I'm browsing though awstat under refering sites. This is a long list titled "Links from an external page (other web sites except search engines)" is a list of URLs that brought visitor to my site via a link.
Most of the URLs listed, I can understand and I do see my link on their page. However, there is a couple of URL that are from spammy sites. And when I go to their page that supposed referred their visitor to me, I don't see my link there.
What is going on here? Why are they linking to me, or directing traffic to me? If they are not, how come I got a record of their url on awstat.
Referral spam. They're not linking to you or sending you traffic, but one of them got a visit out of you. That's half the point ... some sites publish their stats by default, which means getting on their referral list 'earns' one a backlink.
What Forrest said. They're looking for either the backlink from an openly published set of site stats (usually by some poor soul who puts one of those dopey Hitbox-esque counters on their site) or they're looking for the odd bit of traffic caused by the poor soul who clicks on the referral link from their password-protected site stats.
Either way, they're not legitimate referrals, and the best way that you can protect yourself is to remember that your stats are your stats, not mine, not Bob's, not Sally's, not anyone else's.
What Forrest said. They're looking for either the backlink from an openly published set of site stats (usually by some poor soul who puts one of those dopey Hitbox-esque counters on their site) or they're looking for the odd bit of traffic caused by the poor soul who clicks on the referral link from their password-protected site stats.
Wow, that's exactly what I've been experiencing, just a day or two ago. I'm thinking, what in the world is this website and why are they sending me traffic?
Then I had the misfortune of clicking on the referral link, only to have about a 100 or so annoying "Don't leave our site" Popup windows (and there was a really loud music video playing in the background).
Wow, that's exactly what I've been experiencing, just a day or two ago. I'm thinking, what in the world is this website and why are they sending me traffic?
Then I had the misfortune of clicking on the referral link, only to have about a 100 or so annoying "Don't leave our site" Popup windows (and there was a really loud music video playing in the background).
Then I had the misfortune of clicking on the referral link, only to have about a 100 or so annoying "Don't leave our site" Popup windows (and there was a really loud music video playing in the background).
