Wed 21 Apr 2010
Does Google Support Replica Breitling Sites?
Posted by The Breitling Source under Breitling[10] Comments
Sure seems like it. Breitlingsource used to be top 10 on Google search results for the term “Breitling”, which in my opinion makes sense since its the largest english-speaking resource and forum dedicated to Breitling. In the last month or so, I noticed traffic had dropped dramatically to my site and couldn’t figure out why. I finally just searched google, and after two years of being on the front page of search results, I am now displaced because of EIGHT (8) Replica sites that are now the front page of Google for “Breitling”. That means aside from Breitling’s official site (Position 1), and Wikipedia (Position 6), all the other sites are Replica Breitling sales sites!!!
Now I don’t claim to be a specialist at search engine optomization, and I certainly don’t really pay much attention to it, but that is kind of a funky result. Maybe its because most people searching for Breitling are actually looking for Fakes and Replicas, so that’s what Google is giving them?
Here’s a shot of the Google.com results I get:
Now, I think this is a slap in the face of Breitling in general and all Luxury Goods manufacturers to have the Fake and Replica Breitling sites show up higher than the resources that promote the sale and discussion of the real thing… Am I the only one that feels this way??
April 21st, 2010 at 12:49 pm
Sure google does support illegal sites 🙁 We are experiencing the same problem and on top of all these hypocrites @google are blocking our own clips on youtube because their ‘unfailable’ system has detected copyrighted audio. Yeah right, wrong! Totally wrong.
Claiming copyrights being our own takes ages, so the youtubepromotion is expired before it gets online => bye bye google, bye bye youtube. We are boycotting both sites until they are better again.
I feel and manufacturer, importer, trader, retailer, or whatever, should be able to report these false sites to google and have them removed immediately! One easy button should do the trick. ten independant clicks and the site is gone, untill proven a real site, and verified sites cannot be removed/blocked. How easy can it be?
April 21st, 2010 at 1:46 pm
I agree completely with you. Definitely a slap in the face. Besides the insult, how many of these so called replica sites are even legitimate? It’s like walking through China Town and the cops just ignore the folks selling fakes on milk crates.
FWIW, Bing.com displays nearly the opposite results.
April 21st, 2010 at 3:34 pm
I read this blog in Google Reader so I’m subscribed to your RSS feed and at the bottom of each of your posts in your RSS feed is a big graphic ad for Breitling replica watch for $49 from watchesal.com. That could be an issue. The replica sites are probably doing a massive SEO campaign.
April 23rd, 2010 at 4:54 am
I agree with Christopher, it’s a double edged sword. Several of the google adverts that pop-up on Breitlingsource from time to time are for replica sites. Just now, for example, I followed a link that led me to a Rolex Air-King for $108. So, the very same replica sites that are distorting search results are the ones generating AdWords revenues for Breitlingsource.
April 23rd, 2010 at 10:18 am
I’ve been doing SEO works for a major company for few years now. This kind of illegal sites use certain SEO tactics to trick Google Algorithm to get to the organic top quickly, but they also fall fast as soon as people don’t find these sites irrelevance and stop clicking on them over time. Obviously, if people start buying hundreds of watches from these sites, they will stay up until Google decide to remove them for legal reason (they have done that many times in the past). The bottom line is. Content (and honesty) will always the KING.
April 24th, 2010 at 12:39 pm
Frankly, I think your hypocrisy is shameful! Your own website includes links that take you to websites that shamelessly sell fake watches?! And presumably you are paid to host their advertisements?
And what’s more, you clearly tout yourself as an authority on breitling, and watches generally, whereas Google is simply a search engine. Your decision to support the trade in fake watches, and then to have the gall to whinge about google doing roughly the same, is frankly embarrassing.
April 25th, 2010 at 11:49 am
I just tried bing.com and also came up with a load of replica sites. Breitlingsource did not feature on th efirts page 🙁
April 26th, 2010 at 3:14 am
Will, if you’ll step off your soapbox now, I’d like to borrow it for a second.
I actually regularly block watch replica ads from my site, and if I showed you the number of sites in my blocked sites filter with Google ads I think you’d agree that I put a lot of effort into keeping them off the site. Problem is, they come up faster than I can get at them, and sometimes I have to do things like work and make a living that prevent me from spending all day keeping all the sites off the advertisements. You can judge me all want, but the reality is I don’t condone fake watches and I make every reasonable attempt to block them from my sites. Additionally, some ads are geographically targetted so I may never even see them.
Frankly, I think the fact that you have the gall to judge me when you don’t have a clue about what you are talking about to be ignorant and even more shameful.
April 28th, 2010 at 3:32 am
Breitling Source,
I accept entirely what you say, and as such think that it is only right that I offer my apology on the same public platform that I hastily presented my criticism.
I’m afraid that a combination of my passion for watches and my ignorance of the mechanics of maintaining a website led me to reach a conclusion that I thought was obvious, but incorrect nonetheless.
My most sincerely apologies.
April 30th, 2010 at 4:31 am
Will, No problem.. Just wanted to be very clear that I do try to block the replica ads.
Having said that, I have not seen any replica ads on these posts which leads me to believe they are geo-targetted at the moment.