Jul
Dealing With Splogs (Or Anyone Stealing Your Content via RSS)
RSS is a great way to distribute and syndicate content to your readers, but it also makes it easy for the spammers to steal your content. One way they do this is by setting up spam blogs, or “splogs.” These blogs have no original content; instead, they pull in your content via RSS and pass it off as their own.
They’re using your content without so much as a link back to your site!
Earlier this year, this very blog was included in one such site at adwhores.com. I wasn’t too pissed considering the blog had a PR5, and if I played my cards right, I could get some nice backlinks. But then I noticed the PR5 was faked…
The good news, though, is that the splog got shut down within 2 days. Even better, I learned a thing or two about dealing with this problem (other than a typical DMCA notice to Google.)
And it’s a good thing, because that splog is back online and stealing more content than ever! They’re even stealing Shoemoney’s feed!
So here are a couple things you can do to protect yourself from splogs, even if you don’t know they’re out there:
First, always link back to your previous posts when you mention something you’ve blogged about before. Or link to one of your category pages. Whatever you do, just be sure to have links to other parts of your site within the post itself. That way, anyone stealing your content is giving you backlinks, and maybe even traffic.
Second, you can put a little notice at the bottom of each post. Something like “this post originally appeared at mysite.com.” That should get you a little link love, too. You can even use Adsense Deluxe to automate the process.
Third, make use of all the Feedburner options. Feedburner allows you to place links in your feed such as “Email this” and “Save to del.icio.us” If those are in your feed, they’ll show up on the splog. So if someone decides to bookmark the post that way or email it to a friend, they’ll be saving your URL (not the splog’s.)
(Notice my feed URL in the status bar 
)
And if you do know about the splog, and it is totally worthless and spammy, just file the DMCA notice along with these tips from FightSplog.
[This post originally appeared at InternetMarketingSucks.com]
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Click here to buy me a beer, because damn, I need to get drunk to forget how much internet marketing sucks!
Good advice. I’ve also noticed the “Buy Me A Beer” plug-in gets in the feed too.
It seems like the sploggers home in on certain key words, which I guess isn’t surprising. My software development blog rarely had content scrapped. But my 2 day old “a little bit of everything” site has already had splogs grab articles related to SEO and music. It was like as soon as I opened the doors the scraping and comment spam started full force. Amazing.
Thanks for the tips. Some people are pretty low out there! Get your own content for pete’s sake!
Use the Copyfeed WordPress plugin (http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/copyfeed/) may be helpfull
Yah, using internal links is a great way to fight spammers, but it is also good for search engine rankings, because it passes your link juice from the main page to your internal page…
I have had this happen to me and I did make the comment! He quickly added my site! Link luv!
Great post!
Yes these are good ideas. Can even embed adsense and make some money but the post probably wont get much visitors anyway. Commonly there is not much link love that get passed on as shit websites commonly have shity PR lol
Splogs are appearing more and more. They appear everyday from Google Alerts.
You can pick em straight away though…..
Some people are pretty low out there!
adsense and make some money but the post probably wont get much visitors anyway. Commonly there is not much
this is good:)
Yah, using internal links is a great way to fight spammers, but it is also good for search engine rankings, because it passes your link juice from the main page to your internal page…
Use the Copyfeed WordPress plugin (http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/copyfeed/) may be helpfull
super infos thank you admin
have had this happen to me and I did make the comment! He quickly added my site! Link luv!
Anoher new knowledge. Thanks.
People may steal content, but owners can also turn the situation to be in favour to them by adding links within the content. Nice post. – Rif Chia
thanx for all information
thanks for document..
I just want to leave a short message saying that I love your blog. I just came across it today and was surprised that I haven’t found it before.
Actually, I could do with some RSS feeds of your content… it would fit right in!
Thanks for sharing
Feed scrapper are really annoying. I don’t get too many splogs stealing my content, but there are two blogs that take my posts on a regular basis. I also noticed I get heavy scrapping when I mention anything credit card related.
I try to do as much internal linking as I can, this way I at least earn some low quality backlinks from it.
You give out really useful tips! I’ve never taken splogs seriously before I read your blog. From now on, I’ll link my posts to each other. It will be like sauteing those sploggers in their own fat–this should be oil
I have had this happen to me and I did make the comment! He quickly added my site!
I have had this happen to me, too.
hey i never think about it, that via RSS this kind of stealing done by people, mostly this done for ad sense earning via master or unique content…
It,s true. but i dont this will be currently assured solution.
if i not explorer your blog i never know, content stealing possible via rss, any solution to prevent content stealing !!
I honestly hate it when somebody is stealing my content.
Faked PR 5? How do you do that? I need to get smarter about this stuff. Thanks for a great post dude.
Thank your for your tips. Many people copy content without even changing a word.
your tips sure helpful, but still its hard to prevent content stilling.
Some days back I was reading an article on how it could prove to be beneficial for you,I mean no one reads splogs, sometimes you might just get a few backlinks for free!
I’ve been scraped numerous times. I’ve even suffered with someone scraping my page code and unwittingly copying my google analytics code into their site. Some spammy Polish setup. In the end after trying to contact them I just gave up and filtered their hostname.
People may steal content, but owners can also turn the situation by disable right click to copy. Many many thanks for your tips.
@James
Unfortunately, disabling the right-click function will do nothing to stop people from stealing your content, especially a splog that steals your RSS feed.
Good advice because this happens all too often! There are even users who will rip off an entire page and not even change the image hotlinks – so you know exactly where it’s coming form; stupid people.
Anyways, great post – hopefully it helps some people crack down on splogs jacking their stuff.
so many people just copy your entire artice then they just erased your resources box or your link… that’s why internet marketing sucks..LOL
Thanks for the tip, I hope it will be harder to steal my content next time…
it is also good for search engine rankings, because it passes your link juice from the main page to your internal page…
Nice one, thanks for the heads up!
Yes, very hard to survive on the internet. In this “kykeon” you always have to do with spammers, sploggers and many kinds of cheaters who try to benefit from your work.
What a great tip. I’ve had this problem recently with having content stolen. I try to just let it go but it can be upsetting especially when I have researched alot to put together an article. Now I know a way to easily benefit from the stolen feeds. Thanks – love your blog – very very good information!
You’ve highlighted some good points here. I used to complain about content sealing from my forum posts but after a while saw the benefit of ’sploggers’ grabbing my comments and postings. I once posted a domain for sale then googled for it and noticed half a dozen ‘bot forums’ adverting it on there sites so I guess it’s free advertising and as you said placing and anchor text or plain hyperlink in your content would also get you a free backlink and traffic, with this in mind you could turn this phenomenon into a cash cow and let the splog sites generate you revenue!
Yes but having your links in bad neighborhoods can affect your ranking. I’d rather build back-links the regular way to be honest.
Nice article. If you don’t mind I would like to link to it from my own website. Best wishes from germany!