The Matthias Chronicles

Saturday, September 20, 2008, 4:35 PM

MyBlogLog and BlogCatalog users getting banned!

by Mar Matthias Darin

I've been playing with MyBlogLog and BlogCatalog like others seeing if it would really help increase my exposure. So far, no difference with or without them. I started seeing a trend by Google and other major advertisers including my own. Sites with MyBlogLog and BlogCatalog are being banned at alarming rates. This is quite a concern to me. Even though I don't make a lot from my blog nor really intended to, what little I do get is important to me. Rest assured, I have removed both MyBlogLog and BlogCatalog.

So I started to investigate this issue. Google and other major advertisers have in their terms of service (TOS) a non-disclosure clause that states if their CTR (click through rate) is released, your site will be banned. MyBlogLog and BlogCatalog both release CTR information to the public which is a clear TOS violation. Ouch!

This is a major issue. I was questioning why my advertisers were backing away from my site and why affiliate sales were dropping. Now I know why. Who in their right mind wants their company secrets released? CTR is gold to any advertising company. CTR is the life blood of important decisions to any advertiser, particularly if a competitor can undercut (charge less to the advertiser) or overcut (pay more to the publisher) another competitor.

I strongly recommend anyone with advertising of their sites to check their TOS carefully. MyBlogLog and BlogCatalog may be costing you sales and advertising opportunities.

The fallout from this is going to be disastrous. At the minimum, my site reputation just got drug through the mud. My worst case is not knowing how many sales or how much profit I've lost... The sad part is both MyBlogLog and BlogCatalog looked like they may well be good for traffic... This really sucks!

UPDATE: I put the BlogCatalog widget up so I can do more investigating... hopefully I won't be screwed for this...

Comments from Tony

I'd be interested in seeing a couple of screenshots were this information is realeased by MBL and BC.

Comments from shercy1987

thanks for the info but i have a blog which has this feature but i didn't get banned. visit it: http://dollarearners.blogspot.com

Comments from Roxy

Does BlogCatalog actually show the CTR of your blog?

I do not believe that they are doing any type of analytic other than tracking how many go out from and visit your blog from blogcatalog which would probably be only a small percentage of your traffic.

Also, now that I think about it, blogcatalog does not display that information publicly any longer, it is only accessible by the blog owner via the manage blog section.

Comments from Mar Matthias Darin

Tony: Here is a screen shot from Net Business Blog:

shercy1987: Lets hope they don't nail you, but Google is littered with entries from people that have been banned.

Here's Google's official policies on this:

7. Confidentiality. You agree not to disclose Google Confidential Information without Google's prior written consent. "Google Confidential Information" includes without limitation: (a) all Google software, technology, programming, specifications, materials, guidelines and documentation relating to the Program; (b) click-through rates or other statistics relating to Site performance in the Program provided to You by Google; and (c) any other information designated in writing by Google as "Confidential" or an equivalent designation. However, You may accurately disclose the amount of Google's gross payments to You pursuant to the Program. Google Confidential Information does not include information that has become publicly known through no breach by You or Google, or information that has been (i) independently developed without access to Google Confidential Information, as evidenced in writing; (ii) rightfully received by You from a third party; or (iii) required to be disclosed by law or by a governmental authority.

MyBlogLog and BlogCatalog do exactly what this section states is a violation (7b).

This will show outgoing links from any MyBlogLog listed blog (put this in the address bar):

http://www.mybloglog.com/links/?url=[add url here]

Roxy: Everything I've seen says yes and the method for BlogCatalog is similar to MyBlogLog.

Comments from Roxy

I went looking, I couldn't find anywhere on blogcatalog that shows the CTR can you show me a link?

Comments from Kim

I thought this was a good read. Thanks for the information. Seems to me that even if a site has not YET been banned, the policies are quite clear that if a site has these tools, they are in violation. I've never had them, although I'm brand new to this whole gig, and don't intend to.

Comments from Daniel

Just wanted to point out the the assumption that BlogCatalog does any kind of click tracking is completely false. I'd be interested to see a screen shot of how BlogCatalog violates these terms so we can correct anything that may be causing problems for you.

Comments from Lea

Are these MyBlogLog and BlogCatalog bans connected to only sites using ads like adsense or does it also involve placement in google general searches too?

Comments from Mar Matthias Darin

Roxy, Lea, and Daniel: I will focus om Google since none of the other advertisers are willing to elaborate at all. I have done some more research on BlogCatalog and what I found is that Google is banning on the basis of Section 11 of their TOS, specifically:

(a) any amounts which result from invalid queries, invalid Referral Events, or invalid clicks or impressions on Ads generated by any person, bot, automated program or similar device, as reasonably determined by Google, including without limitation through any clicks or impressions (i) originating from Your IP addresses or computers under Your control, (ii) solicited by payment of money, false representation, or request for end users to click on Ads, or (iii) solicited by payment of money, false representation, or any illegal or otherwise invalid request for end users to complete Referral Events; (b) Ads or Referral Buttons delivered to end users whose browsers have JavaScript disabled; (c) Ads benefiting charitable organizations and other placeholder or transparent Ads that Google may deliver; (d) Google advertisements for its own products and/or services (excluding payments based on completed Referral Events); or (e) clicks co-mingled with a significant number of invalid clicks

Apparently the issue is no longer displaying the CTR (this is a correction to my previous research, still investigateing though), but that BlogCatalog is somehow inflating clicks or promoting clicks through one of the illegal above ways. I have been around the merry-go-round with Google several times on the Invalid Clicks issue with the same old tired response of Google uses a number of unique and innovative techniques for managing invalid click activity. We can't disclose details about the software, except to say that we're constantly working to expand and improve our technology.

I have also found several pages through google that suggest that Google will ban any site involved in any program that promotes traffic. If anyone can get anything further out of Google, I'd like to know. I have seen Google ban a site from AdSense for some of the most idiotic reasons.

Daniel: I'm glad you're here in on this. I've looked over BlogCatalog and like what I see. If you can resolve whatever issues Google has, you'll have another member.

Comments from Lea

From what I've read on some websites, Google is developing a reputation for banning sites just as the affiliate is due their first payment. Seems to me that if there is a problem, Google should voice it long before the first $100 in revenue is accrued.

Comments from Mar Matthias Darin

Lea: I'm inclined to agree. I've also thought about the possibility of Google smacking down anyone that could potentially cut into their over excessive profit. Its beginning to seem that if Google doesn't own it, Google is hell-bent on destroying it...

Comments from Mark

Seems like the assumption here is that (1) some people got banned, (2) these people were MBL or BC members, (3) therefore they were banned because they were members. Problem is, you really haven't proven such a causal relationship. Instead you've assumed one.

By the way, your security code feature in its current iteration is the most annoying I've ever seen.

Comments from kevin

Seriously you are an idiot. Your understanding of both these sites could possibly fill a thimble and nothing more.

Comments from Mar Matthias Darin

Mark: Actually the large number of people has made that relationship. I'm not trying to prove anything, merely pointing out a large body of evidence that anyone could attain simple by searching for it.

kevin: With such a fact filled comment as the one you left, my knowledge is obviously more extensive then yours. Perhaps, you would care to share something a little more substantial and contributory to the discussion at hand?