{"id":3132,"date":"2008-05-17T12:24:08","date_gmt":"2008-05-17T19:24:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/?p=3132"},"modified":"2008-05-17T13:03:28","modified_gmt":"2008-05-17T20:03:28","slug":"number-1-expert-and-opt-out-web-template-widgets-why-put-your-website-clients-at-risk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/3132\/number-1-expert-and-opt-out-web-template-widgets-why-put-your-website-clients-at-risk\/","title":{"rendered":"Number 1 Expert and Opt Out Web Template Widgets – Why put your website clients at risk?"},"content":{"rendered":"

I have been trying to think of a way to explain what has been going through my mind in plain english. Here’s my attempt:<\/p>\n

When Galen first posted about Trulia’s aggressive no-following of listings links<\/a>, it was a bit technical for many folks to follow, but it set off alarm bells everywhere. Then Eric Bramlett pointed out the SYSTEMIC, SECRETIVE, USE OF OPT OUT TRULIA WIDGETS ON NUMBER 1 EXPERT SITES.<\/a>. (Also here.<\/a>) Let me break it down so that it is more easy to grasp:<\/p>\n

SYSTEMIC: Number One Expert applied them all at once (or very quickly) to a number of their templated real estate websites. <\/p>\n

SECRETIVE: They put the widgets at the BOTTOM of an internal page (in most cases) BUT on one that usually gets GOOD authority from the front page of the site. This is secretive, because they will attract VERY little traffic and attention. Without checking their backlinks, we would not have known they were there. They are placed IMO where they will do VERY little good in keeping traffic and NO good in attracting traffic. <\/p>\n

Also, they were secretive in that they did not let their clients know that they did this! They just took the prerogative and popped them on the templates. How do I know? I have asked several real estate agents who are their clients and NOT ONE of them knew that the widgets were there. PERIOD><\/p>\n

OPT OUT WIDGETS: This means that if you want to take these widgets off of your site you MUST call them and ask them to take them off of your site. This is the FIRST time (that I am aware of) of having a website provider slap THOUSANDS of widget links to another competiting site for the same LOCAL terms and MAKE YOU CALL TO GET IT REMOVED.<\/p>\n

Why are MANY people saying that it looks like a paid link? It is because that is the ONLY thing we can think of why Number 1 Expert would do this! It puts their clients sites (In my opinon) at unneeded risk! They put TENS of THOUSANDS of links on their Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I have been trying to think of a way to explain what has been going through my mind in plain english. Here’s my attempt: When Galen first posted about Trulia’s aggressive no-following of listings links, it was a bit technical for many folks to follow, but it set off alarm bells everywhere. Then Eric Bramlett […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-3132","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"hentry","6":"category-real-estate","8":"no-featured-image"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3101,"url":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/3101\/trulia-widgets-a-deeper-look\/","url_meta":{"origin":3132,"position":0},"title":"Trulia Widgets — a deeper look","author":"Eric Blackwell","date":"May 12, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Why would Eric Bramlett post something like this? Or this? The debate rolls on as to Trulia Widgets and their use as a linkbaiting scheme. They are writing these things because they matter. But it has been said that they don't matter, that Trulia would still be climbing in the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Real Estate"","block_context":{"text":"Real Estate","link":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/category\/real-estate\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3062,"url":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/3062\/trulia-widgets-truliamazing-trojan-horses\/","url_meta":{"origin":3132,"position":1},"title":"Trulia Widgets: Truliamazing Trojan Horse(s)","author":"Eric Bramlett","date":"May 6, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Much ado about Galen Ward's Truliamazing Tricks of the Trade! Greg has already written a fantastic post about the reaction, so I won't spend any time rehashing. An interesting side note that has been brought up by a few commentators is why Trulia is really kicking butt in the SERPs.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Real Estate"","block_context":{"text":"Real Estate","link":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/category\/real-estate\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3119,"url":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/3119\/number1experttrulia-widget-link-count-correction\/","url_meta":{"origin":3132,"position":2},"title":"Number1Expert\/Trulia Widget Link Count Correction","author":"Eric Bramlett","date":"May 14, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Earlier this week, I posted a mock story about Number1Expert rebranding as Number2Expert due to their decision to automatically include Trulia widgets on their template sites, and thus give Trulia over 11k links. Well, I never claimed to be perfect (only close,) and ummmmm, I screwed up. Number2Expert is actually\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Marketing"","block_context":{"text":"Marketing","link":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/category\/marketing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ericbramlett.com\/images\/trulia-awareness-ribbon.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3089,"url":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/3089\/number1expert-re-launches-as-number2expert\/","url_meta":{"origin":3132,"position":3},"title":"Number1Expert Re-Launches as Number2Expert","author":"Eric Bramlett","date":"May 11, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"In a surprise move, website template provider Number1Expert has announced plans to rebrand as Number2Expert. This decision came following their inclusion of Trulia widgets on the myhomes.asp pages of all of their client sites. Here\u2019s an example. When asked about the decision, a spokesman said, \u201cTo date, our clients are\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Marketing"","block_context":{"text":"Marketing","link":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/category\/marketing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5277,"url":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/5277\/all-these-widgets-idjits-digits-and-midgets-are-making-me-fidget\/","url_meta":{"origin":3132,"position":4},"title":"All these Widgets, Idjits, Digits and Midgets are making me fidget.","author":"Jessica Horton","date":"October 29, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Every web 2.0 Realtor\u00ae that is any web 2.0 Realtor\u00ae has at least one or more widgets up and running on their preferred social networking sites. Some Realtors\u00ae collect widgets like my son collects insects\u2014strange little trapped creatures placed proudly on display\u2014creatures that I don\u2019t want coming anywhere near me!\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blogging"","block_context":{"text":"Blogging","link":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/category\/blogging\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3116,"url":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/3116\/mike-wallace-interviews-number1expert-and-trulia\/","url_meta":{"origin":3132,"position":5},"title":"Mike Wallace interviews Number1Expert and Trulia?","author":"Eric Blackwell","date":"May 14, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Things have been busy around here lately. This controversy over Trulia's widget baiting tactics rages on in the internet world. Now Sherry Chris has chimed in as well. (Kudos to you for entering the arena...others should follow). Bottomline is this: Trulia calls us partners. (REALTORS and them) Before someone calls\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Real Estate"","block_context":{"text":"Real Estate","link":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/category\/real-estate\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3132","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/28"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3132"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3132\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3132"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3132"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3132"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}