Is this the future of brands on google?

[thindenim]

I touched on this a while ago without mentioning specifics, but it's getting beyond a joke now. A popular search term in my niche 'ghd' (hair straighteners for those who are wondering!) has just been sledgehammered in the last 6 months with sites selling fakes from china.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en...en&q=ghd&meta=

Firstly, I should stress that the irons on the sites marked as fake below are fake and dangerous.

The top 10 now reads as follows: -

1) ghdhair.com - official ghd site
2) also ghdhair.com
3) ghdhairshop.co.uk - fakes
4) ghdsale.com - fakes
5) ghdhairshop.com - fakes
6) ghdinc.co.uk - fakes
7) ghds.co.uk - genuine site
compareghd.com - price comparison for genuine retaiers
9) amazon
10) okghd.com - fakes

Each of these sites have had literally thousands of spam links pointed at them. All the links are on completely unrelated pages and normally contained in hidden layers etc etc. Total spam techniques, which *surely* google should pick up on in their sleep??!!!

But no, they just continue to rank and week by week more and more fake sites creep into the top 10. They are throwing up hundreds of new sites every month. I know the same is happening with fake UGG boots, which are coming from the same factories in china. Not looked into other brands but I'm sure similar things are happening.

I have submitted numerous spam reports but absolutely nothing happens.

So, how am I as a genuine retailer who has always played by google's rules supposed to compete? Why are they not checking the quality of their index? This is a popular search term and they are making a fortune from the adwords on it (which are also dominated by the fraudsters).

If anyone has any suggestions (other than filing spam reports) they would be gratefully appreciated as I feel like I am banging my head against a brick wall.



Thanks,
David

[newyorkshopping]

i had a similar problem and I had to play the google adwords game. I optimize my pages. I asked for a reconsideration by google and google gave me priority on those spammers.

[Uncle Dog]

Oh yes! SEO - fully understood and implemented outwith our comfort zone. Techniques once considered clever, sneaky, white/black hat and utilised to gain advantage, with no real consideration of authenticity, just a 'highest bidder' and an 'I like to win' mentality, are coming home to roost.

You can no longer expect to rank well by honest means.You can no longer expect to rank well by dishonest means.

I suggest you continue to provide a genuine/quality service and try to surf the wave of crap until consumer/surfers learn to spot the pearls in the sand.

Unfortunately we are all banging our heads against a brick wall.

[Simon Young]

Just list the fake sites on your site as a warning to those searching around for the genuine prices.

Is there nothing that the official GHD site can do as well??

[willthegeek]

I would suggest you turn it in your own favor. Write some articles on how to spot the fakes, citing the risks of dealing with them. Also product reviews are good. Do comparisons. Name names and tell your clients to spread the word. Use social media and article directories.

This will help set you up as an authority on the subject as well as promote your site. Of course, it also adds quality links to your site.

HTH

Will

[dwells87199]

Trademark the term and then take the other domain names containing those terms via mediation. If you cannot legally tademark the term then it is open season and while you may have gotten there first, it is clearly fair game. You can complain about sites being spammy this and bad product that but at the end of the day if you do not own the right to use the term exclusively via trademark then you are going to sit and compete with other people who wish to market products just like you. I highly doubt Google will ever step over International law to make life better for you.

[nichita2008]

I've just seen a movie with Matt Cuts. A guy ask Matt: "Hey, i see a lot of spammers which rank well, I submit a letter to google but these sites are still in the same positions". Matt said: "If you don't like these sites that in not important for Google. If Google don't see nothing suspect the sites will be ranking well".

So, I think you should copy this guys techniques if these techniques works well in your niche..

[Lorel509]

Don't be too concerned with the amount of links those spammy sites have because Google doesn't give much credit for junk links and sites that buy multiple domains to push their own produts. Just focus on writing more content on those topics and getting quality links for your site/pages and you should be able to keep ahead of their spam.

[astro]

I agree with Willthegeek, go interactive (or web 2 if you prefer the term) on your site offer feedback facilities seek out unhappy customers and become the "definitive site" that sets the standard.

Highlight the problems with fakes with a whole section of your web site and offer an "ask auntie" type of service on a blog or messageboard which you can link back to the main site. All this adds to site content.

I met an antique dealer once whose was an acknowledged world expert on Rizla packets!!!! (cigarette papers) I asked how he got to that position.

He told me "I collected the special editions for a couple of years, then paid to publish a small book on the subject and set my own value on each variation according to how many I could find from all over the world, some I valued at £500 in pristine condition with papers intact!!!!!! That set me up as the expert! This set a value to my collection and started people offering me Rizla packets and collecting them first by mail order then later through my web site. Thus a market was created in collectible rizla packets which never existed before."

Who would believe that? Interactivity is a powerful medium!

I turned down his offer of £1000 for my original Bryant and May matchbox tin issued free to Brit troops pre WW1, which I found in a Bazaar in Tehran!!! cost me 20 rials (less than 10p at the time) The only other one known to exist is in Bryant and May's own collection and the picture of May is damaged..............mine isn't! The lesson he taught me on Marketing was worth far more and free!

/astro

[thindenim]

Many thanks for all the replies.

There's is a full section on the ghd site, which lists the counterfeit sites (there are hundreds!) ghd Counterfeit - fake ghd styling irons warning and I have also written several articles on how to spot them on our own site. Unfortunately for every person that is wise to the scammers there is probably one who isn't and also there is the problem of people losing confidence in buying online due to hearing about all the fakes.

ghd is a registered trademark, however, the scam sites are based in China, so I don't think there is a lot they can do unfortunately.