agree with you. I don't have a problem with active and engage legitimate bloggers who wish to promote their business. I have a problem with link farmers who set up accounts just so they can increase the number of links to their website.
Candace, management may not have been aware of this issue. However, I did PM Emily with a link ( what else) to this post. ( I like to fight fire with fire.)
R
On PHarm med?
Big CEO fat cats?
Sell medications?
I noticed that some people who cultivate the dark side speak softer when Px #` HIGH too.
I could go on & on hush
My daughter is no kook.
She can't explain hacks.
I get daily warning too.
Demons serve the ill-ilk.
It's a modern day quacks.
They sold a soul for soup.
Beelzebub is still around.
Folks get lured by shit too.
The Beelzebub tale is alive.
Dead walking buzzer de' flies.
They are servile dark slaves.
I ponder in general and sure?
They fly and buzz `round crap.
They get attracted to camel flop.
I am digital gadget one idiot.
Computers confuse me much.
I love discerning the times tho.
I recall earlier thee blog `Silence.
I may end up in Canada `ass tired.
They have great peewee hockey.
I figure W.S.'s Puck still `tricks.
I may nap in a old beach house.
It's best to daydream. no worry.
You can always ask Kerry L. duh.
Do unto others as it comes back?
Yup.
Reap
Sow
Yup
Wow
-Erica
Seriously, though. Nice detective work. I have had glimpses of these, but I never realized it was an actual business strategy.
Another idiosyncrasy I've noticed here is the connection between images and page "views". My posts are lucky to get a few hundred views -- unless they contain an image popular on the search engines -- in which case "views" go into the tens of thousands. No way are tens of thousands of people reading my posts.
Not saying there's anything diabolical about this, but it does have me curious as to how "views" here are actually measured.
R
Add those in with the many other accounts that are nothing but spam links, and there are probably 20,000 or more such accounts.
One thing that I've tried to communicate to OS management -- unsuccessfully it seems -- is that the vast majority of posts and new accounts are spam.
Take, for example, the "sports spam" accounts. The way the queues work, you might only see one spam post per account. In fact, there may be 5, 10, 20 or more posts, most of which you don't see in the queues. I've seen a few accounts that have generated around 50 spam posts in less than an hour. But you'll probably only see one.
Based on the real activity on OS -- both the stuff you see and what you don't see -- I'm fond of pointing out that OS is NOT a blog site with a spam problem. Instead, it is a spam site that also has some blogs.
The vast majority of spam on OS comes from the new accounts, and probably 90 percent of all new accounts are from spammers. I have suggested a number of times to OS management that they should have a moratorium on new accounts. This suggestion has not only fallen on deaf ears; it also has not even been responded to.
People have suggested many other things -- charging a small membership fee, using automated scripts to identify and delete spam accounts, having more "spam cops" and better spam control tools, etc., etc., all to no effect.
But I suppose we can all take comfort in the fact that OS management is thinking about the spam problem, and it may be that after another 100,000 spam accounts and 500,000 spam posts that they will come up with a solution.
We have different setup here at OS. It is tiny and spam clogs our system. I am not sure how having a site here benefits them since they are not customizing the site as their own like you can on WP.
They are blogger cloggers!
Great research!
Torman, I don't begrudge anyone for making a buck, but I do mind it when it is done in a sneaky manner.
Out on a limb, they maybe tolerating it until they come up with a viable solution. I know it sounds Pollyannish, but I'm an optimist at heart.
OEsheepdog, good one.
Art, yes.
Algis, I'll check it out.
Erica, they are just trying to get over, but in a bad way.
Candace, well I think this post has increased their awareness.
Cranky, I just touched the tip of the tip of the iceberg.
Major, they should pop that Parker.
scanner, I liked him too but so it goes.
Chicago, I'm sure this post has been duly noted.
Gordon, we had "those" ladies too, but they sent PMs. Interestingly enough those PM have greatly diminished.
Tom, I know about the correlation between images and views, but to me views are petty. What counts are quality commnents and ratings in that order.
littlewillie, how about blue eggs and SPAM?
Susie, the site is of no benefit to the spammers. They are using these fake accounts to create links. As I pointed out, links help websites increase their rankings during a search. If you and I have similar websites, but I have more sites linking into my site, it will rank higher than yours.
Candace, he certainly is.
nanatehay, I'm sure they are working on it, seriously. I don't wish to bash management since I don't know all their capabilities, constraints or goals.
bbd, I noticed that too when I got home from work. Obviously, someone is on the case.
shsshs.
And it's getting worse.
From reading Mishima---I didn't think they did respond to anyone.
Algis, very witty.
I do know other sites have things in place to control if not eliminate spam(you'll never get rid of it all together!)
Google did change their whole 'formula' and are actually starting to 'ban' sites from being included in their search results(I had one of my sites banned, not sure why, but I have a review in!) s0 it's much tougher to get crap into that feed, but it can still be done.
I say shoot the spammers on site!! Literally.
:D
I've only built and managed simple basic web sites, and even with templates and 'build programs' it can be a chore. I can't imagine what it must be like to be a handful of folks and keep up with a place like OS, let alone Big S. We do a lot of bitchin' and moanin' around here - so here's an idea, volunteer to help out - more feets covers more ground - maybe if you ask you might find out there's something you can do too :).
Rated for it's the 'net - anything is possible :D.
Seer, I'm aware of those too. The spam situation here is so rampant that I think it is an inside job.