Buyer Beware -- html2rss.com feeds include advertisement backlinks

[Tom Goodwin]

I put this in the reviews forum, but as most people don't regularly check that forum out (myself included), I figured as a public service announcement i should post it here.

This came to my attention over the past few days and just want to make sure everyone who uses html2rss.com, including any of the Brute Force Seo/Evo products (as they use html2rss), understands this.

Every RSS feed created by html2rss includes an advertisement backlink located at the end of the feed.

What I just now noticed is that it rotates for each feed too. If you have an RSS feed open from html2rss, and click refresh in your browser, it will repopulate this last position/ad with one of a number of random self-promotional items.

These are the anchored links that are rotated ads I think:

rss aggregator
marketing software
coolest guy on the planet
twitter software
camper trailer hire
seo tips
create rss feed
best seo software
paypal affiliate

Not surprising that some of these advertised links are doing very well in the SERPs

To be honest, i'm not very eager to advertise other people's products, especially when they slip it in without making it clear that they are doing it.

[whateverpedia]

All of those ads are Pete Drew's by the look of it.

[Louise Green]

Is html2rss a free service?

If so I can't see a problem with them placing ads on the feeds they generate, they have to find some way of funding the service. And honestly if I ran a free service like that I too would be looking for ways to monetize it.

However if it's a paid for service, then you should be able to opt out of displaying ads that you're not profiting from.

[Tom Goodwin]

Originally Posted by whateverpedia

All of those ads are Pete Drew's by the look of it.

I didn't want to be the first to say that.

[Tom Goodwin]

Its free, but my problem with it s:

(1) they don't tell you anywhere that they are doing it;

(2) there is no option to opt out (i would even consider paying for it);

(3) now with the programs that use html2rss, the effect is multiplying and hardly anyone knows that this is happening.

Originally Posted by Louise Evans

Is html2rss a free service?

If so I can't see a problem with them placing ads on the feeds they generate, they have to find some way of funding the service. And honestly if I ran a free service like that I too would be looking for ways to monetize it.

However if it's a paid for service, then you should be able to opt out of displaying ads that you're not profiting from.

[TheNightOwl]

Buy RSS bot and generate an RSS feed for your site with a few clicks.

[emigre]

feedage has an htmltorss function too. Not sure if there're ads...

[Tom Goodwin]

Originally Posted by emigre

feedage has an htmltorss function too. Not sure if there're ads...

No ads at feedage as far as I know. Unfortunately when using Evo II, you automatically use html2rss.com, so you don't really have a choice.

[marksavoca]

Feedage.com puts one link at the bottom of the RSS Feed back to our html2rss tool. I could consider a paid service without the link if people are interested.

[gg282]

When these feed creation websites include their ads or links, does it effect the SEO that I am trying to achieve for my websites as I submit these feeds to the aggregators?

[Tom Goodwin]

Originally Posted by marksavoca

Feedage.com puts one link at the bottom of the RSS Feed back to our html2rss tool. I could consider a paid service without the link if people are interested.

See, that kind of link makes sense. I have no problems with an aggregator throwing in a link back to that aggregator.

But links to camper trailer hires added to rss feeds just blows my mind.

[Jwest]

Hey Everyone,

I have not used it yet , but you could look at rssmix.com . Hope that helps you out

Jwest

[superassassin]

Originally Posted by Tom Goodwin

Every RSS feed created by html2rss includes an advertisement backlink located at the end of the feed.

Wow, had no idea. Thanks for the heads up, I'll be switching to something else.

[Paul Schlegel]

Originally Posted by Tom Goodwin

No ads at feedage as far as I know. Unfortunately when using Evo II, you automatically use html2rss.com, so you don't really have a choice.

Wow. So let me be perfectly clear about what you're saying:

1) You pay for Evo II at a $157.00/month or a discounted plan for a longer period of time.
2) It uses html2rss.com as part of that package.
3) You have no choice to remove advertisements from html2rss.com.

Is that right?

At first I thought that html2rss.com must be some 3rd-party service he has no control over, but apparently he owns it as well.

I was trying to find the terms of service on html2rss.com but I can't find them anywhere. Can someone point me to where they're located?

Does seem like a useful service, though.

[peteinoz]

Hi,

html2rss.com is a free service, that is just one of over 150 sites in my Brute Force SEO Software | EVO II by Peter Drew EVO2 you are free to use it, to generate additional massive links to your site and to the links EVO 2 creates pointing to your site.

As an EVO 2 member you are not forced to use it in any way whatsoever to be 100% clear. Just leave the user/pass out of the software for html2rss.com and EVO 2 will skip it. Though I suggest people do use it, as its a very effective strategy to use.. its a very strong domain and is in alexa in around the 20k mark.

This has been bought up a couple of times before in this forum.

I use these links to test seo.. once testing is over, as I did design the site and created it, I can do whatever I like with the links at the bottom of the feeds, once testing is completed, which it is..

Though this complete year Ive been creating to start up companies which have exhausted all my time / resources and money, so unfortunately I have not yet had time to impliment the new services for my EVO 2 members involving html2rss.com etc. though this will happen. Weve been focusing on improving the software itself this year and have done an outstanding job.

All my Evo 2 members understand about html2rss and know they can choose to use it or not.. As pointed out in my forum.

Thanks for bringing it to my attention again Tom, much appreciated, I'll move it up on the priority list of things to get done in the near future

Cheers

Pete

[DynamicIMS]

thank you for the information, it is good to know ahead of time what you are getting into.

[Vic Carrara]

If this helps anyone, I have just updated my html to rss feed script at RSS Generator.

It can process up to 500 web pages, is currently free, and doesn't put ads in.

Regards,

Vic

[kenwarrior]

Originally Posted by Vic Carrara

If this helps anyone, I have just updated my html to rss feed script at RSS Generator.

It can process up to 500 web pages, is currently free, and doesn't put ads in.

Regards,

Vic

hi, I just tried your rss generator, and maybe I'm doing something wrong, but I entered the url of a static html site which has a number of pages, at least 10, when I look at the file it created it seems to only list the home page and no others?, is the software supposed to crawl the whole site and create a listing for every page it finds?, the other pages are linked from the home page

thanks

[Vic Carrara]

Originally Posted by kenwarrior

hi, I just tried your rss generator, and maybe I'm doing something wrong, but I entered the url of a static html site which has a number of pages, at least 10, when I look at the file it created it seems to only list the home page and no others?, is the software supposed to crawl the whole site and create a listing for every page it finds?, the other pages are linked from the home page

thanks

PM sent to work on issue.

[seoindiaforu]

Thanks for the update!

[housewarrior]

Thanks Vic! I have been looking for something like this. El perfecto! Just generated the code! So simple, even I can do it!
Norm

Originally Posted by Vic Carrara

If this helps anyone, I have just updated my html to rss feed script at RSS Generator.



Vic

[Oranges]

Then use Links 2 RSS - Convert a list of URLs to RSS feeds and host the feed on your server..
But personally won't mind few ads on my feeds generated from Html2rss.com. Nothing is free in life...really!

[Vic Carrara]

Hi all,

The issues that KenWarrior experienced earlier in the thread have been sorted.

This script crawls your site automatically and creates the code for an RSS feed, ready to copy and paste onto your site's rss feed page.

RSS Generator

Vic