Any risk in using WPG 2

[zammo]

Just visited Google and copied this info from their site>>

Don't use unauthorized computer programs to submit pages, check rankings, etc. Such programs consume computing resources and violate our terms of service. Google does not recommend the use of products such as WebPosition Gold™ that send automatic or programmatic queries to Google.

Does this mean Google can identify if you are using WPG and could penalise you for uisng it? If so what is to prevent your competitors running reports on your site? Are there any Google friendly alternatives to wpg?

Thanks

[Brett_Tabke]

yes...a story broken on webmasterworld...5 years ago.

[hugo_guzman]

webposition gold is a good product. It actually is "google" friendly.

The software actually alerts you when it determines that you are overutilizing their tools.

It basically warns you if you oversubmit or if you query too many ranking positions too quickly.

As for your competitors using it to harm your site. I'm sure that there are some limits in place in order to curtail such actions.

I don't think that your site can be banned or anything like that. I think it's more like google will ban your IP from querying their databases.

[bakedjake]

Google says specifically, here [google.ca], not to use it:

Google does not recommend the use of products such as WebPosition Gold™ that send automatic or programmatic queries to Google.

They single it out by name. IMHO, that gives them carte blanche to do whatever they want to you if you use it, including banning your IPs from searching Google, banning your site from index inclusion, killing your dog, etc.

[pageoneresults]

killing your dog...

lol! I wonder how WPG is doing now after NetIQ purchased it. Anyone using WPG3?

I know one of the biggest issues with the program is its doorway page generator. When you have a product like that in the wrong hands, it can get abusive. So much so that Google took a big step when it named WPG in its guidelines.

Here's how it goes...

Consumer has a 10-15 page site. Buys copy of WPG. Is in awe with the doorway page generator. Decides to target hundreds of keywords and generate hundreds of doorway pages. Uploads and then runs ranking reports every 24 hours. What a nightmare that must be for the search engines.

[GuitarZan]

Hey,

What a nightmare that must be for the search engines.

Oh well, it goes with the territory. It's like celebrities that complain about getting photographed... Too bad, you can't have your cake and eat it too.

C.K.

[BigDave]

Too bad, you can't have your cake and eat it too.

Doesn't that apply doubly so for the webmasters?

Google can survive just fine without my sites. On the other hand, google delivers in the range of 85% of my SE traffic on all my sites.

If they specifically ask me not to do something, I will not do that thing. Some people seem to think of Google as an enemy. I think of them as a useful friend that sends me a significant amount of traffic.

[cabowabo]

WPG3 converted me back after years being away. Run your queries in the middle of the night and on the weekends when web traffic is down. I only wish Google banned sites that used it as I would run reports all day and night on Microsoft! Blah.

Cheers,

CaboWabo