Google Analytics Spam – Semalt Expert Knows How To Block It

23.05.2018

Google Analytics Spam – Semalt Expert Knows How To Block It

Google Analytics is affected by different types of spam. The most common spam that affects Google Analytics is the referral spam. The spam targets various Google accounts randomly but can also be targeted at speci c accounts.

Frank Abagnale, the Senior Customer Success Manager of Semalt, takes a look at the ways of crushing Google Analytics spam.

Spams are created for a number of reasons:

a) Commission acquisition Spam creators often get commissions which result from the increase in traf c statistics which is generated by the spams.

b) Publicity Some spam creators use these spams to spread their own ideologies and utilize them for publicity so that they can reach a lot of viewers.

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c) Hacking emails These spams are used to hack email accounts which are then sold to other users.

d) Malware spreading Malware refers to malicious programs which are used to gain unauthorized access to electronic data. Spams are used to spread such programs which may be in form of viruses or Trojan.

e) Spreading falsi ed information by CEOs to increase sales There have been cases of CEOs which use spams to create a false impression that they are successful by placing such information on their client's websites.

There are different ways in which referral spams can be blocked namely:

1) Use of .htacess les This method involves the copying of certain les into the target computer, and these les have commands that determine how the server functions. This method of blocking spams has limitations which include: The bots are selective and avoid the sites where they have been blocked by these .htacess les.

It is tiresome to block all websites (URLs) because it consumes a lot of time.

The spams are also generated on a daily basis, and therefore it becomes dif cult to keep up with them.

2) Use of custom lters The process can be summarized in the following simple steps: Step 1 Click on the Google Analytics on your computer and select the All Traf c icon followed by the Referrals option.

Step 2 The next step is to make sure that you have sorted the referral traf c with a suitable bounce rate. The recommended bounce rate is a few months. The Ultimate Referral List can be used to determine the level at which a domain is affected by spams.

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Step 3 There are links which can be used to access referral lists in case there is dif culty in accessing the Ultimate Referral List. These links include: I. https://github.com/piwik/referrer-spam-blacklist II. https://perishablepress.com/4g-ultimate-referrer-blacklist/ III. https://referrerspamblocker.com/blacklist Step 4 The next step is clicking on the Admin icon and choosing the lters option. This is followed by selecting the Add Filter option. This process is followed by choosing a name for the lter and then selecting the custom option as the lter type. This is followed by selecting the exclude button and selecting 'campaign Source' on the lter eld. The nal step is selecting the lter pattern.

The limitation of using this means of blocking spam ware is that it is possible to block the unintended data and only ten domains can be added at a given time.

3) Use of referral exclusion List The other means of blocking spams is using referral lists. It is used on third party and self-referrals. The activation of Exclusion Referral Lists can be done in three steps.

Step 1 Select the Admin option on the Google Analytics account and choose the Property column. This is followed by selecting the tracking info option.

Step 2 Select the Referral Exclusion List and click on the ADD Referral Exclusion button.

Step 3 Select the domains that you wish to exclude from the referral traf c.

The limitation of this method is that addition of domains in bulk is not supported by the system.

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