You competitors can see you're using the ad network!

I don't think anyone has suggested (in this thread) that using the co-op will get you banned. As long as the sites in the network are 'nice' sites there is no reason whatsoever any search engine would ban any of it's participants. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with placing advertising links on your site.

The fact is - at the moment, the co-op is helping many (all?) it's members achieve better rankings in the SERPS and I would suggest that this is one of the main reasons so many people have joined.

The recent changes make it super easy for the SEs to discount the backlinks from the network, thus potentially removing the 'added bonus' of all those backlinks.

We aren't asking Shawn to hide the network, it has always been pretty well hidden. (I suggest reading Shawn original post announcing the network. The validation code ads a class tag to help HIM identify the network ads, this is only added when validating and doesn't show up usually (a good thing)

All we are asking is that this DOESN'T CHANGE.

As has been pointed out - this is easily achieved in several different ways. The best suggestion (IMHO) being the mod_rewrite - something I already do with image urls I get from a datafeed, so that the images appear to come from my server (actually I cache them for a month, but obviously that's not desirable in this situation) because I don't want to make it obvious to the SE's where my content is coming from. Sure there are duplicate content issues to deal with, but placing images on my site that are hosted on the site supplying the information just seems dumb.

Why the strong opposition to ideas like these? It's not like it effects anyone in a negative way. Come on guys - lighten up. These are just suggestions.

I for one would prefer to keep the appearance of the links exactly the same as they were before. Adding a DP tracking image is a change, is it really so ludicrous to discuss these changes here?

Personally I could care less about number of impressions, but that's just my opinion, I understand many of the co-op members want this information and Shawn has done a good job providing this functionality for those that wanted it. All we are asking is for him to consider allowing those who want to, to hide the tracking image somehow. I'm asking because I don't want to get banned from the co-op for not displaying that DP image.

 

You did on the second page

Because you are asking to have it hidden from the Search Engines which can effect the network in a bad way.

The original point about competetion seeing where they signed up is a valid one and Shawn addressed it. As far as hiding it from the SE's as you want, Shawn has always said it isn't gonna happen.

 

PS:

The only way for the co-op to go forward is:

1. Have themed links
2. High standard of acceptance into it (near-DMOZ quality)

Then no worries, no gripes on any score.

 

It is moving in that direction and Shawn has already stated this will be the future when there are enough members.

There already are very good standards. I hardly thing DMOZ is the ruler to go by as we don't want an ultra biased ad network

 

The coop is not unmoderated. That is of the highest priority for Shawn and staff IMO. Let's now spew propaganda please.

As for java script and quote "server" side stats that are not acurate, fire your programmer.

As for coop ad tracking, I'm well aware this is a work in progress and I'm not havng a problem with a link to an image at the coop. All major ad networks can be identified for the most part.

When I say sever side impression and click stats, I'm thinking put the load on us and let us report in batchs instead of real time.

I'm just putting stuff out there of consideration. A bit of suggestion from you and a bit from me and things can be planned better.

IMO the DP ad network IS going forward.

 

Has anyone thought that Shawn might want tracking to improve the co-op's fairness in distributing ads for sites that actually perform best for other members

 

You lost me there - I can't see anything about getting BANNED?
Penalized, yes - banned, can't see it.
By that I mean - no longer give credit for all those backlinks.
ie - the same effect as having no-follow tag, or having tracking URLs.

If the network changed to use the no-follow tag or tracking URLs would you use it?
I doubt I would, but let's hope I never have to make that decision.

I'm not asking to have it hidden - it always WAS hidden, I'm asking not to change that.
Just as I would ask not to change the linking method.

Are you saying the network was *dangerous* before because it was hidden, and adding this tracking image is a good thing as it lets the SEs know exactly what is going on so they can filter out the backlinks if they want with one line of code?

 

And you are speaking for yourself of course...I get several conversions a week and it has increased every month as popularity has grown.

 

By unmoderated, I meant unmoderated by me, the site owner.

Went and had a look at the co-op links showing on mine, and the member sites look better than mine. So that's OK

So, then, my main worry is theming. If that can be introduced, so only real-estate-related sites show up on mine, for example, that would ease my worries.

Google couldn't object to links to quality sites on related themes showing up on my site. Might even give it a boost.

Secondary worry: the tracking image. If there's a chance it could harm my site in the SERPs, or let persons unknown find my site, then I'd like the option not to display it.

 

so you are saying that yes, you would use if it had no se benefits?

i find that hard to swallow.

 

"I'm thinking put the load on us and let us report in batchs instead of real time."

Brings me back to my earlier suggestion that this sort of tracking is unnecessary. DP already knows how many times an ad is requested. Ok so it's not entirely accurate, ok the ads are cached, but seems you could get a pretty good idea how many times the ads is displayed just using this information.

Are you really that interested in knowing EXACTLY how many real pair of eyes potentially saw your little text link at the bottom of a totally unrelated web-page?
If so - you might want to suggest that the stats graphs give a bit more detail....

 

Let's propose this...

What agorythm can they implement to know which of your back links are from the ad network to discount them?

And secondly...

What algorythm do you propose to discount links on our pages if the DP image is there? The last 5? The next 5? What if we relocate it by putting it in another variable so we can randomize where it is on our pages, then what?

Why would our ad network be penalized? It would not be healthy for the SE industry to start discounting because of the ads you display.

And what's up with all this relevence crap? If your website is worth a damn, you have enough proper content to carry your topic and should be allowed to advertise anything you want on any topic. I think that parnoia is rediculous. Top rated news sites spew carp ads and rank high.

 

No it does not, IIRC correctly, we are pulling from a cached ad file.

 

HEY!! I'm that programmer

 

top rated news sites drive mad traffic.

sorry for double post.

 

This has long been the plan. Even Shawn didn't expect the level of growth as he has stated elsewhere so give it a little time. It is still fairly new.

I don't understand where this is coming from?

 

Well swallow a little harder.

 

"If the network changed to use the no-follow tag or tracking URLs would you use it?
I doubt I would"

"And you are speaking for yourself of course...I get several conversions a week and it has increased every month as popularity has grown."

I thinks it's pretty clear from my use of the language that I am speaking for myself.
"I doubt I would" - no mention of what you or anyone else would do - and I wouldn't really care, because I wouldn't be using it.

But hey - if you are getting results from visitors clicking on the ads, more power to you.

Now - if/when theming is implemented - that would be a different story altogether. I might well consider participating in the network even with no SE benefit if my ads were only appearing on relevant sites (unless of course I found another one that DID offer a SE benefit as an 'add bonus'). Just as I might consider placing Adsense ads on my site. It's not a clear-cut decision as there is the potential of losing customers to your competitors. Adsense pays you cash for that. The co-op 'pays' you in backlinks.

 

If I give you a good link from a good page that might give you better results and PR also, you might also get some hits from it.

What is the difference if it comes from a barter of space in the ad network

All this crazy hype across the webmaster forum circuit is the problem, not the co-op or any changes that Shawn decides to make in it.

 

Well for what it's worth, I'm not saying I could do it either!