Auto Blogging Is Auto Stealing

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Auto Blogging has been around for a few years.

There are many different models of auto blogging. And there have been products selling blog and ping programs for years.

And it's been a game of cat and mouse with Google.

I remember one of the first products found content based on a keyword, posted it to your blog, and then pinged your blog.

It ran constantly and these blogs rose to the top of the search engines overnight.

Then these auto-post blogs were discovered and banned.

There are now a number of auto-blog products out there that go out and scrape content and post them to WordPress.

They work really well. They can get great rankings dependent on your keywords but here are the problems as I see it:

1. Many of them scrape content without attribution. This is stealing.

2. Google is aware of the scraping of content and is currently building a new model that will exclude sites built on this model.

Of course it's easier to scrape content than create your own.

There just has to be a better way.

Harlan
#main internet marketing discussion forum #auto #blogging #stealing

  • I have noted the problems faced by you. But in SEO we all need auto blogging as you know it very well. Everything has both right and wrong sides. which one we will accept that is should be our concern.

    Thats all
    • [3] replies
    • Really??? Seriously?? I can't believe you said that LOL we "need" autoblogging in SEO? Hmmmm interesting. I am going to have to take the NO Chuck for the daily double....afraid you are in Jeopardy for that one sir
    • ??? Can someone explain to me why we need autoblogging in SEO? Must have missed that part...

      As long as the attribution is done correctly (which is something that many, many autobloggers actually take the time to do), I don't have an issue with it. If I put content out there for syndication (in article directories, etc), why shouldn't someone use it?

      But really, I don't spend a lot of time worrying about people scraping my content via autoblogs. Only so much time in a day, and so many other things to do!
    • We don't need it the way it's done now, do we?

      Because I need the SEO it's okay to steal?

      I know you don't mean that.

      What do you mean?
  • Hi Harlan,

    We both know there is a better way than scraping sites.
    It called outsourcing.

    It may cost us monetarily but when the G Hammer comes down guess who's sites
    will still be there and rising in the serps?

    Have a Great Day!
    Michael
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  • It may have been that way at one time but things change with the times and autoblogging is no different.



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    • Sir could you share some examples where auto blogging and taking others content isn't stealing? I think though not 100% sure that is what Harlan is referring to.

      But hey I am not so smart that I can't learn something new (laughing). Because every time I have seen those autoblogs they were snatching content not in a article marketing way but from the RSS and using them on their blog with no original content.

      But again respectfully I am open to learn your concept on auto blogging because I know I don't know everything. I look forward to your reply
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    • If you show me auto blogs that don't scrape and steal, I'll be happy to revisit the topic.
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  • I was about to start my blogging life with Autoblogging. I was told that it's more or less stealing someone's wealth and I personally didn't like it
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  • I also have to disagree with you on this one. I see auto blogging, as a technological solution, neither good or bad. How people implement and use it is another matter. Some people use it, as you have explained, to scrape content without attribution or permission etc. That model has probably emerged as the "definition" of auto blogging.

    But others are using auto blogging to scale distribution of their content and to do so cost-effectively. If I have 50 websites I want to post content to weekly, what are some of my options - do it myself manually, pay someone to do it manually or automate it with auto blogging.

    Sounds a lot like an email autoresponder.

    If you meant scraping other people's content for auto blogging is auto stealing I will be more inclined to agree with that.
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    • That's exactly what I meant.
    • I agree with SEO2go. A lot of times it is about efficiency. However, if you're abusing the technology we have and stealing copyrighted material, then I would have to agree with Harlen.
  • Not all autoblogs steal content.

    Some get the content from sources that actually want you to use the content.

    For example, article directories, youtube, amazon products....

    I'm not talking about the autobloggers that remove the links from the articles etc... Not all autoblogs do that, some take the article from the article directory with resource box intact and put it on their site.

    You can use autoblogging software (depending on the software I guess) to simply automate the things you would do manually.

    Lee
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    • I'm talking about the software the scrapes peoples' blogs and uses their content without attribution.

      It's widespread today thanks to automation.
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    • Hi,

      Do you have anymore examples? I used to just post affiliate feeds, but that was a few years ago and the model stopped working.
      • [1] reply
  • @Rsberg
    @seo2go

    Guys respectfully you should reread his post. I actually had to relook at it also LOL
    Harlan is referring to the Scraping" he detailed that in his first post. So no need to be offended as he was specific.
    • [2] replies
    • Are you sure about that...see his reply to my post below...

      By the sound of this he is including ALL autoblogging tactics and approaches. Like I said, people shouldn't assume the worst and use blanket terms when describing things...especially in the IM world, not all marketers do things that way.
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    • By technical definition, "scraping" is the process of automatically collecting Web information. I do have an autoblog that scrapes content from articles directories - including the author's resource box - via a wp plugin.

      This isn't a matter of whether one is offended or not....it is the syntax by which Harlan has cleverly structured his post that has put more weight in autoblogging as something that is unethical or illegal ( the fact that he later mentioned 'Many of them scrape content without attribution )

      And as for autoblogs that scrape content without attribution, it's not stealing. It's infringing copyrights.( as posted by Letsgoviral)
  • Harlan:

    Do you consider using PLR stealing? I realize some blogging sites (like Blogger) might take issue with it, but if it's given away, I can't see where it's stealing.
    • [1] reply
    • I'm not a PLR fan by any means. I have nothing against it per-se.

      It's never fit into any business model I've ever had.
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  • As you have them on the phone, could you ask them to boost my sites up the results a bit.

    When have Google not been looking to improve their results or improve their algorithms.

    Google are a very large company, and this means that when they say something, it is far more likely that they do so for commercial reasons than to provide fair warning to people they supposedly view as the enemy.

    "We are working harder for you." is the gist of their latest PR campaign. Well I don't know of a single large corporate entity that hasn't found a way to reassure investors the same thing. It is just spun into the relevant terminology of the company's target market.

    Edit: I just thought I'd add that I don't mind auto-blogs that provide attribution. The others are illegal in most countries.
  • I sell one of the most efficient and respected autoblogging systems available, and I agree on one detailed point of the OP. Not crediting your source when working with other blogger's RSS feed content theft, and although I don't judge my customers, it's depreciated when I see it (But I see it rarer, than you would expect!).

    That being said, re-syndication and crediting sources is typically good for everyone, even if the sourced writer doesn't agree. For those cases a ceast and desist is appropriate and even polite.
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    • Why not just ask the source first?
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  • Yes, Google is targeting autoblogging. But Google is essentially a giant scraper themselves. So there you go.
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  • it's like that train wreck mentality. I knew what was going to be in here - but I just had to "click" anyway.

    More sweeping generalizations from someone who has probably had his search rankings thwarted by, "gasp" - an autoblog.

    btw - I don't even know HOW to use rss feeds to pull content into my autoblogs. all of my content is pulled from sources where users have given their permission for syndication (whether they choose to read the fine print or not).
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  • Google is the biggest thief of them all. All google DOES is steal other people's content. They do it with their spiders and add it to their databases. They just steal on such a large scale that everyone wants to play ball with them.

    I've always found it hypocritical for Google to admonish anyone about duplicate content because they built their empire on stealing, i mean indexing, other people's content, traffic and data and then using it for their own gain.
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    • Welcome to life. Google like many other big companies and also like the Government play by a whole new set of rules. As long as people need them they can do what they like.
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  • Syndication is a big part of the net. Google syndicates more content than anyone else on the planet.
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    • Im not a fan of autoblogging personally, but if you can make serious dough from it, then i wouldnt worry about others' content, its blackhat after all.
  • If the articles are re-worded in the process then it's not stealing it's just re-creating basically.
  • Oh my lord I have never read such bull crap in all my life....

    Autoblogging is not bad the principles are ethical, someone submits an article to a directory which then has the right to distribute that article as they please, providing that you follow the terms and conditions of the article directory.... if you cant see how this is beneficial to the creator I would seriously reconsider what you appear to do online...

    Autoblogging works very well when done correctly! When you link back to the original article you are benefiting the creator!! I have had emails from owners of the articles that apparently you think are stolen thanking me for the traffic I drive to there site... yes there are people that go to teh extreme and dont link back etc but with everything you get good cops and bad cops....

    I dont get why you even started this thread or is it just a bit of an ego trip? Maybe as it has been mentioned before you have a product coming out?

    Either which way I would look at the facts before you start gobbing off about something you clearly know nothing about...

    Am I worried what google is doing? Nope because i create content rich targetted sites that give teh user exactly what they are searching for and that is the whole point of the google search engine.

    Danny
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    • I'm glad I learned about the ignore list. Some one says I have a product coming out and that makes it true?
  • umm... I know a little about autoblogging
    let me lay down some fact for you people who like to spout nonsense

    1 - some tools allow you to take content from article directories or APIs... some directories let you do this, some dont, some tools remove the authors links, some dont. so basically your statement "autobloggin is stealing..." would be akinned to "having sex is rape" meaning that there are many different ways to do what you call "autoblogging" both with and without permission. As for nicking RSS feeds, I have never done this.... so no idea.

    2 - The most PROFITABLE method of "autoblogging" that people use doesn't even use "scraped" content, but just pull hundreds of affiliate feeds from product vendors and actually use that as the content.

    Most people that think that "scraped content" is how you make REAL money in autobloggin have never actaully made real money I suspect. The REAL money comes through hundreds of thousands of affiliate feeds getting indexed as content and getting direct hit searches to your site and then off to the product vendor

    That is all.

    -Greg (OG)
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    • I wouldn't mind finding out a bit more about this method. Are there any decent resources you can point to?
    • I can't argue with that!

      That reminds me to login to my Mage now
  • You can only earn small bucks from auto-blogging. This should be the last choice that you can try.
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    • Hmmmmmm

      I guess thats probably true for some people but several I know (myself included) would say otherwise.
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    • Wow I think that statement should read I have only made small bucks from autoblogging!!!

      I make good money and I dont have many autoblogs!!!

      yeah..... whatever lots of people recon that selling 3 wso's a week here is a fantastic business model!! ...lol

      Danny
  • Why is this still here if so many people don't like it?

    Report it.

    And yes, I would bet someone is coming out w/ a launch for autoblog content. Could be Kern as he is emailing again and building momentum for a launch.

    -g
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    • Kern is helping his cousin Trey Smith launch a product about creating software.

      It's obviously connected to my post....
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  • I guess it's the end of auto blogging.

    Sooner or later Google can figure out ...
  • "Auto Blogging Is Auto Stealing"

    Harlan, you're absolutely right......

    People, who don't have enough creativity to do something new and own, steal other people's efforts and make profits. And, best robbers (only if cap correct, you can put) emblazoning that "autoblogging is great...Wow! It really works!! As I believe, a shameless business model to continue..........

    (I know my reply is tough, consider it's my opinion)
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    • If your content is actually being scraped from your site without your permission then thats one thing and you can always follow through with the appropriate measures to stop it and penalize the responsible party. In this example I completely agree and wish there were a way to finally stop this type of marketing once and for all...which I doubt this latest Google change will do.

      However, if your complaining about your articles being used from places like Ezine...then don't post them there as it clearly states in their TOS that your articles can and most likely will be replublished elsewhere. Now, having said that...on the RARE occasion that I have been contacted by an author and been asked to remove his article from one of my sites (I think it has happend twice in 3+ years) I quickly removed it and everyone was happy once again.

      Throwing stones at other methods of IM and those that use them simply because you don't agree with them (when they are perfectly legal and ethical) only draws more attention to your own lack of charecter and respect for others.
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  • I would opt for outsourcing some fresh original content. That way its still easy and you're not stepping on anyone's toes. It is a real win-win situation.
  • No, it's not stealing. It's infringing copyrights.
  • Hmmm...Please site your source.

    If that's true then Google is in violation of thier own TOS.
  • another sweeping and very naive statement. If I had a dollar for every one that was in this thread, I wouldn't need to build anymore autoblogs.
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    • Sweeping comments on both sides of the AB camps.


      This thread is now officially a train wreck with insults now flying around. I vote (by reporting it) to lock this bad boy out since now folks are just going round and round arguing the same points. Neither side is going to convince the other to their point of view.
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  • Regarding - "If attribution in the form of link back to the source automatically give you right to syndicate someone else's content"... Think about Google for a second...
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