You have been asking whether Domain have been manipulating Business 2 comments..

I think the answer is yes and no… let me explain.

Firstly Lets Deal with the Case for NO

In relation to the “Most Popular Articles” section its pretty hard to think they have artificially boosted the number of comments in posts in previous years knowing that Peter would add the section to a site redesign in 2009. I just dont think they are that forward thinking This section simply shows the posts with the highest number of comments and those posts generated a lot of comments back then…. but there was no “Most Popular Articles” section.

Now the case of YES

I am sure Peter outed a few people/companies after they ignored warnings and continued to hide their connections. Domain employees were caught posting anonymously to the blog ramping domain and praising new initiatives a few years ago. In the back end you get to see the emails people register with and the IP addresses they post from. So when a bunch of people post that have never posted before, all using hotmail and gmail addresses and all coming from IP addresses at fairfax.com.au it is pretty clear whats going on.

Domain was not the only one caught doing it and far more warning were handed out than companies actually named and shamed. Also, there is no way to know if they were company organised campaigns or just one individual. I am sure I heard a confirmation that one major portal sent a message to employees to tell them to stop which inferred that it was not co-ordinated.

People will always try and hide who they are when they know their comments under their name might not get the same impact. I had an incident recently when the publisher of Sold! magazine decided to take a swipe at me and AREB magazine that i had written an article for. Of course he did so anonymously hiding who he was which IMHO made him look like a hypocrite when it was highlighted.

So whilst I think it was impossible for people back in 2007 to try and manipulate total comment stats knowing that would be introduced in 2009, if there were any shady comments (which I have not actually checked but the time period is right) in these posts they would have helped them get to top of that list.

So Yes … and No

Yep – great seo bank – but these links are to the “most popular”.. implying people reading, searching for those topics, regularly and most recently.

Makes you wonder though – domain boffins spending time to ensure they get the most links and brand awareness from B2… but will not put listings on google.maps/realestate.

GREAT STRATEGY!

Again, even more stupid, just look at the most recent update by the CEO of realestate.com.au on his blog.. 22nd July 2008 (era of Simon Baker).. just who is the new realestate.com.au CEO and do they know how to use a computer?

My understanding (as with my own site) is that we archive past newsletters dating back nine years purely for SEO reasons. The more pages attached to a website the greater the SEO – I think from memory we have approximately 1800 pages indexed/archived on our website.

That to me would be answer – as I move back to undercover mode

But seriously, there appears to be no logic what so ever, as to why stories about domain adore, would be so popular. I would guess that more people read that B2 story (if the stats are not manipulated) than actually using that site!

And who wants to read about domain winning an award in 2007?

Who would come to the site and search for that?

Yep – only a domain employee or otherwise associated with domain.

Still, perhaps this is all domain has left in the innovation bucket… driving brand awareness and a trickle of UB’s from B2.

ahh Domain… you have done it again!

I have no involment with B2 other than commenting on blogs. I have been accused of some weird and wonderful happenibgs over the years – and this one is right up there. Oh – to have such power!

This may be the case, but we this is an automated system, it resets at the end of each month. I might get this set to the end of each 7 days.

It seems pretty random though, so I doubt it is being manipulated. We do not include latest articles as it would just double up.

Thanks for your concerns

Peter

I find it incredibly difficult to understand how with all the talk, discussion and contribution lately regarding B2 stories on Google… that articles (way in the past) involving domain are all at the top of ‘most popular searches/content’.

Are Domain that desperate for UB’s and branding?

Robert?

You are our resident domain fan… confess.

Their defense to REA ?? We are now a full service real estate service!!!

Look.. there goes a pig at 10,000 feet!

Why is this account not suspended till its brought into line? Is it because the site was created by Hubonline? Is Hubonline customers being given special treatment? If this site was hosted by Portplus or My Desktop would it still have all its properties on the site by now.

If the rules are no private sellers, and thats what they say is still in place then these breaches have to be removed asap.

Visit their website and make you own mind up. Then contact your REA rep and request answers.

Good points.. As you know there is no animosity by the industry to Domain over their accepting private sellers and the only one to raise the issue relating to Google has been yourself.

So whats the difference… The simple fact that REA promoted so heavily that there will be no private sellers on the portal. Agents took them at their word and want them to uphold that promise. Both Domain and Google have never made those claims so their not backpeddling on any promises.

Nobody likes a welcher…. especially in Australia… and even more so a corporate welcher is often seen as the worst kind because they are welching to clients.

As I have stated, my preference is that REA not display private sellers, but to be fair.. thats my preference for all portals and website.. thats because I am an agent. But if it was to come to pass one day I don’t honestly think it will make that much of a difference. For my mind the biggest issue will be that REA breaks its long held commitment to agents, not so much what that commitment actually entails. . You can expect many many agents to be upset with that.

Is it ok for Google and domain.com.au to do this but not realestate.com.au?

Should be an interesting point of discussion.

Check out our thoughts on Google entering the market over at http://www.propertyportalwatch.com.

Simon Baker