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Remove Referrer Spam Traffic from Google Analytics?

  • Lynne Level 1
    • 6

    Write the reason you're deleting this FAQ

    Remove Referrer Spam Traffic from Google Analytics?

    Can you please help me with with. I often find referrer spam traffic in my analytics under organic traffic and it drives me crazy.

    The first thing I want to know is how does these bots (are they bots?) find my website? Is it something I have done wrong or is it just something that happens when you have a website?

    The next thing I need to know is what are the ways to remove these spam searches from my Google Analytics. It really makes my reporting very inaccurate and I don't like it at all.

    I have done loads of searches online and I have tried the suggestions but nothing has worked so I am now feeling firstly very stupid and also very annoyed.

    #Search #Spam #Google #Analytics Traffic
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    Everett

    Everett

    Well, here's what I do..

    I block bots with my .htaccess file:


    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "Aboundex" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "80legs" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "360Spider" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Java" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Cogentbot" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Alexibot" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^asterias" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^attach" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^BackDoorBot" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^BackWeb" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "Bandit" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^BatchFTP" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Bigfoot" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Black.Hole" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^BlackWidow" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^BlowFish" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^BotALot" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "Buddy" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^BuiltBotTough" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Bullseye" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^BunnySlippers" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Cegbfeieh" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^CheeseBot" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^CherryPicker" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^ChinaClaw" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "Collector" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "Copier" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^CopyRightCheck" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^cosmos" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Crescent" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Custo" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^AIBOT" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^DISCo" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^DIIbot" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^DittoSpyder" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Download\ Demon" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Download\ Devil" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Download\ Wonder" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^dragonfly" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Drip" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^eCatch" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^EasyDL" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^ebingbong" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^EirGrabber" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^EmailCollector" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^EmailSiphon" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^EmailWolf" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^EroCrawler" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Exabot" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Express\ WebPictures" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "Extractor" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^EyeNetIE" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Foobot" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^flunky" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^FrontPage" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Go-Ahead-Got-It" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^gotit" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^GrabNet" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Grafula" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Harvest" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^hloader" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^HMView" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^HTTrack" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^humanlinks" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^IlseBot" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Image\ Stripper" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Image\ Sucker" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "Indy\ Library" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^InfoNaviRobot" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^InfoTekies" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Intelliseek" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^InterGET" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Internet\ Ninja" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Iria" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Jakarta" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^JennyBot" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^JetCar" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^JOC" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^JustView" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Jyxobot" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Kenjin.Spider" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Keyword.Density" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^larbin" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^LexiBot" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^lftp" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^libWeb/clsHTTP" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^likse" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^LinkextractorPro" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^LinkScan/8.1a.Unix" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^LNSpiderguy" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^LinkWalker" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^lwp-trivial" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^LWP::Simple" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Magnet" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Mag-Net" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^MarkWatch" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Mass\ Downloader" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Mata.Hari" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Memo" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Microsoft.URL" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Microsoft\ URL\ Control" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^MIDown\ tool" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^MIIxpc" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Mirror" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Missigua\ Locator" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Mister\ PiX" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^moget" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Mozilla/3.Mozilla/2.01" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Mozilla.*NEWT" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^NAMEPROTECT" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Navroad" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^NearSite" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^NetAnts" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Netcraft" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^NetMechanic" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^NetSpider" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Net\ Vampire" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^NetZIP" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^NextGenSearchBot" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^NG" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^NICErsPRO" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^niki-bot" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^NimbleCrawler" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Ninja" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^NPbot" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Octopus" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Offline\ Explorer" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Offline\ Navigator" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Openfind" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^OutfoxBot" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^PageGrabber" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Papa\ Foto" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^pavuk" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^pcBrowser" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^PHP\ version\ tracker" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Pockey" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^ProPowerBot/2.14" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^ProWebWalker" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^psbot" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Pump" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^QueryN.Metasearch" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^RealDownload" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "Reaper" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "Recorder" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^ReGet" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^RepoMonkey" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^RMA" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "Siphon" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^SiteSnagger" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^SlySearch" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^SmartDownload" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Snake" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Snapbot" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Snoopy" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^sogou" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^SpaceBison" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^SpankBot" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^spanner" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Sqworm" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "Stripper" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "Sucker" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^SuperBot" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^SuperHTTP" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Surfbot" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^suzuran" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Szukacz/1.4" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^tAkeOut" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Teleport" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Telesoft" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^TurnitinBot/1.5" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^The.Intraformant" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^TheNomad" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^TightTwatBot" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Titan" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^True_Robot" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^turingos" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^TurnitinBot" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^URLy.Warning" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Vacuum" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^VCI" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^VoidEYE" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Web\ Image\ Collector" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Web\ Sucker" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^WebAuto" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^WebBandit" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Webclipping.com" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^WebCopier" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^WebEMailExtrac.*" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^WebEnhancer" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^WebFetch" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^WebGo\ IS" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Web.Image.Collector" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^WebLeacher" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^WebmasterWorldForumBot" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^WebReaper" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^WebSauger" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Website\ eXtractor" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Website\ Quester" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Webster" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^WebStripper" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^WebWhacker" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^WebZIP" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "Whacker" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Widow" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^WISENutbot" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^WWWOFFLE" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^WWW-Collector-E" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Xaldon" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Xenu" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Zeus" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "ZmEu" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "^Zyborg" bad_bot

    # Vulnerability Scanners
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "Acunetix" bad_bot
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "FHscan" bad_bot

    # Aggressive Chinese Search Engine
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "Baiduspider" bad_bot

    # Aggressive Russian Search Engine
    SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "Yandex" bad_bot


    <Limit GET POST HEAD>
    Order Allow,Deny
    Allow from all

    # Cyveillance
    deny from 38.100.19.8/29
    deny from 38.100.21.0/24
    deny from 38.100.41.64/26
    deny from 38.105.71.0/25
    deny from 38.105.83.0/27
    deny from 38.112.21.140/30
    deny from 38.118.42.32/29
    deny from 65.213.208.128/27
    deny from 65.222.176.96/27
    deny from 65.222.185.72/29

    Deny from env=bad_bot
    </Limit>
     


    Try adding that in, and stop bots from accessing the website.
    8 years ago
    1969-12-31T19:00:00-0500

    Are you sure you want to delete this post?

    Lynne

    Lynne

    Oh I see Everett... ummm

    Have you ever heard someone saying "I see... said the blind man to the deaf man"

    Ok so I don't see, really what do I do with an .htaccess file. Where does this animal live and how do I find it? What does it do?
    8 years ago
    1969-12-31T19:00:00-0500

    Are you sure you want to delete this post?

    Everett

    Everett

    The animal usually lives within your public_html directory, you may have to toggle to show hidden files via your file manager. Since you are using wordpress I would be very cautious and download the .htaccess file as a backup before editing it, and then apply the bad bot blocker above after you saved the backup.

    The bot blocker works wonders for me, and I never really have any issues. If the method is too "advanced", you could always find the IP address and block them via the cPanel your hosting uses.. I think that would be a better option as you could potentially mess up a site if you don't know how to use the .htaccess file.
    8 years ago
    1969-12-31T19:00:00-0500

    Are you sure you want to delete this post?

    Lynne

    Lynne

    Yes I think I should stay away from those scary looking animals. especially if they are likely to turn vicious if I do something wrong!
    8 years ago
    1969-12-31T19:00:00-0500

    Are you sure you want to delete this post?

    Cristian

    Cristian

    I've personally created a "spam filter" for google analytics that I always update when I find new forms of spam. I also hate it and I also hate applying it, because my traffic always goes down with about 10% when I apply my filter.

    I suggest you start creating such a spam list. You can find plenty tutorials online. Or maybe I can help you by transferring my spam filter to your google analytics account, did that on some websites, don't know if we both have to access to a certain website's analytics or if I can just transfer you my list...
    8 years ago
    1969-12-31T19:00:00-0500

    Are you sure you want to delete this post?

    Lynne

    Lynne

    Oh but I tried adding a spam list, I found instructions online and the URL's that I had entered still kept showing up and it upset me keeping trying that Remove Referrer Spam Traffic from Google Analytics?

    I am not sure why it wouldn't work but I remember there were 2 ways I found to do it within Google Analytics and neither way worked for me. I spent such a long time fiddling with it. That was maybe 4 months ago. I ignored it, and now I've noticed a whole bunch of new ones again recently.

    It really is annoying isn't it. And yes I was also not looking forward to seeing my traffic "drop" but I do want realistic reports.

    I'll give it a go again and let you know how it goes.
    8 years ago
    1969-12-31T19:00:00-0500

    Are you sure you want to delete this post?