scrapers and duplicate content

I've had about a 40% drop in organic search traffic over the last three weeks for one of my sites.

I've been pulling my hair out trying to figure out the problem and today I did searches using paragraphs from my pages and so far I've found about 3+k sites that have my content embedded in them or make up the the entire site.

The majority of the ones that I looked at are nothing but "made for adsense."

I'm concerned that the amount of duplicate pages is responsible for the loss of traffic - It would be a travesty to be penalized because these scum are copying my content.

I need some advice in two areas:

1. Is it possible to approach Google Search about the situation (I'm already building my adsense-abuse email with the offending sites).

And

2. What can I (and should I) to and about the thieves that have stolen my work product and intellectual property - most of the sites are not in the US.

I actually feel like someone just broke into my house and robbed me. I'm having a hard time looking at the situation unemotionally.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

Hi Classifieds,

Try beginning with these.

http://docs.yahoo.com/info/copyright/copyright.html

https://www.google.com/support/adsense/bin/answer.py?answer=9894&topic=145

 

Can you post some of the urls so I can make sure its not my site(s)

 

Well I suppose you can be flattered that your content was worthy of being scraped by that many sites.

On the other hand, that's a large problem that I have a funny feeling will be very hard to resolve. Not to be negative, but it will take you a VERY long time to get your content off that many sites.

Best of luck, and keep us posted//

 

One thing I'm wondering is whether all these scraper sites belong to the same guy. Have you pinged a few of them to find if many of them are on the same IP?

 

Already did a random sampling and they appear to be clusters owned by the same entities but for the most part they are scattered all over.

-jay

 

Sue them! No kidding

 

I'm considering that for sites with US contact information. I've made screen shots of them and printed out their whois information.

The more I think about this the madder I get.

 

Anyways, What is your site URL, we are talking about?

 

Sonny,
I'd rather keep it out of this thread in case I decide to sue the bastards. Its not the ones in my sig but it is my largest source of revenue (but at this rate soon not to be).

 

If Google isn't co-operative with the matter, one option would be to chop them down from their legs ie. Identify who they host their sites with and insist the hosting company suspends their account. I have no personal experience doing this, but I have heard about others being successful doing this.

 

You can't just sue someone at least over here you can't. Look for some contact info and send them a polite e-mail in which you request them to take of the copied content. Make sure to mention a time limit. Send one to their host as well. If this doesn't help get in contact with a lawyer. You might want to change the order. Might first want to get in contact with a lawyer.




PS.There is a easier way to get them of the internet .DDOSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

 

I very much doubt the 40% decrease in traffic is to do with duplicate content, but this is what you've attributed it to. Not sure why, as they could of had that content copied from yonks ago.. there's nothing to say it's effecting your site.

Your efforts are better spent on your site then putting energy into sueing them or taking legal advice.

Send 1 e-mail to their host about it and fuck 'em I say..

Go fresh up your site with extra content, submit some articles at the article banks, just do what you should be doing constantly to keep the SE's happy with your site and there's no need to worry about the baddies of the Internet or their sites. They can't touch you.

Pete

 

Pete, You are one abrasive SOB but I think there is wisdom in your advice - I'm rewriting content now.

BTW, the site in question has been around for 7 years, same registrar but its been moved to new hosts every few years. It has evolved over time but the basic theme has remained the same. Most of the scaper sites I found even copied the date/time into their pages and it looks like this all started around 2/2005.

Thanks for the feedback

-jay

 

Jay -- Any luck contacting the SEs, domain owners, etc?

 

Whos that little @!$$&^%&* that gave me a red rep and wasn't brave enough to post his nick.

I'm going to request a kinder garten section on this forum where little @#$%^ like you can play around.

You'll be watching me huhhh. Lol. Don't forget to look under your beth when your mum is done reading each time you go to beth I might be hiding there.
Classified thanks for the green reps. Whenever I can be of any assistance please don't hesitate to contact me.

 

I haven't started on it yet. I'm taking the SOB's advice and working my frustrations out with new content and site design.

I'll probably just file complaints with adsense-abuse, send them and their hosts a DMCA threat and leave it at that.

This sucks.

 

Time may be better well spent following that plan, Jay... I'd probably do the same.

 

Yea cause its that easy...

 

It is, you just love to make things hard for yourself. You pride yourself on it.

Quoting: "I work my ass off!" ..

Pete