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A Rant on Splog Sites...Use Google Alerts

By Missy Caulk

Real Estate Broker/Owner with Missy Caulk TEAM

October 26, 2008 02:31 AM

Yesterday I wrote this post on Ann Arbor Real Estate Talk. I rarely do duplicate content on my outside blog and here, just on new listings and market reports. I received a Google Alert about 30 minutes after I posted it so I knew it had been indexed.

If I am posting dublicate content I first post on my outside blog, wait for it to get indexed and then post here. There is no problem with posting your blog here and your other sites.

However, yesterday early in the evening, I received a new Google Alert on my post about Short Sales in Ann Arbor, Saline and Ypsilanti Township.

It was copied WORD for WORD, and said ADMIN.

Google Blogs Alert for: houses for sale in ann arbor. I follow lot of Google Alerts. Even if you don't want to set up that many, please do your name.

Do NOT click the SPLOG SITE

Short Sales in Ann Arbor, Saline and Ypsilanti Township
By admin
Buyers are able to purchase these homes for less than the what is owed to the banks. To purchase a short sale in the Ann Arbor Area, it is important to have lots of patience. Typically a short sale takes a minimum of 12 week Source.
Credit - http://credit.favoritforum.se/

Basically, what this site is doing is taking RSS Feeds from different sites and putting them on their blog. I commented that, "this my post on Ann Arbor Real Estate Talk, you copied it word for word."

Now if you want to read the post about Short Sales in Ann Arbor, Saline and Ypsilanti Township, do not go to this splog site, but read the original post, by the original author.

Don't give credit to this thief.

I've already looke this morning and it is full of posts dated today. I doubt most people know ADMIN is stealing their hard work to feed their blog.

Please set up Google Alerts, so you know who and what is stealing your content.

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Lizette Fitzpatrick

Lizette Realty - Richmond KY - Lexington, KY

Lizette Realty, Lexington KY MLS - Kentucky Homes

I think I am too boring for them to copy! LOL I don't check on too much more than my name.

Oct 26, 2008 02:21 PM

Missy Caulk

Missy Caulk TEAM - Ann Arbor, MI

Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate

Monika, Last time I checked it was still up, however since they use RSS feeds it is buried somewhere deep in there.

Bill, I don't have the time to do it. Another local blogger emailed me, who had seen it. He was mad as heck.

Mana, I want to soooooooooooooooooo bad. I need help with the plugins, just don't get FTP. What program do you use? I downloaded Firezilla, and got stuck.

Michele, thanks I didn't know that happened on Squido, I need to visit my page more. LOL

Elaine, is that the reason, to make money, sell ad's? Gosh I had no idea what the point was. It has happened before, thanks for Google Alerts.

Oct 26, 2008 02:25 PM

Laura Cerrano

Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY

Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

Missy, I'm glad you pointed this out again, I have many alerts including my name....which was missing from my plagarized post. Pure theft. That particular person is back to doing it again so now I email all the other consultants she's stealing from....it's awful and I'm sorry it happened to you too.

Oct 26, 2008 02:36 PM

Gary Woltal

Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX

Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Missy, is their some legal ramification for you, not that you want to do that, but it amazing they get away with it.

Oct 26, 2008 02:49 PM

marti garaughty

garaughty.com - Montreal, QC

a highly caffeinated creative type...

hi Missy, well that sort of, kind of totally sucks! I have a feeling that suing content thieves could become a lucrative part time business for a lot of us! ;-)

Oct 26, 2008 03:14 PM

Thesa Chambers

West + Main - Bend, OR

Principal Broker - Licensed in Oregon

Missy there is a local blog that does this to me all the time - at first I was mad as heck about it - then I started looking at my website stats - and low and behold - I was getting traffic from them - kind of crazy

Oct 26, 2008 04:01 PM

John Novak

Keller Williams Realty The Marketplace - Las Vegas, NV

Henderson, Las Vegas and Summerlin Real Estate

My guess is the splog is using your content to attract traffic from the search engines, and then hoping that visitors click on one of many ads. It would be nice if there was a way to block them from subsribing to your RSS feed.

Oct 26, 2008 04:37 PM

Jeff Belonger

Social Media - Infinity Home Mortgage Company, Inc - Cherry Hill, NJ

The FHA Expert - FHA Loans - FHA mortgages - USDA loans - VA Loans

Missy.... it was actually because of you and another member that wrote about Google alerts about a year ago that I decided to sign up for it.... people need to know about this... thanks

jeff belonger

Oct 26, 2008 04:54 PM

Mana Tulberg

805 County Real Estate - Camarillo, CA

Real Estate Agent - Camarillo CA

Missy, I hope this tutorial helps.

Oct 26, 2008 06:15 PM

The Somers Team

The Somers Team at KW Philadelphia - Philadelphia, PA

Delivering Real Estate Happiness

Missy - that is crazy ! I have been reading more and more about this... is a shame. Quick question though - if one has a google alert just for their name (and blog address) would this have come up ? It seems like you saw it from a more general google alert. Either way, it is a shame that there are so many of those folks out there stealing content.

Oct 27, 2008 01:30 AM

Missy Caulk

Missy Caulk TEAM - Ann Arbor, MI

Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate

Christopher and Stephanie, I have Google Alerts set up for many search terms, it came up under Houses for Sale in Ann ARbor, one of my Google Alerts.

I was saying at least do your name, but it is best to do other search terms that you post on.

Oct 27, 2008 01:36 AM

Elaine Reese, REALTOR® in central Ohio

Real Living HER, Powell Ohio - Powell, OH

Missy, when you have time, visit PlagiarismToday.com. There are lots of instructions on what to do with theives as well as sploggers. However, sploggers who only list a portion of the article - as Google does - are within the copyright laws. But when they publish the entire article and/or don't give credit, they are in violation.

As I recall, that site also lists the address of another site where sploggers can be reported. You can also file a DMCA complaint with Google and if they rule in your favor, they'll block the splog from coming up in their search results and will add the splog to TheChillingEffect list.

If Google didn't sell their ads, all these sploggers would go away. But then Google would make a lot less money on their pay-per-click. Consider how many Realtors use Google Ads to make money for their blog!!!! They're feeding the beast.

Oct 27, 2008 01:49 AM

Ann Allen Hoover

RE/MAX Advantage South - Hoover, AL

CDPE SRES ASP e-PRO Realtor - Homes for Sale - AL

Missy, your post and the comments have really got me thinking. I haven't been at this long and I can't imagine that I've posted anything someone would want to steal....but I need to learn more.

Oct 27, 2008 02:45 AM

Petra Norris

Lakeland Real Estate Group, Inc. - Lakeland, FL

Realtor, Lakeland FL Homes for Sale

Missy - I have set up google alerts awhile ago and it has been helpful and an eye opener to say the least.

Oct 27, 2008 05:27 AM

Kerry Smyth

Newcomers Welcome Service - Ann Arbor, MI

I have lots of google alerts set up and it is very interesting. It is obvious that you work very hard on your blogs, I am sorry that someone would think it was ok to steal your hard work!

Oct 27, 2008 08:10 AM

Teresa Berry

Seattle, WA

Thanks for the heads up Missy! Aalways getting educated 'cause hadn't heard the term "splog" either....guess I need to get out more :)

Oct 27, 2008 08:11 AM

Dora & Vincent Kwok

HomeSmart Real Estate - Chandler, AZ

CNE - Chandler, Arizona Real Estate

Missy-Thanks for the info on splogs....but sorry for your situation.

Oct 27, 2008 07:15 PM

Greg Gorman

John R Wood Properties - Naples, FL

Naples Florida Real Estate

Thanks for the tips Misty. BTW, I just watched the new Listings Router video with Robert Stwart...

Misty Caulk is the new Joe the Plumber!

Oct 27, 2008 11:41 PM

Michele Connors

The Overton Group, LLC Pitt & Carteret County - Greenville, NC

Your Eastern North Carolina Realtor

theres always a cheater in the room wanting to benefit from anothers hard work... I didnt got to the sblog- will it be trying to sell leads back to the source of content ???
Good for you to bust them- and post to expose their scheme...sure they will never even acknowledge your reply/findings...thats how crooks function.

Oct 29, 2008 01:12 AM

April Hayden-Munson

Brookfield, WI

Brookfield Wisconsin Real Estate

Thanks for the info. I have a Google Alert set up - but I didn't put one up with my name. I'll do that now. Thanks again for posting.

Nov 05, 2008 08:34 AM