One of the biggest problems faced by ClickBank merchants is the risk of content theft - people downloading their digital products without paying for them.
To gain illicit access to downloadable product files, determined content thieves exploit a range of security weaknesses, each of which can be eliminated if the correct protective measures are applied. Here, we will look at just one area of vulnerability and a simple precaution that any ClickBank merchant can use to protect against it.
Most ClickBank merchants understand that there should never be links to downloadable product files and thank-you pages from the other pages on their website. The only way to access a product file should be via its thank-you page, which likewise should be accessible only via the ClickBank payment process. Observance of these simple guidelines will ensure that there is no way to navigate directly to your downloadable content.
This approach also ensures that the thank-you page will not be indexed by search engine spiders, which is essential, as nothing could be more harmful to product security than a thank-you page with a #1 Google ranking!
However, we should not overlook the risk that your thank-you page and product file URLs may be distributed in underground newsgroups and forums. While this may not necessarily lead to an immediate avalanche of illicit downloads, the risk exists that the forum posting will eventually be indexed by a search engine and that this will provide an indirect route by which the thank-you page itself becomes indexed.
Astonishingly, the solution proposed by some so-called web security experts is to list your thank-you pages in your web server's robots.txt file - a configuration file that informs search engines which pages should be excluded from indexing.
It's true that this approach usually prevents indexing of the thank-you pages. But it creates an even greater weakness - it provides any would-be hacker with easy access to the exact names and locations of all your supposedly hidden files.
It cannot be over-emphasized - never list your product files or delivery pages in your web server's robots.txt file! To explicitly stop a thank-you page being indexed by spiders, use the following Meta tag in the element of each thank-you page:
Although a search engine may discover your thank-you pages by some indirect route, it will silently ignore any page that contains the above Meta tag.
Of course, this is just one of several vulnerabilities that expose your downloadable products to the risks of theft. In chapter 21 of "ClickBank - The Definitive Guide", I examine the whole gamut of techniques that online thieves use to steal your merchandise and I describe several of the most effective ways in which this problem can be tackled.
About The Author
Copyright © Tim Coulter. All rights reserved.
Tim Coulter is a consultant and software developer who helps netpreneurs to harness marketing technologies.
He is also the author of "ClickBank - The Definitive Guide" The Ultimate ClickBank Tutorial & Reference Manual.
http://www.clickbankrevealed.com/
If you are using pay per click advertising, I don't... Read More
Ready for more tips on how to make your AdWords... Read More
Pst! Wanna know some Adsense secrets? The only secret is... Read More
Submitting your website to the Search Engines today may seem... Read More
It's easy to overlook the basics of a strong AdWords... Read More
If you want to make money online with a work... Read More
Have you received your check from Google? If you own... Read More
To be a successful affiliate marketer takes a ton of... Read More
Are Small PPC Search Engines Really Worth The Effort? The... Read More
There are a variety of advertising options available to online... Read More
Hardly a day goes by without a forum posting in... Read More
Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising is a good supplement to natural search... Read More
So, you've tried all the marketing techniques you have read... Read More
Here's a feisty trick where you can profit from Adsense... Read More
Adwords Analyzer (http://tinyurl.com/a3o3o) is a remarkable keywords research tool that... Read More
Pay per click (PPC) advertising can be a dream come... Read More
Pay-per-click search engine advertising has generated ample interest in the... Read More
These are simply advertisements related, in theory and often practice,... Read More
Google's AdSense program is probably the best affiliate program on... Read More
Without tracking, your online advertising is just a shot in... Read More
Where are your ads being displayed?The Untold Secret Of Pay... Read More
Then most difficult aspect of marketing a new product or... Read More
In 2003 I was accepted by Google into their AdSense... Read More
When you purchase visitors or "clicks" from a search engine,... Read More
Have you ever imagined what it would be like to... Read More
I recently made a critical mistake in my progression towards... Read More
Forbes magazine reported that pay per click ads accounted for... Read More
Search engine optimization can take a long time to show... Read More
On Friday, July 15th all Google advertisers got the email... Read More
PPC advertising has many great benefits. First of all, you... Read More
In private consultations with some Search Engine Optimizers I am... Read More
What are Website Conversion Strategies?Website conversion strategies are marketing and... Read More
Why should you pay to get web site traffic, isn't... Read More
So You Want Big Profits From Your AdWords PPC Advertising?... Read More
Because of increasing competition that has led to higher advertising... Read More
How much revenue do you generate from Google Adsense?Recently there... Read More
Setting up a pay-per-click campaign is simple, right? Practically all... Read More
Back in the old days of the Internet - in... Read More
Many people decide to spend a lot of money putting... Read More
Starting an ultimately effective pay-per-click campaign is difficult. Although the... Read More
Clickbank has been around for years and has earned an... Read More
The cycle of affiliate programs and money making ventures goes... Read More
ClickBank allows its merchants to sell many different types of... Read More
Google announced in January 2005 significant changes in their popular... Read More
"Pay-per-click," by far the most popular form of online advertising,... Read More
These are simply advertisements related, in theory and often practice,... Read More
Submitting your website to the Search Engines today may seem... Read More
No, this baby boom will certainly not swamp the Social... Read More
Why should you pay to get web site traffic, isn't... Read More
A ClickBank merchant account allows you to define and sell... Read More
Most pay per click ads draw amazingly low click through... Read More
Are Small PPC Search Engines Really Worth The Effort? The... Read More
During conversations with web business professionals about pay-per-click search engines,... Read More
It seems at the moment that everybody is telling you... Read More
Pay per click marketing is one of the simplest and... Read More
Pay per click (PPC) advertising continues to gain popularity in... Read More
Do you know what is the most important question among... Read More
Make $$$$ with Google Adsense! Top Paying Keywords! $100 per... Read More
No matter how hard you work to optimize your page,... Read More
The truth about Google's Adsense program is that it is... Read More
When doing Pay Per Click Advertising you'll often see "Bid... Read More
If you are using pay per click advertising, I don't... Read More
Improving Adwords Campaign ManagementAdwords Campaign Management - Naming SchemesKeep your... Read More
There are a variety of advertising options available to online... Read More
You may not realize it, but in the next few... Read More
If you have visited any of the affiliate-related websites or... Read More
Pay-Per-Click Advertising |