Footprints and Their Application in SEO Promotion
In simple terms, footprints are unique traces left by an optimizer on different websites. Identifying these footprints allows one to understand that websites and their activities belong to the same person. Moreover, it is an easy way to expose a PBN network.
Why SEO Specialists Don’t Bother with Footprints
Footprints often remain because the website owner does not worry about potentially revealing connections between their pages. For instance, if a person has several sites where they sell their products, they see no need to eliminate footprints. It is already obvious that both resources belong to them and there is a connection between them.
Search engines detect footprints. They focus on accounts, browsers, or combinations of parameters. These signals help uncover links between sites when transitioning from one to another.
If a user plans to create a network to control search results, it must be done well to avoid being caught. The fewer footprints there are, the more likely it is to remain undetected and avoid penalties.
How Footprints Can Be Practically Applied
Footprints can help discover networks belonging to users or site owners. For example, in niches where PBN aids the development of the main site. By examining these networks, one can evaluate the resources’ effectiveness and costs incurred. These insights help plan future actions with PBN.
Footprints are highly valuable in detecting sites owned by the same person. For instance, if you have a competitor and want to understand what other link-building strategies they use.
When to Use Footprint Search:
- Identifying popular promotion methods in relevant topics;
- Analyzing the connections between links on web resources and the methods of passing weight among them;
- Exploring specific ways networks are utilized for inspiration.
Can Footprints Be Dangerous for You?
Most web resource owners try to hide footprints from search engines. Why? Because they can reveal those attempting to circumvent the system, i.e., violators. If such a violator is found, they will be penalized. People also try to conceal footprints if they discover a unique and profitable promotion strategy they wish to keep secret.
If a site’s flaw is found, footprints can easily lead to similar pages with identical shortcomings. For example, with Joomla CMS sites, a specialist only needs to detect a CMS peculiarity to find similar sites.
There are many of these peculiarities; we want to name the most widespread and accessible. To find only Joomla pages from all existing sites in the network, pay attention to the “powered by Joomla” phrase or a unique style class.
How to Find Your Footprints and All Related Information
First, let’s determine what personal information a site owner shares. If you look at the page code, you may find specific identifiers for Yandex.Metrika, Ads, Google Analytics, etc. Using this info, Yandex and Google search systems detect connections between web resources and a specific individual. Consequently, all pages in the network are susceptible to devaluation. Why does this happen? Because you can’t have multiple sites with the same theme.
How else can users stumble upon footprints? In page codes generated by different resources or by template-based setups, certain traits may surface. Additionally, you can inspect HTTP headers or online activity for insights. WHOIS records can also reveal site ownership details. Special IP address analyzers can help find pages with similar footprints.
Methods for Finding Footprints:
- Similarweb. Focus on the “also visited” table where all pages visited by the same users are listed. Networks are mainly created for links, so they are rarely visited. Thus, the same network may have sites with identical visitor metrics.
- Publicwww. This service can find site footprints.
- By domain creation date. Network addresses are created in groups, so even if they have different WHOIS data, the creation date can still determine them.
Conclusion
Let’s summarize the above:
- Footprints make it easy to discover a PBN network. If a site owner deliberately leaves clues or footprints, they will eventually be discovered through these particularities.
- How to find footprints? Use services like Similarweb and Publicwww, or analyze domain registration dates.
- What are the benefits of footprints? They allow you to:
- note commonly used user promotion methods;
- find interesting ways to use networks;
- uncover connections between sites;
- seek partners and people who can help you in the future.
