There are numerous, unscrupulous methods with which to spam search engines in an attempt to improve SERP ranking. Hidden text, doorway/cloaked pages, and keyword stuffing are just a few of processes tried by those not wanting to use approved (tolerated?) SEO techniques. With the proliferation of blogging as a form of web publishing, there appears to be another method that spammers are willing to use in an effort to trick search engines into yielding higher rankings.

According to Rustybrick of SearchEngineRoundtable.com, a number of weblogs, specifically blogs from Google-owned Blogger.com have been used in an attempt to spam Google and other search engines that place a high value on contextual links. In his entry, Rusty states, “people are using Google's Blogger to set up dozens of free blogs and then setting up hundreds of keyword rich anchor text links to point to pages.” This is done in order to boost the search engine ranking of the page/site that the links are pointing to, and it is considered spam.

Gord Collins discussed this type of blog spam in an article that appeared on SitePoint.com. Gord claims that these types of blogs “operate in a free-for-all link structure that further validates the linked sites in search engine indexes.” Making blog-spam even harder to combat is speculation that search engines don’t penalize or ban weblogs.

A thread appearing in the SearchEngineWatch Forum reinforces Gord’s thought. The topic concerned whether or not search engines penalize blogs. According to Seobook, “no they do not. In fact, some people have even [written] articles complaining about how blogs are so link dense that some of them heavily restructure the web.” If blogs are less apt to be penalized, using them for spam purposes can be effective for deceiving search engines.

To make this type of spam effective, the offending blog would be better served if it has a high PageRank. If the blog does not, this method is not even worth the risk. At HighRankings.com, this topic is also being discussed. In the conversation, Cre8site moderator, ILoveJackDaniels, also commented on the effectiveness of this technique:

“This really is no different to a person setting up a network of sites to spam with. The blogs are going to have very low PR unless serious effort is put in to them. If serious effort is put in to making each a good blog, then fine, nothing wrong with that. If no effort is put in, their PR will remain low and the IBLs (in-bound links) will count for very little.”

Another poster named Kackle, counters JD’s point by saying, “I don't think PageRank getting passed is the issue. But if the keyword you are trying to optimize is repeated in anchor text, the blogs are counted more quickly and more powerfully than non-blogs, at least in Google.” If this is the case, using blogs for spamming purposes can be considered a problem, and could remain so until search engines change their perceived position on blog penalization.

However, using Blogger sites for spamming purposes is not fool proof. If you draw too much attention to your methods, Google will probably find out, and penalize you accordingly. Seobook echoes this thought by indicating that if you were caught, you could very easily get penalized. The technique is effective as a “cheap and easy way to give Google a roadmap to your sites…” Although, he cautions that this approach could (should?) receive a “penalty of some sort.”

Granted, this is not the first time that blogs have been used to spam search engines, however, this is one of the first reports of it happening at blogs originating from Google-owned Blogger.com. Since Google gave/gives such high value to blog content, it was only a matter of time.

I, Brian, also posting at SEW, concurs by offering these thoughts: “Using blogs in this way is an old SEO tactic - but using a high profile site like Blogger in this way is disingenuous… Google seems to have (or until recently, had) a clear bias towards blogs. Somehow, the idea that blogs are mostly content rich has been a keen mistake, in my opinion.”

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Former WebProWorld Admin
IntentionalFoul.com

I suppose that some if not many would consider me to be using my blogs to spam the search engines and in some ways of thinking about it I would be hard pressed to claim otherwise.

I can assure one and all that one of my purposes of using blogs is to spam the search engines but not my main purpose.

I have been in blogging since blogger.com first came into existance and when I first got into it I had no thought at all about search engines but rather saw it as a new way to advertise my services and provide valuable links and contents to my customers. I had no idea at all that it would ever become what it is today.

I didn't even wake up to the fact that it could be used for spamming purposes until a couple of years ago. Then Google stepped in and the issue was suddenly brought to the forefront. I didn't change a thing when Google stepped in. I just kept on doing what I had always been doing and let the chips fall where they may. I plan on continuing to do the same.

One thing that seems to help the "spamming" a lot is the automatic RSS feeds provided by Atom and the fact that each day one posts to his blog automatically spawns a whole new copy of one's blog and those copies get every bit as much atteniton as the original does, maybe even more because those spawned pages show up in my logs even more than the original does.

And then I usually take my articles and turn them into actual webpages and link back and forth to them as well. I don't do that for spamming purposes but to be sure that I preserve what I have written.

But I imagine that what I do might easily be considered to be spamming.

All I can say is that it sure is effective no matter what you call it. My counter nearly goes wild and keeps on climbing very rapidly. And that is what it is all about as far as I am concerned. Getting the attention of existing and potential new customors.

In the final analysis however it isn't about the search engines, it is about the customer.

bbauer:

i think there is a distinct difference between your method of managing your blog and setting up blogs with no content other than contextual keywords pointing to a site.

your navigation seems to be set-up to assist your visitor, not trick search engines that value sites with links pointing to them.

just my take on things...

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Former WebProWorld Admin
IntentionalFoul.com

Hmmmn. Blog's not opening for me.

I dunno if I could, in good consciounce, start a weblog on the importance of accounting websites.

Does it get a lot of traffic?

Recently while in the process of updating my own blog, I clicked on the "next blog" link and found myself at a page which was simply and endless repetition of the same commercial message, ending in a link to your basic get rich scheme. At the time I was unaware that I was seeing the newest sort of spam-scam; I guessed that it was a solitary "enterprising" individual. After taking a moment to send him a piece of my mind via a reply, I logged out.

I just received my latest copy of the newsletter, only to learn that what I observed is in fact the latest internet pathology. It seems that each new and innovative venue for individuals to express themselves is inevitably compromised by these "industrious" individuals.

I wonder if the blogspot function whereby one can post an mp3 file, creating an audio blog entry, has been used by spammers to create pitches/jingles.

Best,
RDB

I have noticed one thing...

around this time you see lot more spam on google compared to previous months..

last year also same kind of things had happend..

google had introduced some new update (i think florida) and lot of people were not satisfied with it and i think this time also same kind of thing can happen...

i see lot of people spamming in google using fre blogs (tblog.com or blogspot.com), in India, this is festival time (Diwali) so everyone is trying to get on top for festival related keyword and in this race many are taking help of free blogs to spam and this helps...

google shows them on top...

few live examples..

Diwali Gifts (check 3rd result - tblog)

Diwali 2004 (4th or 5th one squarespace.com)

Diwali Diyas (10th blogspot)

these are just few example of blog spamming but if see the results from top then you will find one thing common there...

keep keywords and description tag same....you are on top... (that's what 90% of the sites on the top are doing)

I don't know why google cant block these sites... :(

Deep

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Deep Ganatra
Gifts to India - Cisco Certification Training - CSS Based Website Design

I posed an article on Goyami and Blog Spam, because I was seeing spammers use the comment features to post links to their sex sites.

Be a Blinker not a Splogger!
http://www.corante.com/goyami/archives/015749.html

I actually had to turn off links in comments to prevent it. Bummer.

I read some of the links you posted. In what I read you have a lot of people upset about a blog that is suppose to be spam but no one post a link to it.

I find it hard to think all these people saw the samething.

I also understand there upset because But then who is to say what is useless and what is not useless. I have not seen the blogs in question but neither have the people making those post.

Without more information I find it hard to comment.

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Custom Website Design | Search Engine Optimization | Web Design Templates

all information is usefull, blogs is just another medium again...embrace...get on with life

http://www.scaffoldtowers.co.uk
http://www.loftsandladders.com

I use a "blog" for marketing www.axzar.com. It's my business, I promote my products.

Is this spamming because I can be faster than my competitors when releasing new products, or "lifting" my natural search for my desired keywords?

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http://www.webupdates.biz/jon/banners/sma120x60b.jpg
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Recently, there has been something wrong with google search engine. Some of the links on there seem to be fake and do not work and the page looks different to how it should be. When I try to search for something, It does not come up with the appropriate search and displays lots of links to pornographic websites. All the other search engines I use are fine, But google is playing up. Would anyone have any suggestions as to why this is? Your help would be very much appreciated thank you.