Tracking and Analytics companies hiding links

[AussieWebmaster]

Tracking and Analytics firms offering low end solutions but getting a link for the bother. I overview the Stats Counter method in my blog today.
http://www.smart-keywords.com/2005/05/some-tracking-companies-stealing-links.htm

Worth a read. Basically the companies are using free tracking etc. and the code they tell people to include on their page contains the link to them and an appropriate alt tag.

Clever.... though a little lean on ethics....

[recoveringtechie]

Seems like this is something that google should be watching for because anyone who has the ability to proliferate tags like ad servers, affiliate marketers etc.. could create a large number of backward links in this case. If google would look at the ratio of searches to reverse links something suspicious would very likely show up. Statcounter has almost half a million invisible reverse links however I would guess that they get very few searches or clicks through google.

In any case hidden links are against googles AUP and the web analytics folks should know better.

[seobook]

Seems like this is something that google should be watching for because anyone who has the ability to proliferate tags like ad servers, affiliate marketers etc.. could create a large number of backward links in this case. If google would look at the ratio of searches to reverse links something suspicious would very likely show up. Statcounter has almost half a million invisible reverse links however I would guess that they get very few searches or clicks through google.
some topics are more inclined to get lots of links whereas others are more inclined to get lots of traffic.

lots of the open software stuff has a ton of link popularity without tons of traffic (unless they have community sites like forums, etc)

lots of sites about celebrities may not have that many links but have a ton of traffic

if someone is your affiliate or uses your software and links to you that link shows a relationship that is there. depending on whether or not the partner is aware it may or may not be a bad thing. if something like that is the market standard that most companies are using, then it would be foolish to be the one guy who had some high moral standard or whatever that made his product appear far less important than competing products in the same channel.

sure you want to have the best product, with the best features, and provide the best value, but at the same time you have to do what you need to do to make sure you are profitable.

webmasters did not create link based algorithms, and you can't expect them to just say oh well to a major marketing channel without at least giving some competitive techniques a try

[AussieWebmaster]

lots of sites about celebrities may not have that many links but have a ton of traffic


Like you - THE SEO King

[seobook]

Like you - THE SEO King
not a king here. just borrowing the clothes as they were half price at the local pawn shop. Danny is the king and I really am not even a prince.

my link count has likely went down significantly in the past couple months. I have lost a good bit of my linking motivation recently. hopefully it is a seasonal thing.

[bhartzer]

Clever.... though a little lean on ethics....
I have to respectfully disagree with you.

I'm sure you'll agree that the SEO industry has a lot of members that lack ethics. :eek: However, well before link building was around--and even before Google ever existed we had web services like free web stats for your site. Those were offered for free because they could include a banner ad or other type of advertisement on every site that used the web service.

Back in 1996 (or earlier?) I was using Hitbox on a lot of my sites so I could get the free web stats--and I was glad to give them a free link or have their banner ad displayed on my site. They have been giving out the code for free and a link to them and an appropriate alt tag.

Giving away something as long as it includes a link or an ad has been around forever--and in fact is a very valid, logical part of a site's business plan.

[AussieWebmaster]

I have to respectfully disagree with you.

I'm sure you'll agree that the SEO industry has a lot of members that lack ethics. :eek: However, well before link building was around--and even before Google ever existed we had web services like free web stats for your site. Those were offered for free because they could include a banner ad or other type of advertisement on every site that used the web service.

Back in 1996 (or earlier?) I was using Hitbox on a lot of my sites so I could get the free web stats--and I was glad to give them a free link or have their banner ad displayed on my site. They have been giving out the code for free and a link to them and an appropriate alt tag.

Giving away something as long as it includes a link or an ad has been around forever--and in fact is a very valid, logical part of a site's business plan.
The problem is there is no request for a link and it is not just one... this is imbedded in the tracking code and gets placed on every page of a web site... plus they have mixed the link text as well so they all are not the same words!!!

If it was hey give me a link in return for using my tool... I would say no worries... but to give it away because every page of a site will carry a link - unknown to the user and even if they upgrade to paid they do not tell them to take them out... you have to spcifically ask about it to find out!!!

[bhartzer]

If the tool is free then I would expect that the webmaster copying/pasting the code should expect that there's a link back to the site providing the tool. And they should expect that there is something visual on the site showing that the service is being used--such as a small graphic or even a banner ad.

You're right, though, I think it's crossing the line when you pay for a service and you still have to provide a link to them. Unless, of course, it's a hosted service such as hosted web stats that doesn't rely log files.