What is the issue with content farming websites?

  • Thread starter BenVitale
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In summary: Content farms" websites are websites that produce large amounts of low-quality, copycat content. Google is working to weaken the search engine ranking of these websites, as this type of content is a major spam problem. This will affect bloggers who rely on Google for traffic, as their traffic will be decreased. Additionally, if Google is successful in this effort, it could lead to the deletion of a large number of these websites from the search engine results.
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  • #2


If Google can find a way to filter out 100 hits to 100 copies of the exact same piece of information, and just give me ONE hit on the original source, please can I have it implemented by yesterday!

If it zaps all the hits to a few million blogs that have no original content, well, that's just tough on the people who cut-and-pasted them.
 
  • #3


I agree with AlephZero.

I'd also add there are a lot of websites which seem to incorporate your search result - you search for XYZ on Google and it returns a number of results. Within the top few you may note there are some exact hits that look promising. You click them and they end up taking you to a website full of adverts (again all showing what you searched for but leading to a load of unrelated rubbish) and they'll display your search phrase on the page as if showing you what you want. You click on any of these and you end up in god knows where, usually to some illegal site regarding torrents, chock full of malicious software.
 
  • #4


I did some search on this topic, and found

Matt Cutts, head of Google’s anti-spam team, writes:

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/google-search-and-search-engine-spam.html

Last year Google faced a rash of webspam on Chinese domains in its index

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/06/using-data-to-fight-webspam.html

TechCrunch is referring to websites that that post any duplicate content word-for-word

http://techcrunch.com/2011/01/21/go...-were-fixing-that-and-content-farms-are-next/

What about re-posting of material, even if it is sourced? Most bloggers that writes about political/economics/social issues do that. I do that too. Will I get the label of "content farm"? By the way mainstream media does the same.
 
  • #5


Well it's one thing to take quotes and comment on them in a blog, but it's another to copy the entire article over (referenced or not).

By copying the entire article all you are doing duplicating the source material. Highly unnecessary and taking up valuable Google result spots.
 

1. What are content farm websites?

Content farm websites are online platforms that produce large amounts of low-quality, often irrelevant content for the purpose of generating high traffic and ad revenue. They typically use techniques such as keyword stuffing and clickbait titles to attract users, rather than providing valuable and informative content.

2. How do content farms affect search engine rankings?

Content farm websites can negatively impact search engine rankings by flooding the internet with low-quality content. Search engines like Google prioritize high-quality and relevant content, so websites that produce content farm material may be penalized and pushed down in search results.

3. Are all content farms considered unethical?

While the term "content farm" often carries a negative connotation, not all content farms are necessarily unethical. Some websites may produce a large amount of content, but still maintain high standards for quality and relevance. However, many content farms do employ unethical practices and should be avoided.

4. Can content farms be useful for obtaining information?

Content farm websites are generally not considered reliable sources of information. The content produced on these sites is often low-quality and may not be fact-checked or researched thoroughly. It is recommended to seek information from more reputable sources.

5. How can I identify a content farm website?

Some signs that a website may be a content farm include an excessive amount of ads, clickbait titles, and a large quantity of articles or posts that lack depth or originality. You can also research the website's reputation and read reviews from other users to determine if it is a reputable source of information.

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