I often get asked the following question about the Income Blogging Course:
“Does the course cover auto-blogging?”
And the very simple answer is NO.
Auto-blogging does not fit with our principles or approach to making money via your blog.
Within the course we show you how to find your niche, how to optimize your blog, how to create great unique content, how to build your list, how to get traffic, how to build relationships, how to create products, how to write sales letters, how to outsource…everything that is needed to make money via your blogging on-line business without spending 12 hours a day doing it!
What is auto-blogging?
Auto-blogging is a way that ‘steals’ other peoples content and automatically publishes it on a blog.
I’ve come across many sites that have copied my content without giving any credit back to me via a backlink. They basically pretend the content is there’s and I’ve had a few shut down as a result of some copying all my content.
You can read my story here: I Hate Content Thieves
There is no-way I would recommend such activity and our Income Blogging Course certainly doesn’t cover such an approach.
The Google Clampdown
Why am I telling you this?
Well, Google have recently changed their search algorithm (they always are and this one jumped out and I couldn’t ignore it!).
This is what they said:
“We’re evaluating multiple changes that should help drive spam levels even lower, including one change that primarily affects sites that copy others’ content and sites with low levels of original content.”
Want to read that again?
That to me sounds like Google are targeting these auto-blogs.
It may take a few weeks to take effect but at least Google are doing something about it.
I must admit, when I wrote to Google about the sites copying my content, they took it seriously and removed the sites from their search engines.
Hopefully, more such changes to the Google search algorithm will be forthcoming.
Here’s the link to Matt Cutt’s blog post about the Google search algorithm change:
Do you use auto-blogging?
What are your views on this subject?
Please share your views in the comments below.
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I’ve been scraped many times by autoblogs. I don’t do anything about them and mostly tend to ignore them. I find out primarily through Google alerts keyword searches for my name.
Some of these do give me backlink, but it’s still a copyright violation to take more than a “fair use” portion of my post unless they have my explicit permission to do so.
John,
That’s how I found out that some blogs were copying my posts. But they were copying not just one but hundreds.
I had to take action.
Andrew
Hi Andrew,
Thanks for the heads up. It always surprises me that content thieves think they can get away it.
Great to hear that Google is doing something about it. I’m strongly against auto-blogging.
All the best,
Mavis
Thing is Mavis, there are a lot of blogging courses that go down this route and recommend it!
Andrew
My thoughts? Yay for Google, it’s about damn time.
The auto-blogging garbage goes way beyond the simple scrapers that try to hide in the shadows. As you mentioned to Mavis, there are books and entire courses touting it as the new big thing, and legit for cryin’ out loud.
…and so many get sucked into buying such products.
Peace.
Andrew
I did see ONE recently, which of course I can’t remember now, that supposedly works with backlinks and such in-tact…what do you think?
Dennis,
Personally I would not be that keen.
Andrew
Does that mean it’s still a no no?
Dennis
I just feel there is no long term gain in auto-blogging.
I’m here for the long term…it is my business.
Andrew
Me too man, me too. But the main concern is theft without attribution, right? If there is an auto system that includes links, how is the varying differently from manual?
Hey Andrew,
Of course auto-blogging is not the answer because after a few short years the web would be filled with auto-blogs that would just scrape the content of other blogs that scraped the content of other blogs and so on.
There wouldn’t be any new useful content, everything would be obsolete but available everywhere.
I really hate people who copy others, don’t they know that is always better to be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else
Alex,
I think some people are sucked in by the hype of some of the auto-blogging products you can buy and some are just lazy!
Andrew
I agree and believe real quality content and long term established reputation through original content is key, autoblogging is not for everyone.
Dan,
I love the words you use, ‘long-term’, ‘reputation’ and ‘original content’.
All in one sentence – perfect!
Andrew
woohoo! No more thieves being rewarded on Google!
Autoblogging is quite useless in my opinion. I have not seen an autoblog that receives much traffic nor that has any kind of a page rank.
Curtis,
The one I got shut down recently, was a PR6.
It had been around for years copying many peoples content.
Andrew
I think for any site that takes content from other sites without prior arrangements to do so is asking for trouble. It’s one thing to have a roundup post where you make a best of… article citing other articles, but it doesn’t make a lot of sense to just outright steal the article. The bottom line is that if a blog isn’t adding actual value to the blogosphere, it’s a waste of everyone’s time.
TJ,
Totally agree.
The roundup posts are great when you link to the original content.
Andrew
Andrew,
I COMPLETELY agree with you on this one. Really…it’s just another possible get rich fad, but in the end, those creating great content and services, and getting paid for it, will outlast any of the fads.
Keep on keeping on with the content, and services, and it will happen.
Later,
Brandon
Brandon,
Unfortunately, it still sucks a few people in.
I remember the times when I was!
Andrew
I have been caught up in the hype of some marketers online about all the new content I need to be successful online. I bought into somethings and found myself disappointed. I’m learning by trail and error on how to be successful. I’ve never liked to be a copycat, I’ve always did my won style as a child. So I don’t need to start anything new. But I do need to learn the right way to succeed with my online business. I don’t know how to use back links but willing to learn. I would like to learn how to set up a survey to understand what my clients may need and want. I think I do have something to offer but going about it is something else. But your advise it helpful to me. I will keep up with blog to help me see the light at the end of the tunnel. Thanks for your post.
Claudia
You may wish to visit my most popular post about backlinks:
https://www.webuildyourblog.com/2121/build-backlinks-11-methods/
Andrew
I second that Claudia, that post is a keeper. 🙂
There really is nothing more annoying then auto-blogging and auto-commenting. With as much as the FTC is cracking down on spam, you would think companies would be more careful about such things. If your content is copyrighted, how much trouble can you get an auto-blogger into?
Sam,
By following the DMCA procedures you can get the auto-blogger site shut down.
You may wish to see my post entitled, “I hate content thieves”:
https://www.webuildyourblog.com/4083/hate-content-thieves/
Andrew
Wow, that would be such a relief – to get rid of all those auto-blogs. This is going to be a big step towards a cleaner blogosphere in future.
Totally agree – will take a while but at least it is a start.
Andrew
Hi Andrew.
I want to know more how do you shut down the sutoblogging site?
I also have many people stealing my content (in my other blogs) with their auto blogging.
Thanks in advance from me.
Zezebel
You can see my post here:
https://www.webuildyourblog.com/4083/hate-content-thieves/
That tells you want to do.
Andrew