Forum Moderators: martinibuster
With Google apparently taking a look at traffic quality, I'm concerned that one of my sites suddenly started getting large amounts of traffic from StumbleUpon (which sends users to random sites based on their known likes and recommendations from other users). The jump happened about a month ago, and seems fairly stable.
Would this be considered poor quality traffic? About 30% of my AdSense impressions (across all sites) are now to visitors from that source. Should I be worried?
I use Google Analytics; this is making me wonder whether giving all that data to Google is such a good idea.
No apparent impact on AdSense.
In your case, 30% doesn't seem to me to be a large enough percentage to worry about, but of course that's just my opinion.
I also have recently seen a large increase in StumbleUpon traffic.
The only thing I can add to what hunderdown has already offered is my concern about CTR dilution, due to a considerable increase of impressions on some pages (sometimes extreme), and whatever impact that may have on the SmartPricing algorithm.
My experience shows an increase in impressions but NOT a proportional increase in clicks!
Chapman
I've had 2 Stumble-Spikes.. They tend to last for a few days - but i got no appriciable increase in CTR during that time.. :-( ..
At that point I started to consider blocking them from my server... but then the spikes subsided and I guess I've just gotten used to them.
If they're going to beat on my poor site... it'd be nice if they at least bought something! ;-)
Chapman
I was just concerned as I've heard rumours of sites being excluded from the AdSense program due to an over-reliance on MySpace traffic, and as I use Google Analytics Google can see exactly where this new traffic is coming from.
Smart-Pricing I can live with, within reason, and it sounds as though that's the worst I need worry about.
I use Google Analytics Google can see exactly where this new traffic is coming from.
I'm not exactly sure why you have this concern about traffic coming from StumbleUpon. The sites I've visited through URL referrals are, in the most part, pretty benign. They may be inflating impressions, diluting CTR and consuming bandwidth but I don't see the type of traffic as being negative. I also don't think 30% of ones traffic coming from the same referrer as being a seriouis issue.
Google Analytics, in general, frightens me a bit. I don't use it.
Chapman
I'm not exactly sure why you have this concern about traffic coming from StumbleUpon.
In general I'm delighted to have it. I just don't expect it to convert particularly well as it's people randomly stumbling around the web rather than actively searching for something.
I know Yahoo (YPN) has issues with MySpace traffic but I've read nothing about Google exclusions.
Consider me reassured. Thanks.
