buying traffic (real and redirected)...good, bad or ugly?

[spewn]

i've been seeing ads around where you can buy traffic, either true or redirected (deleted domain traffic, most of the time). is this good, bad or indifferent with respect to search engines?

i also saw that alexa determines ranking based on traffic amounts, so couldn't you just pay for hoards of traffic and kill in the rankings?

any ideas/experiences?

- g

 

[Foamcow]

First off, deleted domain traffic.
What use do you think that might be?

Traffic is just traffic. It's using your bandwidth. If that traffic does not convert to a sale, it's cost you money.
So, where is the point in grabbing non-qualified traffic?

Now, it might be that your site's content bears some similarity to that of the deleted domain.

BUT. If that domain was getting a lot of good traffic through, how come it's no longer active? People don't shut down high traffic/revenue sites if they are working do they!?

Personally if I try to visit site A and get sent to site B, I'll more than likely just close the browser and go somewhere else. UNLESS the site is OBVIOUSLY very good in which case I might give it a chance.

I'd say deleted domain traffic is a complete waste of time.

Foamcow Heavy Industries - Web design and ranting
Target Marketing Communications - Advertising, Direct Marketing and Public Relations
I wonder what possesses people to make those animated gifs. Do you just get up in the morning and think, "You know what web design r

 

[ChrisHunt]

alexa determines ranking based on traffic amounts

Well, based on traffic from those who have installed the Alexa toolbar. Very few people have done so. Very few people use Alexa. Doesn't seem like a good investment to me (more like a scam, in fact).

If you've got money to spend "buying traffic", why not spend it on advertising to attract interested people to your site? You'll have a much better chance of converting those visits to sales.

-- Chris Hunt
Webmaster & Tragedian
Extra Connections Ltd