Comments on: Google To Put Bitch Slap On Arbitragers http://www.johnchow.com/google-to-put-bitch-slap-on-arbitragers/ The Miscellaneous Ramblings of a Dot Com Mogul Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:59:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Matt Coddington » Blog Archive » My Thoughts on Arbitrage http://www.johnchow.com/google-to-put-bitch-slap-on-arbitragers/#comment-9809 Matt Coddington » Blog Archive » My Thoughts on Arbitrage Tue, 28 Nov 2006 16:49:35 +0000 http://www.johnchow.com/google-to-put-bitch-slap-on-arbitragers/#comment-9809 [...] Arbitrage is getting extremely popular in the web dev world as some big names, mainly Jon and his Wickedfire EZ-money squad, have began to really promote the practice. At the same time Google is starting to crack down on arbitragers a little bit. This all leads me to a number of questions. Note that throughout this little blurb I’m talking about arbitrage as it is commonly practiced. Arguably anytime a webmaster buys traffic through ads and then serves ads on his site to make a profit, this is considered arbitrage. Please know that I am only referring to the kind of arbitrage that serves little to no content and is only practiced to exploit PPC. [...] [...] Arbitrage is getting extremely popular in the web dev world as some big names, mainly Jon and his Wickedfire EZ-money squad, have began to really promote the practice. At the same time Google is starting to crack down on arbitragers a little bit. This all leads me to a number of questions. Note that throughout this little blurb I’m talking about arbitrage as it is commonly practiced. Arguably anytime a webmaster buys traffic through ads and then serves ads on his site to make a profit, this is considered arbitrage. Please know that I am only referring to the kind of arbitrage that serves little to no content and is only practiced to exploit PPC. [...]

]]> By: Dave http://www.johnchow.com/google-to-put-bitch-slap-on-arbitragers/#comment-7558 Dave Wed, 15 Nov 2006 16:05:00 +0000 http://www.johnchow.com/google-to-put-bitch-slap-on-arbitragers/#comment-7558 This seems like a good step by Google, but it doesn't seem sufficient. The arbitragers make me want to stop using Google. I think Google's short-sighted efforts to be soft on the arbitragers may hurt Google significantly in the long run. In the real world, arbs add value by creating liquidity, for example. (Although, the argument in favor of arbs isn't even clear cut in the real world.) Has anyone seen any value these Google arbitragers add? Maybe one could argue that they add visibility for some advertisers. I personally haven't seen this. I think they pollute the whole pool and make it harder to choose relevant ads or links. Quality goes down across the board. I think the best overall value-add would be to change the rules so that the Google arbs no longer have any incentive to stay in business. This seems like a good step by Google, but it doesn’t seem sufficient. The arbitragers make me want to stop using Google. I think Google’s short-sighted efforts to be soft on the arbitragers may hurt Google significantly in the long run.

In the real world, arbs add value by creating liquidity, for example. (Although, the argument in favor of arbs isn’t even clear cut in the real world.)

Has anyone seen any value these Google arbitragers add? Maybe one could argue that they add visibility for some advertisers. I personally haven’t seen this. I think they pollute the whole pool and make it harder to choose relevant ads or links. Quality goes down across the board.

I think the best overall value-add would be to change the rules so that the Google arbs no longer have any incentive to stay in business.

]]> By: Zeeshan http://www.johnchow.com/google-to-put-bitch-slap-on-arbitragers/#comment-7070 Zeeshan Sat, 11 Nov 2006 18:19:37 +0000 http://www.johnchow.com/google-to-put-bitch-slap-on-arbitragers/#comment-7070 Most of the large arbitrage owners already use IP and user-agent paired filtering to present sufficient 'content' to the AdWord's quality check bot. When users land on these pages, the content is suppressed and users are presented with advertising only to get them induce a click-through. To give a sense of how big some of these arbitrage businesses are, check out NYGroup's pool of domains: Over 65,700+ domains all touting arbitrage pages: http://www.webhosting.info/webhosts/reports/total_domains/NYCGROUP.COM A large pool of domains is being maintained on resources purchased from Fusepoint.com: http://whois.webhosting.info/72.35.4.17 I personally cannot see Google pro-actively making an effort to remove arbitrage businesses from their AdSense and AdWords network except for lowering the chance for joe-average from making a decent profit from doing arbitrage. Most of the large arbitrage owners already use IP and user-agent paired filtering to present sufficient ‘content’ to the AdWord’s quality check bot.

When users land on these pages, the content is suppressed and users are presented with advertising only to get them induce a click-through.

To give a sense of how big some of these arbitrage businesses are, check out NYGroup’s pool of domains:

Over 65,700+ domains all touting arbitrage pages:
http://www.webhosting.info/webhosts/reports/total_domains/NYCGROUP.COM

A large pool of domains is being maintained on resources purchased from Fusepoint.com:
http://whois.webhosting.info/72.35.4.17

I personally cannot see Google pro-actively making an effort to remove arbitrage businesses from their AdSense and AdWords network except for lowering the chance for joe-average from making a decent profit from doing arbitrage.

]]> By: Mac’s Money Blog » Weekly review http://www.johnchow.com/google-to-put-bitch-slap-on-arbitragers/#comment-6983 Mac’s Money Blog » Weekly review Fri, 10 Nov 2006 23:54:02 +0000 http://www.johnchow.com/google-to-put-bitch-slap-on-arbitragers/#comment-6983 [...] I already blogged about this one, but John Chow’s post about the upcoming changes to AdSense is good for everyone. [...] [...] I already blogged about this one, but John Chow’s post about the upcoming changes to AdSense is good for everyone. [...]

]]> By: Mac’s Money Blog » The Best AdSense ad I’ve seen http://www.johnchow.com/google-to-put-bitch-slap-on-arbitragers/#comment-6980 Mac’s Money Blog » The Best AdSense ad I’ve seen Fri, 10 Nov 2006 23:30:44 +0000 http://www.johnchow.com/google-to-put-bitch-slap-on-arbitragers/#comment-6980 [...] I’m always enjoy reading John Chow’s blog, and his latest post is about Google’s upcoming changes to their bot. However, what really caught my eye was the AdSense ad on his page. Just in case it changes before you get to see it, I took a screen shot of it (hope he doesn’t mind), seen below. [...] [...] I’m always enjoy reading John Chow’s blog, and his latest post is about Google’s upcoming changes to their bot. However, what really caught my eye was the AdSense ad on his page. Just in case it changes before you get to see it, I took a screen shot of it (hope he doesn’t mind), seen below. [...]

]]> By: Ian http://www.johnchow.com/google-to-put-bitch-slap-on-arbitragers/#comment-6970 Ian Fri, 10 Nov 2006 19:41:02 +0000 http://www.johnchow.com/google-to-put-bitch-slap-on-arbitragers/#comment-6970 This will most likely hurt regular site owners more than it will the automated MFA site generators. The kings of spam will dream up ways around this where regular simple sites that have adsense will probably get hurt more. This will most likely hurt regular site owners more than it will the automated MFA site generators. The kings of spam will dream up ways around this where regular simple sites that have adsense will probably get hurt more.

]]> By: ralphieb http://www.johnchow.com/google-to-put-bitch-slap-on-arbitragers/#comment-6969 ralphieb Fri, 10 Nov 2006 19:40:08 +0000 http://www.johnchow.com/google-to-put-bitch-slap-on-arbitragers/#comment-6969 One thing I dont get is why these people use adwords to advertise their MFA's/Arbi's site in the first place, there's a lot of half decent 2nd tier ad networks where you can buy cheap traffic.. after all that's the whole purpose of this, buy cheap and earn high! One thing I dont get is why these people use adwords to advertise their MFA’s/Arbi’s site in the first place, there’s a lot of half decent 2nd tier ad networks where you can buy cheap traffic.. after all that’s the whole purpose of this, buy cheap and earn high!

]]> By: Pete Lasko http://www.johnchow.com/google-to-put-bitch-slap-on-arbitragers/#comment-6937 Pete Lasko Fri, 10 Nov 2006 15:57:47 +0000 http://www.johnchow.com/google-to-put-bitch-slap-on-arbitragers/#comment-6937 I had to look this up, so I'll just post what I believe 'Arbitragers' are. Sites paying for low cost incoming links, that are designed for the sole purpose of getting visitors to exit on higher priced outgoing links, hoping to make the margin. I think it could also apply to any sites that are trying to game the difference in price between 2 markets. Even if the margin is miniscule, the process is automated, and repeatable. I had to look this up, so I’ll just post what I believe ‘Arbitragers’ are.

Sites paying for low cost incoming links, that are designed for the sole purpose of getting visitors to exit on higher priced outgoing links, hoping to make the margin.

I think it could also apply to any sites that are trying to game the difference in price between 2 markets. Even if the margin is miniscule, the process is automated, and repeatable.

]]> By: Emir Pilavdzic http://www.johnchow.com/google-to-put-bitch-slap-on-arbitragers/#comment-6932 Emir Pilavdzic Fri, 10 Nov 2006 14:57:18 +0000 http://www.johnchow.com/google-to-put-bitch-slap-on-arbitragers/#comment-6932 Good news everyone, according to alexa graph, the strongest MFA (8-topsites dot com) is taking a fall! http://www.adsblacklist.com/site/8-topsites.com Party time for decent publishers! :) Good news everyone, according to alexa graph, the strongest MFA (8-topsites dot com) is taking a fall!

http://www.adsblacklist.com/site/8-topsites.com

Party time for decent publishers! :)

]]> By: Gdog http://www.johnchow.com/google-to-put-bitch-slap-on-arbitragers/#comment-6916 Gdog Fri, 10 Nov 2006 13:44:57 +0000 http://www.johnchow.com/google-to-put-bitch-slap-on-arbitragers/#comment-6916 It's been one weeks since I've used adsblacklist.com and my Adsense earnings have gone up significantly. So it does work. :) It’s been one weeks since I’ve used adsblacklist.com and my Adsense earnings have gone up significantly. So it does work. :)

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