Below are the most recent 30 comments. I try to keep it clean of comment spam, but some times things
get through and it takes me several hours to get to it. So please excuse any of that comment spam.
I have at the moment blocked all visitors without a referer and that has reduced visitors from 50,000 to 6,000. Some real visitors may get caught out, if fact I had a complaint that she was blocked. My revenue hasn't been hurt that much. Some agents slip through as they send Google as the referer but there's nothing I can do.
LMAO, you're quite right! Furthermore, what I don't understand is why once a badge is received/milestone achieved, why isn't it reset for the next month or quarter, etc.? Who cares if I achieved something on a website in 2022? The algo has changed multiple times since then, and so has the SEO strategy.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3e708b0a6d4df243d2dc752104c60891383a045b7f62db277eca5b308fc86bf4.jpg
It's all rigged so the majority of people get priced out to end up owning nothing. They want everyone renting everything from gov't and their big tech buttlovers they're in bed with, so the sheeple are dependent on them for life.
Yeah... I agree... but I really like the porch pirates videos where the package blows up in their face or in their car or knocks them onto their ass or covers them in shit... makes me feel like I am getting revenge on the people who steal our packages. I binge watch them.
Just as you dismissed my opinion as a conspiracy theory, I too shall dismiss your opinion as oblivious. If Google can get away with stealing intellectual property on a global scale, which they largely have, then there's nothing to stop them from using their dominance to cause more harm.
It's unfortunately happening everywhere. It's common for Google to use subsidiaries and other methods to conceal their identity as they seek approval to build these datacenters and get huge tax breaks.
In my state there is a grass roots effort to amend the state constitution to abolish property taxes entirely, which they hope to have on the November ballot. These subsidies, including $2.3 billion in subsidies to Intel, have shifted the financial burden of funding basic services onto homeowners. Some describe their high property taxes as predatory taxation because they're so high. Meanwhile the state/counties/cities continue to hand out property abatements/subsidies to Google. I can't speak for others, but I have no problem writing these counties and letting them know how I feel.
Saw this article today, after we were just talking about this shit yesterday.
<a href="https://www.startribune.com/google-is-behind-northeast-minnesota-data-center-thats-been-cloaked-in-secrecy/601591408">https://www.startribune.com/google-is-behind-northeast-minnesota-data-center-thats-been-cloaked-in-secrecy/601591408
</a>
Google scumbags played their usual political fuckery sleaze tactics to get another tax break too:
<blockquote>Last week, Google announced a data center in Pine Island, Minn., near Rochester. It spent a year lobbying behind the scenes to influence state tax breaks and data center regulations. </blockquote>
From a legality standpoint, I would imagine this will be a feature for only Google Ads. I do not believe they can represent your business without your consent in a way of 'pretending' to be you.
I could very well be wrong, but my gut is telling me this screaming Google Ads, not traditional search or AI Overview navigational links.
Considering the rampant bot activity, I'm sure many site owners thought these visits were part of some AI scraping botnet and just banned the IP addresses. Just more sloppiness from a company that has its head stuck up its ass.
<blockquote>That's too far-fetched a conspiracy theory.</blockquote>Just LOL. Wish I saw this story sooner. How many more antitrust lawsuits must Google lose, and fines Google is forced to pay, before it becomes common knowledge that Google has conspired to commit economic crimes against humanity? You think there is no low this corporate criminal Google won't go?
Google creates the pages and can do anything they like with them. How many pages does Google create that don't have ads on them? But with the Universal Commerce Protocol, Google could create product pages with higher prices on them or charge a fee like Amazon's "Buy for Me" feature to boost their own profits at the expense of consumers and sellers.
No author/publisher I know of, including those of us selling products, would ever say this is "much ado about nothing" after how Google stole our content for their AI. Every author/publisher I know of doesn't want their work butchered up by some monopoly to feed their greed. So when you call something a conspiracy theory that involves Google, just remember the Google Crime Syndicate only does things that benefit themselves at everyone else's expense.
Previously shared that this update has impacted multiple channels, our paid search channels (googleads) stopped performing around mid Feb, this is despite having record days in the first half of Feb. As soon as the update had finished performance picked up on Friday - Sunday, but has now completely stopped across all channels again. Anyone else seeing this?
I write some of the most detailed and accurate product pages in my industry. I don't allow anyone to serve as an affiliate because they will be making content in their own words - which will not be as well informed and accurate as what I would write.
Poorly worded product descriptions result in more returns, lower sales, more questions, etc. So, I would not want Google or anyone rewriting my content - even if they are going to refer every sale to me. I believe that this is beyond infringement.
There is no reason to believe Google is going to replace Websites with AI-generated landing pages. That's too far-fetched a conspiracy theory. They do already have landing pages for the business directory. Maybe they could do something with AI for that, but it would require a different process (new patent). The current patent is no big deal. That said, I and a few other people have projected that Google will unleash havoc at their next big event in a few weeks - but I don't think it has anything to do with this.
For sure with what Amazon has done to physical retail businesses.
Yeah, it's sad seeing the shells of those classic stores and then later the usual parasite shit stores that always seem to take over those buildings. Then every time you drive past that familiar building, it feels wrong like you're looking at a zombie that took over the body of a person you once knew.
Agree but also...
And what Amazon done to businesses from the past.
Where I live is a giant Toys 'R' Us, its been empty since they went bankrupt. Memories...
In February, we also saw a significant dip in our overall traffic numbers compared to Jan., specifically in referral traffic. It seems to correlate with the Discover update on Feb. 5th but now I'm thinking it's definitely the Google Search ranking volatility. Stories that would usually do really well for us (our bread and butter) saw almost nothing in Feb.
This looks just like what Google has done to most businesses online today.
<a href="https://x.com/Milajoy/status/2028354863256781218">https://x.com/Milajoy/status/2028354863256781218</a>
In February, we also saw a significant dip in our overall traffic numbers compared to Jan., specifically in referral traffic. It seems to correlate with the Discover update on Feb. 5th but also possibly the Google Search ranking volatility.
Starts with shopping then spreads elsewhere to give Google more control over the user. Now imagine Google injecting ads into those AI generated pages without the author's permission. Replicate this globally outside of shopping and Google could more than double their ad revenue without sharing a dime with publishers.
I wouldn't blow this off as no big deal because it's a very slippery slope.
I think they got paid to show the socials. Bad strategic move, they messing up their ad business. Ads will just go to socials now. Also I want to say 2 million views on social yesterday... I made $0.86 cent they are not paying creators over on socials either. Everyone moaning, lot's of big competitors of mine stopped posting in Dec due to no revenue.