Loading ...No site owner is immune to the daily siren call of their site’s ranking. A lot of site owners have to consciously restrain themselves from looking in on their position several times a day. This tendency has led to a number of tools being developed for automatic ranking checks.
This kind of software was built to save site owners time when checking in on the effectiveness of their search engine optimisation. The time you save, however, comes with a nasty side-effect. Google does not approve of automatic ranking checkers, and if one is linked with your site you could be penalised.
The official stand
Google has stated that any site repeatedly accessing rankings using automated software will end up with a penalty. Usually, the search engine giant wanders around an issue for a while before making such a bland proclamation, but on this issue they’ve been pretty clear. Use of automatic rank checking software is against the terms of service for Google’s API. If you get caught out, you’re going to suffer the consequences.
The thing to note is that it is only repeated automatic checks that Google objects to. If you’re just testing out a system, you’re unlikely to be affected.
Why does Google care?
It’s a reasonable question to ask why Google would care about such a little thing. After all, site owners can access their ranking at any time manually. Why is an automatic system so offensive?
It is thought that the number of queries on a particular keyword has an impact on a site’s ranking. If this is true, Google’s position on automatic rankings checks becomes a little clearer. This kind of automated system could conceivably boost a site’s ranking even as it’s checking it, although it’s still a bit of a stretch. Not enough is known about Google’s assessment system to confirm this suspicion.
The concrete reason Google provides for its rules on automatic rankings checkers is that they make use of patented software. This is a fairly flimsy excuse. After all, Google has no apparent objection to the search engine optimisation industry using the search engine itself to research keywords. The company is also generous in the access and advice it provides to webmasters.
Another suggestion has been that automatic ranking checks simply put too much of a load on Google’s system. If the search engine is inundated with traffic from this kind of software, it leaves the search engine vulnerable to overloading. With the popularity of Google, this is a little hard to believe.
The main thing to keep in mind, as with most of Google’s rules on SEO, is that you should avoid it simply because Google says so. This is usually the best path to take. It’s a good idea to consult a professional if you have any doubts about the SEO process, and you can talk to our consultants at SEO Consult Australia about this and other search engine optimisation questions. Going against the rules is simply not worth it.
No related posts.
Tags: Google, Keywords, rankings, Search Engine Optimisation, SEO
Link to us
If you want to link to this blog, copy and paste the following HTML code to your website.
