Category: Referral Spam

In this article we’ll teach you how what is Secret.Google.com and how to block it from showing in Google Analytics.

If you are a owner or an admin of a website, then you should be no stranger to the term referral spam. It is a particular spam method used by hackers to promote the ranking of certain websites. In this article, we will explain in detail how this method works and why it is an issue for other admins. Our focus will be on one of the latest referral spam campaigns known under the name of Secret.Google.com. It belongs to a particular type of referral spam strategy known as ghost spam. Here, you will learn how to block Secret.Google.com from interfering with the statistics of your web site, as well as hopefully learn a thing or two about referral spam in the process..

What is Secret.Google.com?

Referral spam like Secret.Google.com basically create false visits to your website. The idea behind this is that once you see the URL of the new visitor, you might be tempted to trace it back to its source. This would in turn generate real visits to the hacker’s website, thus pushing it up the rating ladder.

The fake visits themselves do not change the stats of your site so you should not be worried about that. However, since they are not actual visits from real users, this messes up your Google Analytics stats and you are unable to accurately determine the actual amount of traffic and visits that your site is getting. For smaller websites that are not used for profit, this might not be a serious issue. However, if you use your website to make a living, you will need to be able to have reliable information concerning your site’s rating. Therefore, blocking the spam as soon as possible is important and we will show you how to do it in our guide that you can find beneath the article.

Secret.Google.com – a ghost spam

When the referral spam scheme was first created, the method it used to generate artificial visits to user’s websites was via spambots. However, Google has found a way to deal with that issue. Currently, most spambot views are getting blocked, their views are not included in the Analytics stats and so the URL of the hacker is not displayed. However, as of 2014, a new type of referral spam has been invented that instead of using spambots, it directly changes your website stats tricking you into thinking that you have received actual visits. The real Google Analytics rating does not get changed by that but to you it will still appear that your site has been visited. As we mentioned earlier, Secret.Google.com too falls under the category of ghost spam. So far, Google has not been able to come up with an effective solution to this problem.

Important advice

Today, ghost spam such as Secret.Google.com is much more widely spread due to its efficiency. Referral spam that uses spambots is rare because dealing with it is much easier – all you need to do is add the spam program’s name to the google’s referral exclusion list and the spambots visits will be blocked from now on. However, when you are faced with ghost spam, it is exactly the opposite.

•  Adding the ghost spam to the exclusion list would only further worsen the situation. Since ghost spam does not actually create visits to your website, once you add it to the exclusions list, Google would check it and once it does not detect any spam visits, the ghost spam will be marked as legit. From then, it is even more difficult to stop it from messing with your traffic stats. Therefore, if you are currently dealing with Secret.Google.com, we advise you to avoid using the referral exclusions list as a method to solve the problem. Instead, use our block guide down below which has been specialized for dealing with ghost spam.
• Another very important thing you need to remember for future is to make sure that you have a good filtration for your site. This can really make the difference between being spammed by all sorts of frustrating spam and having your website’s traffic statistics neat and undisturbed.
• Choosing a reliable hosting company is also essential especially if you intend to use your site as a source of income. If this is your case, we advise you to invest a bit more so that you can ensure the safety and security of your project. High-quality hosting companies provide a much greater protection for the user’s websites and the chances of getting referral spam with them are considerably lower.

How to Block Secret.Google.com in Google Anatytics

Instruction #1: Enter your Analytics account.
After that load Admin and then – All Filters.

Instruction #2: After that, hit New Filter.
Next, add Secret.Google.com in the Filter Name value.

Instruction #3. Choose the Custom Filter Type. 
Once you see the Filter Field, go with Campaign Source.
Next, when you see the Filter Pattern text box, enter Secret.Google.com. Confirm by clicking  the Save button you will see at the bottom.

How to block Secret.Google.com referrer spam using your .htaccess file

If you are aware of a way to access your .htaccess file, you will just have to write the  code below in there:

## SITE REFERRER BANNING

RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} Secret.Google.com [NC,OR]

RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} Secret.Google.com

RewriteRule .* – [F]

In case you are not aware of a way to access it, follow these instructions:

Access your cPanel account,
the go to File Manager.
After that you should mark the check-box ‘Document Root for’.
Then go to your webpage.
 Another important tip: choose ‘Show hidden Files’.
After that select Go. 
Look for the .htacess file.
Once you find it,  right–click it.
From the options that appear, select Code Edit.
Enter the code above and Save Changes. 

Hopefully, we have been helpful! Tell us in the comment section. We will be glad to read what your opinion is!

This page was created with the intention to help webmasters block the Begalka.xyz referral spam in Google Analytics.

Google has analytics tools that help with website statistics of any kind. They are reliable and useful – with an intuitive interface and powerful tracking tools. They offer you a myriad of options to know exactly what is going on in your website. Unfortunately, everything isn’t all fine and dandy in the world of the internet. Various malicious individuals such as Black Hat hackers exist that aim to exploit you – the average user – into falling for their tricks. Behind their actions, one could find that their real intention is most often monetary gain of any sort. All of their actions could be traced back to this simple truth. Understanding these intentions and the actions that supplement them is the key to fighting them. Armed with knowledge, you have the chance to show your spammers who’s boss.

Begalka.xyz – your enemy of the day – is nothing special. Its just yet another instance of referral spam – the topic of the day. When talking about this issue, generally everything boils down to the same principles employed by these spammers. While there are thousands of differently named referral spams, they generally do the exact same things. In other words, there is always a pattern, so it does not matter if we talk about Begalka.xyz or referral spam in general, because it is the exact same thing. With that said, we have a guide at the bottom of this article that shows you a step by step process to stop the spam. Do not jump to it immediately before reading the following paragraphs. Knowledge is your most vital weapon – do not neglect it.

How is Begalka.xyz best described as? What does it do?

Begalka.xyz – an example of referral spam – is a form of spamdexing (spamming aimed at search engines). It involves making repeating web site requests using a referral URL to the targeted site – the place of their advertisement. As a result, your access logs and reports will contain this URL of the spammer, which links back to their own website. Firstly, we must immediately get it out of the way that you should not investigate this link – or any for that matter – because that will only achieve what the spammers are hoping for. They want to make you curious and trick into looking at their site. Expect a lot of social engineering at work if you do end up on the other end. Things such as services or products may be displayed in front of you. No matter how tempting their offers may be, always keep in mind that they are fake.

As a web admin, chances are that you regularly check your reports and logs – maybe even on a daily basis. Those tools help you understand what your audience is and where they come from. After all, referrals are used for this exact purpose – tracking the source of visitations. This information helps you determine where you need to focus your attention to gain even more. Are they being a linked to your site from a particular place you advertised to? Then focus your ad campaign there. The usefulness of this feature is whats exploited the most referral spammers. As it was mentioned before, in the referrals, once could switch the name to a search term or a link. They use the latter. Your curiosity is what they are counting on. If you keep these facts in mind, you will identify referral spam easier and as a result present yourself as a more difficult victim by ignoring the links.

What types of referral spam are there? Can they harm my site?

Lets first quickly dismiss the following myth – referral spam does not actually harm your site’s ranking. The only pollute your statistics – which is enough of a reason to take action against it. Its also important to know that, for the most part, referral spam falls under two categories. Crawler Referral Spam uses bots (named crawlers; from which the name comes from) to access your site in the same manner as Google’s crawlers. This can be blocked in the .htaccess file, but is less common. The more common version is Ghost Spam. This attacks the Google Analytics servers directly and completely bypasses your site. This is where blocking through the .htaccess file does absolutely nothing. It may seem to work on first glance, but this is a mere illusion. The best way to block Begalka.xyz is to follow our guide outlined below. Best of luck!

Get the Begalka.xyz referral spam removed

Instruction #1: Enter your Analytics account.
After that load Admin and then – All Filters.

Instruction #2: After that, hit New Filter.
Next, add Begalka.xyz  in the Filter Name value.

Instruction #3. Choose the Custom Filter Type. 
Once you see the Filter Field, go with Campaign Source.
Next, when you see the Filter Pattern text box, enter Begalka.xyz . Confirm by clicking  the Save button you will see at the bottom.

 How to block Begalka.xyz referrer spam using your .htaccess file

If you are aware of a way to access your .htaccess file, you will just have to write the  code below in there:

## SITE REFERRER BANNING

RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} Begalka.xyz [NC,OR]

RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} Begalka.xyz

RewriteRule .* – [F]

In case you are not aware of a way to access it, follow these instructions:

Access your cPanel account,
the go to File Manager.
After that you should mark the check-box ‘Document Root for’.
Then go to your webpage.
 Another important tip: choose ‘Show hidden Files’.
After that select Go. 
Look for the .htacess file.
Once you find it,  right–click it.
From the options that appear, select Code Edit.
Enter the code above and Save Changes. 

Hopefully, we have been helpful! Tell us in the comment section. We will be glad to read what your opinion is!

This page was created with the intention to help webmasters block the Begalka.xyz referral spam in Google Analytics.

Google has analytics tools that help with website statistics of any kind. They are reliable and useful – with an intuitive interface and powerful tracking tools. They offer you a myriad of options to know exactly what is going on in your website. Unfortunately, everything isn’t all fine and dandy in the world of the internet. Various malicious individuals such as Black Hat hackers exist that aim to exploit you – the average user – into falling for their tricks. Behind their actions, one could find that their real intention is most often monetary gain of any sort. All of their actions could be traced back to this simple truth. Understanding these intentions and the actions that supplement them is the key to fighting them. Armed with knowledge, you have the chance to show your spammers who’s boss.

Begalka.xyz – your enemy of the day – is nothing special. Its just yet another instance of referral spam – the topic of the day. When talking about this issue, generally everything boils down to the same principles employed by these spammers. While there are thousands of differently named referral spams, they generally do the exact same things. In other words, there is always a pattern, so it does not matter if we talk about Begalka.xyz or referral spam in general, because it is the exact same thing. With that said, we have a guide at the bottom of this article that shows you a step by step process to stop the spam. Do not jump to it immediately before reading the following paragraphs. Knowledge is your most vital weapon – do not neglect it.

How is Begalka.xyz best described as? What does it do?

Begalka.xyz – an example of referral spam – is a form of spamdexing (spamming aimed at search engines). It involves making repeating web site requests using a referral URL to the targeted site – the place of their advertisement. As a result, your access logs and reports will contain this URL of the spammer, which links back to their own website. Firstly, we must immediately get it out of the way that you should not investigate this link – or any for that matter – because that will only achieve what the spammers are hoping for. They want to make you curious and trick into looking at their site. Expect a lot of social engineering at work if you do end up on the other end. Things such as services or products may be displayed in front of you. No matter how tempting their offers may be, always keep in mind that they are fake.

As a web admin, chances are that you regularly check your reports and logs – maybe even on a daily basis. Those tools help you understand what your audience is and where they come from. After all, referrals are used for this exact purpose – tracking the source of visitations. This information helps you determine where you need to focus your attention to gain even more. Are they being a linked to your site from a particular place you advertised to? Then focus your ad campaign there. The usefulness of this feature is whats exploited the most referral spammers. As it was mentioned before, in the referrals, once could switch the name to a search term or a link. They use the latter. Your curiosity is what they are counting on. If you keep these facts in mind, you will identify referral spam easier and as a result present yourself as a more difficult victim by ignoring the links.

What types of referral spam are there? Can they harm my site?

Lets first quickly dismiss the following myth – referral spam does not actually harm your site’s ranking. The only pollute your statistics – which is enough of a reason to take action against it. Its also important to know that, for the most part, referral spam falls under two categories. Crawler Referral Spam uses bots (named crawlers; from which the name comes from) to access your site in the same manner as Google’s crawlers. This can be blocked in the .htaccess file, but is less common. The more common version is Ghost Spam. This attacks the Google Analytics servers directly and completely bypasses your site. This is where blocking through the .htaccess file does absolutely nothing. It may seem to work on first glance, but this is a mere illusion. The best way to block Begalka.xyz is to follow our guide outlined below. Best of luck!

Get the Begalka.xyz referral spam removed

Instruction #1: Enter your Analytics account.
After that load Admin and then – All Filters.

Instruction #2: After that, hit New Filter.
Next, add Begalka.xyz  in the Filter Name value.

Instruction #3. Choose the Custom Filter Type. 
Once you see the Filter Field, go with Campaign Source.
Next, when you see the Filter Pattern text box, enter Begalka.xyz . Confirm by clicking  the Save button you will see at the bottom.

 How to block Begalka.xyz referrer spam using your .htaccess file

If you are aware of a way to access your .htaccess file, you will just have to write the  code below in there:

## SITE REFERRER BANNING

RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} Begalka.xyz [NC,OR]

RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} Begalka.xyz

RewriteRule .* – [F]

In case you are not aware of a way to access it, follow these instructions:

Access your cPanel account,
the go to File Manager.
After that you should mark the check-box ‘Document Root for’.
Then go to your webpage.
 Another important tip: choose ‘Show hidden Files’.
After that select Go. 
Look for the .htacess file.
Once you find it,  right–click it.
From the options that appear, select Code Edit.
Enter the code above and Save Changes. 

Hopefully, we have been helpful! Tell us in the comment section. We will be glad to read what your opinion is!

Spam visits messing-up your site’s analytics stats? This sounds like Arendovalka.xyz!

It’s almost impossible to use the internet and avoid getting some form of spam at a given moment. Spam comes in all shapes and sizes – e-mails, intrusive adverts, box-messages and even spam/fake visits to websites. If you’re currently reading this, the chances are that you’re dealing with referral spam – fake views to your site’s pages. There’s a special spam method called referral spam. This method is a clever way for hackers and virtual crooks to increase their own site’s rating among search engines (especially google). The earlier forms of referral spam were using bots that go to your site and generate views. After some time Google managed to filtrate those spam visits and prevent them from messing with analytics stats. However, in 2014 a new type of referral spam was developed – ghost spam. This type of spam tools are advanced version of their classic referral spam predecessors. The main difference between the two is that ghost spam programs do not use bots to generate views. Instead, they just change your analytics stats, so that it seems like your site has been visited by the hacker’s URL, but in reality no visits have taken place.

Important information about Arendovalka.xyz and Ghost spam

Arendovalka.xyz is one of the newest ghost spam schemes. Here, we should note that even if such software is messing with your website, there’s no reason to panic. In fact, those spam visits will not affect your google rating or steal your traffic. Still, the reason why you’d like to have them gone is that as long as you get more and more fake views, you’ll be unable to estimate the actual traffic to your site. This may get really annoying and even frustrating, especially if you use your website to gain income and you need actual visits to increase that income. Therefore, under this article, we’ve provided our readers with a neat guide on how to get rid of these annoying spam visits. However, before we get to that part, there are some more information that you might want to know about ghost spam programs.

The importance of stopping the spam visits

 You might be currently asking yourself: “But how do these spam visits help the hackers to boost their site’s rating?” Well, it’s all about you seeing the hacker’s URL and following it back to the source, thus generating a visit to the hacker’s site. It might not seem like a big deal, but even if a small percentage of the site owners trace back the hacker’s URL, this will generate a considerable amount of visits. Besides, those spam programs work ceaselessly – the more they remain active, the higher rating the crook’s site gets. While you cannot do anything to stop the bots, you can still prevent it targeting your site and messing with your analytics stats.

Helpful tips

Lastly, here are several important rules that you should take into account to minimize the effects of Arendovalka.xyz.

• Firstly, do not use referral Spam Exclusion list. This tool will not work, because it was not designed for this. This type of spamming programs use bots to generate actual visits.  Ghost spam never generates any visits, only makes it seem like it does. Therefore, if you add Arendovalka.xyz to the list, the exclusion tool will attempt to check out any fake visits and since none have actually taken place, it will rate the hacker’s URL as legit. This would effectively make the matters even worse. That is why you should avoid using this tool when you’re dealing with referral spam. Unfortunately, most hackers no longer use these outdated spam tools, thus it is highly likely that if you’re getting spam visits, they’re coming from ghost spam program.
• Another important thing is to consider investing into reliable spam filtering tool. Often this depends on the hosting company you’re using. Therefore, it’s always better to go for a more expensive, higher quality hosting company. Just remember that it is always a better to invest a little extra money. This will significantly reduce the chance of getting any intrusive spam. It is generally a much better alternative in the long term, therefore, take this into consideration next time you’re looking for a hosting company.
  

  Block Arendovalka.xyz Referral Spam

  Instruction #1: Enter your Analytics account.
  After that load Admin and then – All Filters.
  

  Instruction #2: After that, hit New Filter.
  Next, add Arendovalka.xyz in the Filter Name value.

  Instruction #3. Choose the Custom Filter Type. 
  Once you see the Filter Field, go with Campaign Source.
  Next, when you see the Filter Pattern text box, enter Arendovalka.xyz. Confirm by clicking  the Save button you will see at the bottom.
  
  

   How to block Arendovalka.xyz referrer spam using your .htaccess file

  If you are aware of a way to access your .htaccess file, you will just have to write the  code below in there:

  ## SITE REFERRER BANNING

  RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} Arendovalka.xyz [NC,OR]

  RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} Arendovalka.xyz

  RewriteRule .* – [F]

  In case you are not aware of a way to access it, follow these instructions:

  Access your cPanel account,
  the go to File Manager.
  After that you should mark the check-box ‘Document Root for’.
  Then go to your webpage.
   Another important tip: choose ‘Show hidden Files’.
  After that select Go. 
  Look for the .htacess file.
  Once you find it,  right–click it.
  From the options that appear, select Code Edit.
  Enter the code above and Save Changes. 

  Hopefully, we have been helpful! Tell us in the comment section. We will be glad to read what your opinion is!