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Search
Engine Optimisation Web Log (BLOG)
Editor:
Matt Paines |
This News Blog is dedicated to bringing news, information and innovations targeting
the Search Engine Optimisation industry.
Can Web Spam hurt a brand?Most
definitely, the internet has become a great soap box where anybody can say anything
about anybody. Of course the normal rules of slander, deformation, loss of earnings
and copyright apply. However all these elements only apply when you can pin down
the culprit. A recent example of this is in the timeshare industry.
Companies such as Club
la Costa and Sunterra
have suffered at the hands of a web site called Crimeshare. Crimeshare has managed
to confuse the branding messages by publishing comments about these organisations.
Regardless of whether the comments are accurate or not - it doesn't really matter,
the point is that the branding has been compromised by someone that knows sufficient
about search engines to do so. In addition
some of the techniques being used to promote their position in the search engines
are what you might call "black hat". We are seeing a form of web spam,
specifically named "blog spam" appearing at various locations. This
is something which goes against the rules set by all the search engines. Nathan
Alter found his blog being repeatedly spammed by Mohamed Kdadouri http://jigbot.com/?p=2087.
Other blogs are also experiencing similar activities http://crashingjets.nu/blog/?p=45)
and http://crashingjets.nu/blog/?p=134 Interestingly,
in defense of the Timeshare industry an article published at tripod.com Crimeshare
Warning clarifies some points including the identity of the site owner. Quoting
directly from tripod | "CRIMESHARE.NET
WARNING In response to requests from diverse Credit
Card Companies and Banking Institutions, a thorough investigation is underway
on the bogus web site CRIMESHARE.NET. Please be advised that
this is an ongoing investigation; therefore, the findings are preliminary and
bound to be included with other materials in a final public report to be published
by the TRUST."
| The article
goes on to say -
According to the security firm InternetWatch, CRIMESHARE.NET is run by an Arab
individual: Mohamed Ahmed Kdadouri (a.k.a. Kdadourian). Mohamed Ahmed Kdadouri
is both the Registrant and the Administrative Contact of CRIMESHARE.NET. His main
address is a Post Office Box (PO Box Apartado de Correos 191, Fuengirola, Malaga,
Spain). - Mohamed Ahmed has a "profitable" relationship
with Holiday Resale Homes SL Timeshare Resales (HRH/Auctionwise/Goldflash) a bogus
company providing the infrastructure for CRIMESHARE.NET. HRH SL is run by a group
of Arabs and a British national (Hutchinson). Mohamed Ahmed and his partners employ
deceit, lies, and insults to slander and disrupt the Timeshare industry, disrupt
the Tourist industry, and disrupt related economic activities in Costa del Sol
(Spain). - HRH SL has been set up as a deliberate attempt to
mislead the public as to the true name of the company and there is no official
listing for HRH SL in Spain. CRIMESHARE.NET, HRH SL, Goldflash, Auctionwise and
the Timeshare Council are hosted in the same ISP (Internet Service Provider) and
employ the same Domain Servers NS1.HRH.ES (217.11.124.52). HRH SL, Goldflash,
and Auctionwise are structured around www.hrh.cc. These web sites are all hosted
by Ibernet Hosting SL at Tucides 24, Malaga, Spain. In addition
to the above, the following findings regarding CRIMESHARE.NET as of September
2004 still apply: - CRIMESHARE.NET is run in coordination
with OTE and TCA scams. - CRIMESHARE.NET attempts to create
confusion, reluctance, and guilt among existing and potential timeshare owners
(disruption). - HRH SL / Auctionwise (CRIMESHARE.NET) runs
a series of scams which include: the "Land Registry Number" scam, the
VAT and IVA scam, the Auction scam, the Money Back scam (see details in this web
site). - CRIMESHARE.NET mostly publishes lies, anonymous
personal attacks, and scurrilous comments against certain individuals. Here is
a sample of the "mild" messages published by CRIMESHARE.NET
| So in answer to the question can web spam hurt a brand,
very much so. In February 2006 at the SES Conference in New York, in recognition
of this growing problem Google, MSN and Yahoo along with SEMPO (Search Engine
Marketing Professionals Organisation) agreed measures that would be directed at
combating this form of web spam.
M.P
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