StatCounter - how rude!

[tony_d]

StatCounter is now being rude and sneaking in anchor-text-links in their tracking code.

Just generated a code for a testing page. Check this out

<!-- Start of StatCounter Code for Default Guide -->
<script type="text/javascript">
var sc_project=11111111; 
var sc_invisible=1; 
var sc_security="111111x1"; 
var scJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ?
"https://secure." : "http://www.");
document.write("<sc"+"ript type='text/javascript' src='" + scJsHost+
"statcounter.com/counter/counter.js'></"+"script>");
</script>
<noscript><div class="statcounter"><a title="[SIZE=4][B]shopify analytics tool[/B][/SIZE]"
href="http://statcounter.com/shopify/" target="_blank"><img
class="statcounter" src="http://c.statcounter.com/1111111/0/111111x0/1/"
alt="[SIZE=4][B]shopify analytics tool[/B][/SIZE]"></a></div></noscript>
<!-- End of StatCounter Code for Default Guide -->

I rather object to that.

Time to look for a new solution - and indeed to look back over our other sites to see what their code contains.

 

[misteryou.]

euh what shopify have to do in this

 

[tony_d]

euh what shopify have to do in this

Well evidently they're trying to rank for that term. And if you search that term, you can see that their efforts have been quite successful so far.

 

[umerjutt00]

I noticed it sometime back. You can remove the statcounter link and it will still work. It is only there in case if the browser don't have javascript enabled. In today's world, I can't imagine there will be any browser without javascript. So remove the noscript part and you will be all good.

 

[tony_d]

I noticed it sometime back. You can remove the statcounter link and it will still work. It is only there in case if the browser don't have javascript enabled. In today's world, I can't imagine there will be any browser without javascript. So remove the noscript part and you will be all good.

Yeah, removed it already.

I just object to their tactic.

 

[umerjutt00]

They also give different anchors based on platform. Like I installed it on a blogger blog and for that, the anchor is "blogspot analytics". They are #1 for that.

I installed it on a html site and for that the anchor was "web analytics".... Why the big guy always get away with anything they want

 

[Hawkster]

oh wow.......off to check mine.

Noob question: Is it possible to manipulate the code so it benefits us in the same way?

Edit:

alt="shopify analytics ecommerce
tracking">

:10:

 

[tony_d]

They also give different anchors based on platform. Like I installed it on a blogger blog and for that, the anchor is "blogspot analytics". They are #1 for that.

I installed it on a html site and for that the anchor was "web analytics".... Why the big guy always get away with anything they want

Speaking of 'the big guys' doing it - GoDaddy does it too.

http://www.viperchill.com/blog-network/

 

[tony_d]

oh wow.......off to check mine.

Noob question: Is it possible to manipulate the code so it benefits us in the same way?

Only if you could manipulate ALL their installed codes... but you can only manipulate yours. So it would just be a messy way of linking to yourself.

 

[west555]

Only if you could manipulate ALL their installed codes... but you can only manipulate yours. So it would just be a messy way of linking to yourself.

So you think us "Small guys" wouldn't get penalized even if we managed to manipulate it ?

 

[tony_d]

So you think us "Small guys" wouldn't get penalized even if we managed to manipulate it ?

Negative - I think you missed the point. My point simply was that you'll only get one link for yourself - whilst statcounter gets hundreds of thousands, probably millions - one per website where that dirty code is installed. Therefore, their benefit will be greater than yours, if you link to yourself.

 

[Walt Heisenberg Jr]

Yeah I realized they were doing this for another keyword a while back.

I found this article rather useful (NOT my site): http://www.secretblackhat.com/2014/09/remove-hidden-statcounter-links.html

 

[BassTrackerBoats]

[6:57:28 AM] Me: Please check the Statcounter code on XYZ Site - http://www.blackhatworld.com/blackhat-seo/black-hat-seo/719858-statcounter-how-rude.html

Looks like we are being blackhatted

[6:58:21 AM] Partner: or i can change the anchor text to "non politically correct KW phrase"
[6:58:35 AM] Me: Ahh, slick!
[6:58:38 AM] Partner: we can get everyone on BHW to do it
[6:58:46 AM] Partner: get them slapped
[6:58:47 AM] Me: Or change it to buy viagra
[6:59:18 AM] Partner: their growth killing their rankings - irony

 

[divok]

[6:57:28 AM] Me: Please check the Statcounter code on XYZ Site - http://www.blackhatworld.com/blackhat-seo/black-hat-seo/719858-statcounter-how-rude.html

Looks like we are being blackhatted

[6:58:21 AM] Partner: or i can change the anchor text to "non politically correct KW phrase"
[6:58:35 AM] Me: Ahh, slick!
[6:58:38 AM] Partner: we can get everyone on BHW to do it
[6:58:46 AM] Partner: get them slapped
[6:58:47 AM] Me: Or change it to buy viagra
[6:59:18 AM] Partner: their growth killing their rankings - irony

woudn't that hurt the website too.

 

[Baraba]

StatCounter is stealing link juice and inserting anchor-text-links since day one. That's how they got very high rank since ages. I removed their shitty tracker 6 years ago and use only my webhost analytics, which are even better than what they offer. Never looked back. And now they even embed JavaScript, for unaware "webmasters".

 

[BassTrackerBoats]

woudn't that hurt the website too.

I'm sure it would not be positive and we would not really do it; it was just funny little convo I had with my friend/biz partner. Plus, it would take a huge collective effort to do anything to hurt them and I don't see that happening and, really, do we want to hurt an entity that is giving us a free service?

It was just a little humor and I would not recommend anyone really do that.

 

[mktanny]

This works fine for me

<img class="statcounter" src="http://c.statcounter.com/1111111/0/111111x0/1/">

Besides it is a free service (no a non-profit) , they wont be able to keep up if they did not make money somehow

 

[west555]

Negative - I think you missed the point. My point simply was that you'll only get one link for yourself - whilst statcounter gets hundreds of thousands, probably millions - one per website where that dirty code is installed. Therefore, their benefit will be greater than yours, if you link to yourself.

No I think I got the point as I didnt ment on manipulating on my own site
I was reffering to a possibility that some unknown guy manage to manipulate tons of sites he would be punished as he doesn't have their reputation or w.e. to get Google turn it's back and ignore instead of penalizing it?

 

[davids355]

To be fair, this just confirms to me that they are one of us, so I most definitely will continue to use their services!

I think if you have a paid version you can chose not to include a link, but not in the free version.

 

[chaabanov]

Many WP themes and plugins practice that to get backlinks, it's not big deal, I'd still use them