Using Proxy's for Google Places Reviews?

[ferriswannabe]

Is anyone here using proxies to place reviews on Google Places.

What are your thoughts on this.

If through a proxy, your leaving a review for a local business in TX, but your ip address is coming from NY, will google disregard it, as far as help in Places ranking.

I'm sure the review stays, but as counting towards in rankings, surely, they must have taken proxies into account. Right? Technically, someone may have visited from another city and left a review when they got back to their hometown.

I know people are doing this, just want to know what effect this having.

Just curious.

[seasoned]

If IPs were SO important as you think they are, they would probably get suspicious that so many IPs are originating from the SAME network! Proxies are meant to protect, or hide, the originator, NOT to impersonate others. Still, I know for a FACT that google uses OTHER means to determine who you are. The IP plays a part, to a degree BUT, if you change IPs, google will as well.

Still, Many HUMANS are getting wise to this. *I* certainly am. Google may direct me to a new site but if I suspect someone has done what you apparently want to, I will simply switch to a review site I KNOW.

Steve

[DogScout]

Just leave the reviews from different library computers

[seasoned]

Originally Posted by DogScout

Just leave the reviews from different library computers

Well, Google may still catch it EVEN if the libraries are across town! Still, that is a LOT of work, and people may STILL catch it!

steve

[Ouroboros]

I've seen this question asked on other boards and even on paid proxy forums. I've always wondered about this and also about managing multiple local accounts from one IP address.

One warrior has a WSO dealing with this very tactic and I've seen no one ask him/her about it. With the competition building in the local niche, I'm sure there are people taking advantage of it.

[ferriswannabe]

seasoned -

It seems your opposed to this tactic as you think it's just meant to impersonate and trick someone, now I'm still a newbie at this but like most SEO, it's meant more to "attract" Google. The reason I asked the question is to help local businesses rank in their local business places listing. People can still leave plenty of bad reviews on these listings if the business is providing bad service to it's customers.

I'm sure you have made at least one backlink that was not a true and genuine link from a webmaster as Google would expect all links to be.

There is no harm intended to real HUMANS.

[Shane F]

I have a feeling (if G is not already) suppressing reviews of new users, meaning only one review and gone. Yelp does this now and will not show the first few reviews a user makes until they build up trust on a site

It's easy to spot BS easier on reviews that slip through on Yelp when user stats are displayer. I would think that Google has to move to a system like this or else people will stop trusting the reviews altogether or stop counting them towards SEO.

-Shane

[CharlieGosh]

Originally Posted by DogScout

Just leave the reviews from different library computers

That won't work. The IP that Google sees is not the internal IP you're getting from the library's in-house router (your IP 192.168.1.xxx is on the trusted side of the firewalll, not the public side) but instead is the IP the library borrows from their ISP (65.182.46.109 from Comcast, for example). All the PC's in the building, including the librarians' wired PC's, staff personal PC's, and your own laptop on the library's wi-fi would all share one public IP address.

In other words, there are 4 billion possible IP addresses using the current (IPv4) system. But a single borrowed "public" IP address from your ISP could support up to 4 billion additional "in-house" private IP addresses served by in-house routers (usually up to 255 on a router, with 1 more needed for the router itself), though they'd all share one (very congested) connection to the internet.

I've also read that Google uses "device fingerprinting" to find other details about your hardware/software configuration. Doing deep research into your config is impractical, but they can check simple stuff like IP address, their cookies, browser version, etc.

[MisterE]

Originally Posted by CharlieGosh

I've also read that Google uses "device fingerprinting" to find other details about your hardware/software configuration. Doing deep research into your config is impractical, but they can check simple stuff like IP address, their cookies, browser version, etc.

Exactly!

It's very hard to hide from G'.

[VegasGreg]

You have to have a Google account (ex: gmail) to leave a direct review, so it isn't just what IP the review is posted from, but where/how the account was signed up for.

They notice if 25 new gmail accounts are set up on the same day (week) from the same place and they all leave reviews.

The best way to get ranked in Google Places (or even regular seo) is to do it right and naturally and not try to "game" the system. Big G will catch you and take it out on your sites/listings.

(Not to mention leaving "fake" reviews is illegal and can cost you hundreds of thousands in court fines and lawsuits.)

[ferriswannabe]

Originally Posted by CharlieGosh

That won't work. The IP that Google sees is not the internal IP you're getting from the library's in-house router (your IP 192.168.1.xxx is on the trusted side of the firewalll, not the public side) but instead is the IP the library borrows from their ISP (65.182.46.109 from Comcast, for example). All the PC's in the building, including the librarians' wired PC's, staff personal PC's, and your own laptop on the library's wi-fi would all share one public IP address.

The poster meant computers from different library locations, not another computer inside the same building.

[seo jack]

Google maybe be clever but if you are careful, you can do it. Just use your head, don't leave reviews after one another, do it every day or every few days with a proxy ip that you just used to create your gmail address with.