I discovered my business name in the "keywords" list on a competitor's website. I'm not a website whiz, but I think this means that someone searching for my website might actually discover my competitor's instead.
Is this unethical? Illegal (I doubt it)? Normal?

Why would it not be illegal????

No matter how you want to look at it the keywords are advertising to the spiders. To be benefiting off of your good name with out your permission to advertise your name ????? to get him business is wrong.


Someone else had a thread like this recently.

I would call your competitor and politely ask him to remove your name from his website (source code) same thing.

You can do it differently with reciprocal links but that is silly if he is your competition in the same work area.

__________________
Ted Menelly
"Castle"
Home Inspection Services

Heck, post his website address and let everyone take a shot! This could be some cheap entertainment!

__________________
Scott Patterson
Spring Hill, TN
http://www.traceinspections.com

I'm thinking about it. In the meantime I've notified a couple of friends whose business names are also on the keyword list.

By the way, the reason I stumbled across this is because someone on this board suggested the book Search Engine Optimization for Dummies, which I bought, and which suggests looking at competitor's websites for keyword ideas.

Don't feel bad, I have noticed a couple of inspectors have taken my long used quote and put it on their websites.

__________________

Thanks, I'll start using that tomorrow After all, what are fellow inspectors for.

__________________
Ted Menelly
"Castle"
Home Inspection Services

I've since discovered that the website keyword list is different depending on which browser is used. I don't understand that at all, but then I'm no internet/computer expert neither.
When using Internet Explorer, there are fewer business names in the keyword list than when using FireFox. Mine doesn't appear on IE. Strange.

John;
What is your business name? is it common usage wording? If so, you don't have copyright.
Just like Raymond thinks that his quote "inspectors have taken my long used quote and put it on their websites."

Is, in reality, not his at all. Just ask William Osler.

__________________
Critical Home Inspection Services
www.Home2Spec.com

Victor - I put a lot of thought into my business name, so don't laugh. It's "Arnold Home Inspections". Hey - it starts with an "A"!

Anyway, there are about half a dozen inspection company's names in this guy's keyword list, including some national franchises, such as House Master. Anyway, I'm not claiming copyright. I'm claiming it's sleazy and unethical.

Gotcha...
So, this guys thinking was:
If someone does a google search for Arnold HI or HouseMaster or ABC HI or... whatever, his website will come up in the search because those names are in his "keyword" line.

Ok .. I agree... not ethical. However ....

How many people are actually going to google search for a HI using the company name?
Generally they'll do a search using something like "home inspections in philladelphia"

He really didn't think it through and wasted valuable keyword space.

He might also have gone on the premise that "it is easier to ask for forgiveness that permission"
If you contact him, he'll probably take it off of there.

There are a couple of web sites that I'd love to hack into and have a "go" at 'em.

__________________
Critical Home Inspection Services
www.Home2Spec.com

Its too bad many inspectors don't have any originality and have to lift material, but when you look at their websites they are also offering the Moon. Why be original when its easier to copy someone elses work whether copyrighted or not?

__________________

Just playing Devil's advocate a bit John, but is it possible that he's just adverstising the fact that he does home inspections in Arnold, PA?

__________________
Richard Moore
Rest Assured Inspection Services - www.rainspect.com
Seattle, Washington

Hey! *I* "lifted" a lot of material from someone's website because I respect him and liked his web site.

I started with that "lifted" material and format, change the material to fit me instead of him and his material, then changed the format a little bit (I changed the format even more, but did not like it, so I went back to the basic original format with my changes).

Imitation *IS* the sincerest form of flattery.

__________________
Jerry Peck, Construction / Litigation Consultant
Construction Litigation Consultants, LLC ( www.ConstructionLitigationConsultants.com )

Ya gotta file off those serial numbers though......

__________________
Critical Home Inspection Services
www.Home2Spec.com

Well we all know where standardized templates for websites can be found.... Membership has its privileges alright! ....or experience is not in seeing much but in having an original website - William Osler.

__________________

Of course!

I removed all traces of the original person so as to not tie him to my inferior website.

__________________
Jerry Peck, Construction / Litigation Consultant
Construction Litigation Consultants, LLC ( www.ConstructionLitigationConsultants.com )

Richard - Nice try, but Arnold, PA is way out by Pittsburgh, many hours from here and even further from NJ which is where the offending guy lives.

If you do a google search on "philadelphia home inspection", the guy has just about every company that appears on the first results page on his keyword list.

John, does this leach by any chance have my company name in his keyword list?

Nick - Check your email and call me if you don't see anything.

He would never screw with Batman