Ranking Reports

To use or not to use!

[Jack_Frost]

The NY times article touched on my fear once again that a site can be banned for running ranking reports. We stopped doing them a while back when we figured it was a procedure that could get you banned, but this brings up questions.

Instead of running on Google, can you run AOL and estimate that it is close or is this the same as searching Google?

Should we advise the client to run the reports from their own IP address if they Absolutely need them as we can't take the risk of running them from our own address?

Should we tell "potential" clients that their current SEO firm is putting their site at risk by running ranking reports?

How can Google tell? If they go by url, then what about all those companies that run ranking reports on your competitors?

[anoryu]

when I have to run those types of reports in the past I ran a test one on google and one on aol and got the same results for both. so I would say that you could run them against aol for accurate results, at least until people abuse it and aol reports back to google.

as far as telling potential clients I would suggest that you give them all the background information and let them deside for them selves if their site is at risk with out actually comming out ans saying that the compeating company is putting them at risk, because that could open you up to slander issues.