Forum Moderators: martinibuster
Here's what happened. I entered my search phrase, and the top result generated seemed like it would have what I was looking for.
Except that it didn't. It was the worst kind of scraper, with Adsense ads filling most of the screen and a yellow patch at the bottom telling me I wasn't using Firefox and would I like to download it, Google toolbar and all. No of course I wouldn't. If you scrolled further down, there were a few links to other sites but I wasn't going to check them out on a scraper site, thank you very much.
So, back to the search results page, tried another link. Surprise, surprise. Different web address, but the exact same page.
Back to the results page. Well, what are the chances? Different site address again, exact same scraper page.
Frustrated but insistent on finding what I was looking for, I continued in this vein, but began keeping count. Of the 25 results I clicked on, every link a different address, 21 came up with this same scraper page.
I then tried searching for the same search terms on MSN and Yahoo. Yahoo delivered that scraper site on one occasion (from about 10 links I checked), MSN fared even better with zero links to the scraper.
Problem is, I *like* using Google for search, but if this continues, I fear Google is simply going to be killing its golden goose.
I really, really think Google ought to enforce a policy whereby EVERY site that a publisher adds on MUST be approved for Adsense. The alternative, as I see it, is either a collapse of trust in web search, or the slow demise of Google's core business as alternative search engines that demote Adsense sites gain favour.
I really, really think Google ought to enforce a policy whereby EVERY site that a publisher adds on MUST be approved for Adsense.
Unfortunately, that wouldn't solve the problem, since the publisher could simply publish his junk pages within the approved domain.
Adsense is killing Google search
Hear, hear. Adsense has been responsible for an incredible amount of spam on the internet (Made For Adsense sites). It might be good for webmasters, but it's terrible for users. I don't know what the solution is, but good luck in finding one, and shaming G into using it.
I do not think that Google is unable to solve this scrapper problem - I think it has more to do with some of the higher officials pushing for higher profits - milking the cash cow they invested in. Unfortunately this can't go on for long and a time will come [soon] when Google will probably have to live like overture - a paid search engine providing paid listings to other publishers and search engines. Not that it's a bad business model but they'll need to change their company goal "To organize all the world's advertisements"
[webmasterworld.com...]
However, that doesn't change the fact that Google is making it harder on themselves by not keeping tighter control over which sites can display Adsense. The root cause for so many scrapers in Google search is the easy money they make with Adsense.
Let's assume for a moment that you must obtain approval for every domain AND subdomain that you want to place Adsense on. Chances are, even if scrapers beat the system and featured on the SERPS, they would then have one or two pages listed in a search, rather than dominate the list. And even if they grabbed every spot in the SERPS, surfers are highly unlikely to click on www.scrapersite.com/page2 when they've just got bummed by checking www.scrapersite.com/page1.
It may not eliminate the problem, but it can sure help staunch the bleeding.
BTAS2:
I do report abuses to Google, and I'm still seeing Adsense on sites I reported two months ago.
That is more relevent to Google internal management/ audit control and rather a more critial and issue than scrapper - "why no action for a abuse for two months"?
I reported that, the scrappers had been gone 2 days later.
