Web Position Gold & Google IP bans

Would an anonymous surfing service keep you from getting banned?

[mt_biker]

I've heard you can have your IP address banned from performing searches on Google by using programs like Web Position Gold to track your SERP's.

I've also heard some people keep a dial-up account just so they can use such programs (since your IP address changes each time you logon).

But what about an anonymous surfing service...would that provide the "protection" you'd need to use WPG and not get your IP banned?

Has anyone tried this? Would the good folks at WW consider this sort of behavior unethical?

[goodroi]

Google gets more upset when you hit their servers really hard. Avoid doing that and you will generally be fine.

The surfing services vary. Some of them can leak information or leave a trail which can eventually be traced back to you. Research them before using them.

[mt_biker]

Thanks goodroi.

When you say "hit their servers really hard", how hard is really hard?

I want to track about 200 keyword phrases on a monthly basis. More in the future. Is that asking or trouble or are you talking about thousands of phrases every day?

Also, to answer my own question, it occured to me that Webposition Gold probably uses its own connections (not the browser) to create its reports and therefore an anonymous surfing service wouldn't help at all :)

[Zandaline]

I've had this happen to me as well. The banning was temporary.

Additionally I think IBP has a feature that randomizes the searches so it appears more "human".

[cgrantski]

WPG's recent versions all have a "be polite to the search engines" group of settings where you can specify how slowly to make requests. Use their recommended settings or slower, and you won't have trouble. Or, at least, we don't. And we have WPG running about 20 hours a day.