Mediarun Search Marketing News

Privacy issues raised over Google search engine marketing tool

June 28th 2010

Search Engine Optimisation News

Information is what separates an amateur SEO Company website optimisation campaign from that of a professional SEO agency.

And when it comes to collecting and collating search engine marketing campaign data, Google is - rather unsurprisingly - at the top of the food chain.

Any SEO company ignoring the powerful search engine optimisation tools of Google Analytics - and more importantly the Analytics Dashboard - are likely to see their campaigns fall short of other industry operators, who have adopted the gold mine of information.

But Smart Company blogger and search engine marketing expert Chris Thomas has claimed that new additions to Google Analytics throw up a host of privacy issues.

He notes that it is now possible for website operators to use the search engine optimisation suite to sift through Facebook profiles and Twitter posts.

Using the software, people conducting search engine marketing campaigns can divine all the Facebook and Twitter profiles that have visited their websites, which can also include a certain amount of personal information about those people.

Speaking to the blogger, Antoine Pace, a partner at Gaden's Lawyers, said: "The capacity for linking from Google or Twitter is quite well known and popular. There should probably be a warning saying that, by doing this, you are potentially disclosing your information, or something similar."

Google refused to comment on the particular privacy issue, simply stating: "We don't control the URL scheme that third parties use, or the URLs they provide. But Google doesn't seek in any way to make any use of any user names or IDs that their URLs may contain."

Mr Pace concluded: "If you are concerned about the use of your personal information, then you need to protect it. If you are scared about someone stealing your wallet, you don't put it on the fence outside.

"Make sure your information is protected from the public."

Recently, the Daily Express came under fire for using the so-called unethical search engine marketing technique of selling link building services.

The SEO 'advertorials', which are available for around £1,000, were blamed by search marketing expert Mark Cook for damaging the reputation of the search engine optimisation sector.

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