19 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}
19 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}

Do Rank Checking Tools Hurt Your Rankings?

by digitalproductreporter
16 replies
  • SEO
    • |
I use the seobook rank checker.

I've noticed that might sites NOT being checked by that tool seem to do better and have a more consistent time in google's top 10.

Coincidence?

Does checking your rank once per day or multiple times per day hurt your rankings?

Anyone else superstitious about this or have real data?
#checking #hurt #rank #rankings #tools
  • Profile picture of the author mark587905
    no they dont.
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2802327].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author patmiller27
    No I don't think so..

    If it was the case i would check my competitor's rank 100 times a day.
    Signature
    Start Sociotizing On Sociota.Net
    Social Media Monitoring, Management & Marketing
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2802356].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Clyde
    NO.

    10charistooshort.
    Signature

    Generate Unlimited Number of Micro Niche Keywords, Multi-threaded EMD Finder PLUS More!



    50% OFF WSO.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2802382].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author digitalproductreporter
    wow so far everyone disagrees, HOWEVER it's even against the google webmaster guidelines:

    Webmaster Guidelines - Webmaster Tools Help

    Don't use unauthorized computer programs to submit pages, check rankings, etc. Such programs consume computing resources and violate our Terms of Service.
    Signature


    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2806702].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author cbpayne
    It might be against Google's webmasters guidelines, but how do they know its you checking your site and not your competitors? Which site should they ban?

    The worst that will happen (and does happen) is that Google will block your IP from making search queries.
    Signature
    LookAfterWP - Protection, Maintenance and Performance
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2807115].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author digitalproductreporter
      Originally Posted by cbpayne View Post

      It might be against Google's webmasters guidelines, but how do they know its you checking your site and not your competitors? Which site should they ban?

      The worst that will happen (and does happen) is that Google will block your IP from making search queries.
      The worst that will happen is google will drop your rankings.

      I don't know how they know who is checking the site, I just know it's against their guidelines and they say they don't like it.

      For all of you thinking about competitor conspiracy theories:

      Buy a paid link to one of your competitors, report them as a paid link to google, and then get them booted. How does google know that you paid for the link to them?
      Signature


      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2807862].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author cbpayne
        Originally Posted by digitalproductreporter View Post

        The worst that will happen is google will drop your rankings.
        So are you saying that I should start checking my competitors sites to get then tanked? Do you know anyone who has had a site penalized for doing this? Don't you think the the SEO forums would be fill of people who got banned for doing this - ever wonder why no ones complains about it? ... could it be because it does not happen?
        Buy a paid link to one of your competitors, report them as a paid link to google, and then get them booted. How does google know that you paid for the link to them?
        Ever wonder why Google tends not penalize sites that buy links? They only tend to penalize the sites doing teh selling for that very reason.
        Signature
        LookAfterWP - Protection, Maintenance and Performance
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2807888].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Peter Gregory
        Originally Posted by digitalproductreporter View Post

        Buy a paid link to one of your competitors, report them as a paid link to google, and then get them booted. How does google know that you paid for the link to them?
        The worst they would do is devalue the link not ban the site. It is not uncommon, however, for them to ban the site that sold the link.

        Now as for your original question I assure you the answer is no as has been mentioned several times above.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2807904].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author digitalproductreporter
    The worst they would do is devalue the link not ban the site. It is not uncommon, however, for them to ban the site that sold the link.
    Ever wonder why Google tends not penalize sites that buy links? They only tend to penalize the sites doing teh selling for that very reason.
    Cmon ya'll, both those statements are false. There are a bunch of stories on the net about google penalizing the site that buys the links. Here's an interesting one:

    How Buying Links Cost A Flower Vendor $4 Million In Google Traffic
    Signature


    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2808102].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author cbpayne
      Originally Posted by digitalproductreporter View Post

      Cmon ya'll, both those statements are false. There are a bunch of stories on the net about google penalizing the site that buys the links. Here's an interesting one:

      How Buying Links Cost A Flower Vendor $4 Million In Google Traffic
      How do you know they were penalized for the link buying? That was late 2008 and Google was handing out a lot of penalities around that time for a lot of things. They had 2 SEO firms working for them, so who knows what they wee up to?

      You have obviously made your mind up on this ... me, I prefer not to wear a tin foil hat.
      Signature
      LookAfterWP - Protection, Maintenance and Performance
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2808142].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author digitalproductreporter
        Originally Posted by cbpayne View Post

        How do you know they were penalized for the link buying? That was late 2008 and Google was handing out a lot of penalities around that time for a lot of things. They had 2 SEO firms working for them, so who knows what they wee up to?

        You have obviously made your mind up on this ... me, I prefer not to wear a tin foil hat.
        how bout this then

        Buying Links Can Get Your Site Penalized

        anyway that's getting off topic.

        I'm not wearing a tin foil hat. It's in the webmaster guidelines.
        Signature


        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2808165].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Peter Gregory
          Originally Posted by digitalproductreporter View Post

          Cmon ya'll, both those statements are false. There are a bunch of stories on the net about google penalizing the site that buys the links. Here's an interesting one:

          How Buying Links Cost A Flower Vendor $4 Million In Google Traffic
          Originally Posted by digitalproductreporter View Post

          how bout this then

          Buying Links Can Get Your Site Penalized

          anyway that's getting off topic.

          I'm not wearing a tin foil hat. It's in the webmaster guidelines.
          Just so we don't get to off topic from the original question I will just say that you're right buying links is evil and will get your site banned because google says so

          For the record I do think there may be some times where google will look at link patterns and figure that into specific penalties, but in general links coming into your site will not hurt so I feel comfortable making blanket statements saying inbound links can't hurt you. The question is whether they will help you and more likely just wasting your time and money obtaining them if you aren't doing it right.

          but as far as your original question checking your rankings using a tool or doing it manually for that matter is as far from potential link building hazards as the Dallas Cowboys are from the playoffs this year. There is no way checking rankings could hurt you. Those types of things definitely help to skew keyword tool numbers and such but it's ridiculous to think they would effect your rankings. Besides how would they know which site to penalize based on the search. #1, #5, #10, #30???
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2811351].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Lxman
            I also used to think so :p when I was new to SEO, but no, it does not affect anymore to GPR.
            Signature
            bodHOST - Cheap Web Hosting Services | Linux VPS Hosting - Cheap Linux VPS Hosting Services with 24 x 7 support and 30 Day Money-back Guarantee.
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2811436].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author shulink
    It is just coincidence. Checking doesn't hurt your rankings. Google has sophisticated algorithm to rank sites base on backlinks and a lot other factors.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2808271].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author webspider20
    No, there isn't a coincidence, i think that is just you
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2808688].message }}

Trending Topics