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Article Syndication Question for Alexa Smith, Paul Uhl, TPW

by Cade21
8 replies
Since all of you have thousands of articles syndicated, how do you deal with people who steal your content and add their own affiliate links to the keywords you originally targeted?

I write pretty well and the articles I submit to directories are taken by jerks who change my links to their own ClickBank links, alter my Resource Box info to reflect their own sites, or leave it out completely.

To top things off, they end up ranking higher than me with my own stuff. I never could figure that one out. I spent a lot of time in 2011, contacting ClickBank, and getting their accounts flushed. (I literally had CB Security on speed-dial.)

I've had so much stuff stolen that I have just about sworn off submitting anything. If guys rank below me, I don't bother with them, but if someone shows up above me I have to take the time to go after them. Still, it takes ClickBank about 10 days to bust them because they give them chances to remove the content.

I would think that marketers of your stature would be fighting this everyday. Any suggestions would be helpful.

Thanks.
#alexa #alexa smith #article #article syndication #myob #paul #question #smith #stolen content #syndication #tpw #uhl
  • Profile picture of the author MikeTucker
    Alexa has said a few times that reporting them to their web host is effective, and I imagine it would be.

    Just wanted to give you a quick answer-- I'm sure they'll be around at some point with more detail, or you can search for their answers in other similar threads.
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  • Profile picture of the author AnniePot
    Maybe the link in my sig will help.
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  • Profile picture of the author tpw
    If they leave my resource box intact with links, I will usually let it go.

    Other times, I will send them a take-down notice under DMCA guidelines.

    Most of the time, I don't bother with the take-down notice, UNLESS they change what I had recommended in the article. I don't want my name connected to any endorsement that I don't personally endorse.

    When I decide to go the take-down notice route, I contact them first and give five days to respond. Then I go to their web hosting company with the take-down notice under DMCA. If the web hosting company does not respond, I go to the DMCA notice to Google. I have only one time seen a web hosting company not respond.

    The web hosting company will either take down the offending page or the offending website.

    But, if I stumble across someone who is cutting the resource boxes off of everyone's articles, I will go for the throat and jump to the DMCA letter to Google, to get the offender's entire site removed from Google. LOL



    Frankly, it depends on the person and how they appear to be doing things. If I consider them to have a website with traffic, I let it go, so long as they have my resource box in place with live links.

    If they are a gross offender, I will attempt to sever their money supply.



    p.s. 80% will apologize profusely and fix the problem, if you contact them directly.
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    • Profile picture of the author Cade21
      TPW,
      Thank you for the detailed reply. I've never had to go the DMCA route because everything involved ClickBank products and I could hurt them best by getting their accounts trashed.

      However, that takes some time. I would think a guy with your kind of output would be spending a lot of hours just being vigilant, and following up. How could you get anything done?

      I still do not understand how guys can rank ahead of me by putting my own stuff on their sites.

      Thanks again.
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      • Profile picture of the author tpw
        Originally Posted by Cade21 View Post

        TPW,
        Thank you for the detailed reply. I've never had to go the DMCA route because everything involved ClickBank products and I could hurt them best by getting their accounts trashed.

        However, that takes some time. I would think a guy with your kind of output would be spending a lot of hours just being vigilant, and following up. How could you get anything done?

        I still do not understand how guys can rank ahead of me by putting my own stuff on their sites.

        Thanks again.

        Google does not rank highest the original author of the content, as you might expect. Being first means nothing in the Google algorithm.

        They rank highest the copy of the article that is on a site with the higher authority value.

        If the copy of your article on your site has more links to it, than anyone who has syndicated your article later, then usually, your copy will rank higher in the search results.

        Again, it comes down to which website has the higher perceived value in the eyes of the Google algorithm.



        If I spent all of my time being over-vigilant about who is swiping my stuff, then I would never get anything else done!!

        As content creators, we have two choices:

        1. Chase the thieves, or

        2. Create more content.

        Truthfully, the thieves cannot keep up with me. I get more links from new content in one week, than I lose to the talentless hacks who feel that the only way they will succeed is to steal my stuff.

        And even when the talentless hacks are swiping my stuff and taking all of my links off of it, they usually leave my name with the content, which still helps me, because people will likely recognize my name in the future, when they are looking at the real thing.
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        Bill Platt, Oklahoma USA, PlattPublishing.com
        Publish Coloring Books for Profit (WSOTD 7-30-2015)
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        • Profile picture of the author myob
          This problem seems to be more specific to article directories and certain types of networks which are prone to attract lazy marketers, impious scrapers, spiraling spinners, nefarious predators, and sundry opportunists.

          Consider this as part of doing business; such behavior is not limited to our profession. In addition to what has already been suggested, you may find part of the solution is to submit your articles directly to relevant ezine publishers, websites, and perhaps only a couple of the top article directories.

          Identifying the sources of such recurring problems and limiting exposure to them is just as important as finding highly valued business partners for targeted syndication. Choose your battles. In some business circles, they just call it "risk management".
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  • Profile picture of the author kea55
    Great post! thanks for the info.
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    • Profile picture of the author Cade21
      Paul Uhl/TPW,
      Excellent points. Thank you for taking the time to provide some insight and depth. I know you both have a hundred other demands pressing on you.
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