Matt Cutts on Sleeze Marketing

Matt Cutts posts on some blog and ping RSS Announcer. A few months ago I also stated my disgust with some of the blog spam salesletters.

For those thinking of investing in blog spam software or other useless related crap, search engines can look at far more than the [delete this pink text] and other obvious software footprints. The Link Spam Detection research paper stated:

A number of recent publications propose link spam detection methods. For instance, Fetterly et al. [Fetterly et al., 2004] analyze the indegree and outdegree distributions of web pages. Most web pages have in- and outdegrees that follow a power-law distribution. Occasionally, however, 17 search engines encounter substantially more pages with the exact same in- or outdegrees than what is predicted by the distribution formula. The authors find that the vast majority of such outliers are spam pages.

It's funny to see the star internet marketing crew being too lazy to even change out their bogus testimonials. But at least in the short term there is far more money is the following model:

  • launch a shitty software product

  • use hype affiliate marketing and joint venture opportunities with internet marketing expert hucksters
  • opt in list
  • then email spamming (either directly or via affiliates)
  • repeat process

than in creating real value. Maybe eventually people will get a clue.

On the web there are a large number of people who will try to help you along to doing well, and then there are hollow middle men who want to take your money to shit down your throat. Since it costs virtually nothing to make most software or sites you see far more of the latter in the internet marketing realm.

There was recently a WebmasterWorld thread about why people hate Google and other successful companies. Some chalk it up to jelousy, but I just think it is disappointing when sleeze marketing and / or other dubious business practices bring better returns than honest ones.

Here is a perfect example. So about a week ago I gave away one of many copies of my ebook to a charity and recently got this response:

Hi Aaron,

Great book, I finished it a few weeks ago and now need to take notes on all the highlights. And WOW, with all the resources you have, that was in itself would be worth the price of the book, oh wait, it was free for me, :) lol

I have read quite a few books over the last 1 1/2 years on internet marketing, etc, and I really believe you are one of the few guys out there that truly want to help others and not just try and milk their list, as I heard one big name internet marketer say and that's exactly how I feel when im on his list. It really came through in your writing and the fact that you update the book on a continual basis says enough.

I would like your opinion on http://www.xyz software.com/ from what I can tell, it appears to be a great piece of software but I always like to get a 2nd opinion before I buy. (btw, I was referred to this by one of the guys I consider that will sell any and everything, every week it's a new cant miss product some of these guys are hawking so its sometimes tough to tell the gems from the duds)

I responded (roughly):

Hi Name
thanks for liking the ebook

xyz software = crap
here is why...

-qpw ($30 or so) is great
-you should mix stuff up
-sites that accept automated type submissions will tend to be
bad neighborhoods

see also
http://www.search-marketing.info/newsletter/articles/trustrank-company.htm
http://www.martinibuster.net/2005/11/link-development-is-dead.html

FYI, I recently was bogusly sued and my lawyers are raping me, so if
you feel like you got tons of value out of the ebook donations are
accepted
http://www.seobook.com/archives/001130.shtml

Cheers,
Aaron

From that I got no response or donation. Give a guy your business model and your knowledge and get nothing in response. That's pretty useless considering I just saved him $97.

I find people that have no money to support people who help them but want to spend money on the latest interent marketing scam software to be greedy and/or stupid. It's not uncommon for business people to take the low road though.

Traffic Power Sucks saved people over a half million dollars and did not get much in donations from the people they helped when asking for donations to fight the bogus lawsuit they got.

I have about 700 emails in the inbox and I likely will be changing my charity policy soon to be more accomidating to paying customers. I don't expect to profit from helping charities, but the semi shady charity requests weigh on my time and spirits. And I still haven't said thanks to all the people who have helped me fight off the internet marketing scam that is Traffic Power :(

Published: November 28, 2005 by Aaron Wall in marketing

Comments

November 28, 2005 - 5:11pm

Well, too many people out there also lack imagination - and things online are not much different from things offline - there are still people happily joining all those telemarketing programs etc thinking they can make money without really doing much or just annoying people.

AP
November 28, 2005 - 11:50pm

Yo' Aaron, you have to fix the red header on this page: http://www.seobook.com/buy-now.shtml it's just too promotional!

Kidding, I believe you are highly relevant Mr. Wall.

-AP

November 29, 2005 - 12:21am

I've experienced the same many times.

I've had to do it time and time again when people ask about "buying traffic from XYZ for $30." I say, not going to work, they say, I'm going to try it anyways. A few weeks later, I hear back, it didn't work, what can I do to get traffic to my site?

On the other hand, once someone asked me, what kind of advertiser should I use on my website? I said, check out this program called Google Adsense. They tried it out and in less than 20 hours their break even site had made over $100. I wouldn't be running my own successful online business if I didn't help that guy.

November 30, 2005 - 7:11am

Hey Aaron, go tell Matt to explain how Google is the number one sponser of scraper sites through AdSense...that would be interesting to hear.

November 30, 2005 - 7:15am

I have had that whinge so many times...I also love the domainpark product...will post on that soon!

April 11, 2006 - 11:10pm

Dear Sir;

I didn't understand why our site is crap ....
How can you tell such a thing !
We are humble software developers who are trying to develop some unique applications...

Please reply back soon.!

Regards.
Arda ORCAN
XYZSoftware.

April 12, 2006 - 1:08am

Sorry on that one.

I pulled the software product name out and put a genericish name in there. Was not a comment directed at your work.

April 12, 2006 - 8:47am

Sorry on that one.

I pulled the software product name out and put a genericish name in there. Was not a comment directed at your work.

Chris
December 5, 2005 - 6:47pm

Hi Aaron,

I was the one who emailed you that comment. first off, i did reply back but from what you said on a previous post,i can understand how you could miss my email.

and i did make a donation to you. now the donation wasnt that much but at least i did give something after you asked. i do not have much money at this time. i have medical bills plus back taxes im trying to take care of but i still donated bc i appreciate the time you took to even write me back on your opinion and my comments were sincere and i think what tp is going is pure crap.

also, you did not donate that book to me, i had signed up for dan theiss seo coaching program through your affiliate link so i m sure you did make a commission so all i did was take you up on your offer from your blog post. i thought it was only fair to sign up through your link since you were the first one to point me to the program and getting your book was a definite bonus.

if you are thinking how i can afford that and not give you more than i did, it is b/c i have a partner who is financially backing this project i am working on.

you can email me back and i can give you my paypal email address i made the donation so you can verify that i did donate. i had to wait till later in the week when i got paid from my day job so i could donate. and yes, thats all i could afford at the time. sorry it wasnt more.

also, i didnt think you responded roughly. i thoght it was good advice, i was just trying to get your opinion on something, i wasnt trying to sell you anything.

i apologize if you took any of my comments in the wrong light or if you thought i was trying to take advantage of your generosity. all i was trying to do was compliment you on a great book and ask your opinion on a piece of software.

no hard feelings, i realize it is sometimes hard through email to convery the meaning behind the message.

Take care,

Chris

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