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Timeline for How to fight off Google Analytics referrer spammers?

Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0

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Aug 14, 2015 at 14:43 comment added closetnoc @JamesRyan I guess that can work! It is at least a clever and original thought!! I admit to not filtering out all the bad referrals- I should- it p1$$3$ me off to see them.
Aug 14, 2015 at 14:36 comment added JamesRyan How about add a custom variable to your site then filter out all visitors that don't have that variable?
Aug 14, 2015 at 13:21 review Suggested edits
Aug 14, 2015 at 13:52
Jul 28, 2015 at 15:20 history edited closetnoc CC BY-SA 3.0
Updated list.
Jul 4, 2015 at 14:45 history edited closetnoc CC BY-SA 3.0
Updated list.
Jun 26, 2015 at 4:59 history edited closetnoc CC BY-SA 3.0
Updated list.
Jun 18, 2015 at 15:43 history edited closetnoc CC BY-SA 3.0
Added to list.
Jun 18, 2015 at 15:35 history edited closetnoc CC BY-SA 3.0
Added to list.
Jun 18, 2015 at 15:17 history edited closetnoc CC BY-SA 3.0
Minor edit.
S Jun 18, 2015 at 14:38 history suggested Trey Copeland CC BY-SA 3.0
add to the referral spammer list
Jun 18, 2015 at 13:30 review Suggested edits
S Jun 18, 2015 at 14:38
Jun 16, 2015 at 16:01 history edited closetnoc CC BY-SA 3.0
Updated list.
Jun 9, 2015 at 15:48 history edited closetnoc CC BY-SA 3.0
Updated list.
Jun 4, 2015 at 12:03 comment added user2428118 Piwik has published a list of referrer spammers that they're actively updating: github.com/piwik/referrer-spam-blacklist/blob/master/…
Jun 3, 2015 at 15:59 history edited closetnoc CC BY-SA 3.0
Updated list.
May 29, 2015 at 22:21 comment added closetnoc @Steve I cannot see that there is a big payoff, however, there has to be one somewhere. The one individual mentioned in the answer hates Google and likely wants to embarrass Google at the very least. But they are also clearly using this spam to drive traffic to various websites that keep being registered. I have even seen something like an ad using this method. It is annoying as hell!! It is hurting innocent people more than Google really. I assume that it works... very sad.
May 29, 2015 at 21:53 comment added Steve This is a really interesting answer, but what is the point of spammers doing this? So what if their link shows up in GA? What might they be trying to achieve?
May 25, 2015 at 23:04 history edited closetnoc CC BY-SA 3.0
Updated list.
May 7, 2015 at 21:59 history edited closetnoc CC BY-SA 3.0
Small update.
Apr 30, 2015 at 5:12 history edited closetnoc CC BY-SA 3.0
Updated list.
Apr 16, 2015 at 23:33 history edited closetnoc CC BY-SA 3.0
Updated list.
Apr 15, 2015 at 3:27 history edited closetnoc CC BY-SA 3.0
Updated list.
Apr 14, 2015 at 3:08 history edited closetnoc CC BY-SA 3.0
Updated list.
Apr 10, 2015 at 22:36 history edited closetnoc CC BY-SA 3.0
Updated list.
Apr 7, 2015 at 22:06 history edited closetnoc CC BY-SA 3.0
Updated list.
Mar 26, 2015 at 22:32 history edited closetnoc CC BY-SA 3.0
Updated list.
Mar 23, 2015 at 23:58 history edited closetnoc CC BY-SA 3.0
Updated list.
Mar 18, 2015 at 0:50 history edited closetnoc CC BY-SA 3.0
Minor correction to list.
Mar 17, 2015 at 20:43 history edited closetnoc CC BY-SA 3.0
Updated list.
Mar 5, 2015 at 4:28 history edited closetnoc CC BY-SA 3.0
Updated list.
Feb 25, 2015 at 21:44 history edited closetnoc CC BY-SA 3.0
Updated referrer list.
Feb 19, 2015 at 17:42 comment added closetnoc @joelmdev I agree. However, this question is specifically about referrer spam being directly aimed at Google. We have other questions regarding referral spam and how to block on the server. I have answered a few. BTW- there is no payoff from Google on referrer spam, but there are enough other search engines out there especially in Russia that can be spammed that way. Hence the reason why it still exists and comes primarily from Russia and Poland last I looked.
Feb 19, 2015 at 17:23 comment added joelmdev In the cases where it is logged directly through GA JS, that is correct- nothing you can do about it. But that method is small potatoes for referer spammers. The main goal of referer spam is to get the urls they are trying to promote into publicly accessible logs so that they are subsequently indexed by search engines. While the OP's issue might be direct manipulation of the GA JS, the majority of referer spam hits are not- too much work for too little return. Implying that referer spam is direct manipulation of GA JS and there's nothing you can do about it tells an incomplete story.
Feb 19, 2015 at 16:18 comment added closetnoc @joelmdev You missed the point that these cannot be blocked. This is a direct attack on Google. No-one has any control except Google. They have been notified and these have stopped for the most part.
Feb 19, 2015 at 16:12 comment added joelmdev Link provided is heavy on LAMP, light on IIS. This article explains what to do on Windows machines in a bit more depth: tusksoft.com/blog/posts/6/…
Feb 6, 2015 at 16:22 history edited closetnoc CC BY-SA 3.0
Updated referrer spam domain list.
Feb 3, 2015 at 21:46 history edited closetnoc CC BY-SA 3.0
Added two more sites to the list.
Jan 17, 2015 at 5:03 history edited closetnoc CC BY-SA 3.0
Fixed small typo.
Jan 17, 2015 at 5:03 comment added closetnoc @user626528 [Update] I noticed that the referrers that showed up GA have now stopped. I updated the answer with a new one JIC you are filtering these out.
Jan 17, 2015 at 5:00 comment added closetnoc @JohnMueller [Update] I noticed that the referrers that showed up in GA have now stopped. I want to notify you of a new one JIC it is useful. The domain name is hulfingtonpost.com. I updated the answer. Thanks in Advance!!
Jan 17, 2015 at 4:59 vote accept user626528
Feb 8, 2016 at 16:44
Jan 17, 2015 at 4:57 history edited closetnoc CC BY-SA 3.0
Updated domain list with new domain name.
Jan 10, 2015 at 4:47 comment added closetnoc @JohnConde related to these referrer spam domain names and the activity. I read one at least.
Jan 10, 2015 at 4:39 comment added John Conde♦ Questions relating to what exactly?
Jan 10, 2015 at 4:37 comment added closetnoc @JohnConde BTW- I saw question(s) on this on other SE (and possibly related) sites. I did not take notes, but is there a good way of broadcasting a note to the other Mods? Or should I just Google these domain names and look for answers and post?
Jan 10, 2015 at 4:34 comment added closetnoc @JohnConde Thanks! John Mueller may not know about this, but someone in G should. Even if there is no answer, at least G should have a heads up if they do not already. It is the right thing to do for us all. Cheers!
Jan 10, 2015 at 4:32 comment added John Conde♦ Good call on pinging JM. If anyone can find out for us, he's the one.
Jan 10, 2015 at 4:29 comment added closetnoc @JohnMueller This my not be within your realm, but can you send some e-mails around to see if G has knowledge on this? Thanks in Advance!!
Jan 10, 2015 at 4:27 history answered closetnoc CC BY-SA 3.0
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