Some blogs are obviously splogs, but others are a bit harder to spot. Here are a few quick thoughts that should run through your head before linking or subscribing to a blog:
Is the layout lame?
More often than not sploggers will choose to use default layouts for their sites. I’d be wary if a blog you are visiting uses the default Kubrick theme for WordPress or an unmodified Blogger theme.
Wait, that’s my footer!
You can add some really neat things into your post’s footers for your RSS feed via FeedBurner. I think Nusuni.com is set to show a Digg-This link, add to del.icio.us, and a comment count link. Splogs will almost always pick up those extra things as well as the content, so the second I see them on some posts and not on others I know I’m dealing with a splog.
Nude chicks and SEO tips? This is my kinda site!
I recently had to deal with some splog that had stolen a article that had the word “Nude” in it once, and it added it to a page called nude.html with a bunch of porn as well. Needless to say seeing SEO articles on a page called nude.html is a bit iffy, wouldn’t you agree?
A bit too much Adsense…
The second I see more than 2 adsense blocks when I first open a page is the second I leave the site. Adsense should be spread out for best results, but sploggers toss them in one big pile.
Free-Mosothelioma-Information-Viagra-Vioxx-Porn-Warez-Info.biz
Although many keyword domains are owned by legit affiliate marketers, most (especially .info and .biz) are owned by sploggers. Some people don’t seem to understand domains like “free-viagra.biz” or “buy-mesothelioma-now.info” are something a spammer would use.
RSS Feed
A true blog will have an easy-to-find RSS feed. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but splogs almost never have them. Why? Current RSS advertising solutions suck - so they want people to always visit their splog.
Check The Comments… Not!
Oh wait, you can’t. Most non-Blogger splogs don’t allow them. And despite the fact something like 70% of blogger blogs are splogs, most splogs are not blogger blogs (try saying that 5 times fast).
Please subscribe, or else I will cry. Do you really want to make a programmer cry?
August 12th, 2007 at 8:32 am
blogger blogs are splogs, most splogs are not blogger blogs
This is nice.
August 12th, 2007 at 10:33 am
One of those things I came up with after a long day of pulling up old carpet - I think breathing in the dust had something to do with that bit of genius.
August 12th, 2007 at 11:26 am
BTW this post looks like a nice “Pimp your stinking spam” how-to article
August 12th, 2007 at 1:10 pm
That thought crossed my mind while posting it, but even if they did some of the things other things (like posting an RSS feed) will never happen. Let alone, sploggers tend to create hundreds of splogs a day, so I doubt they are ready to start making new layouts all the time either.