# Page-View Generating Services: Scam? Way To Get Kicked Off Google? Legitimate? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 13, 2018, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/page-view-generating-services-scam-way-to-get-kicked-off-google-legitimate/819558 "2018-08-13T23:59:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/page-view-generating-services-scam-way-to-get-kicked-off-google-legitimate/819558/1 "2018-08-13T23:59:53Z")
I’ll ask for you to withhold judgment and just answer factually: are these pageview-generating services worth the money? Or does Google know that you’re pulling a fast one on them? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2018, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/page-view-generating-services-scam-way-to-get-kicked-off-google-legitimate/819558/2 "2018-08-14T00:54:01Z")
Google may not know _now_ (although the probably do already), but if they figure it out be assured that the tricks these guys are using will send your listings to the bottom. Beware of anyone who says they can do the Googledance beyond the approved methods. ---
**Author:** ![Panther\_Modern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac8455/32.png) [@Panther\_Modern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Panther_Modern)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2018, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/page-view-generating-services-scam-way-to-get-kicked-off-google-legitimate/819558/3 "2018-08-14T00:56:09Z")
Not worth the money. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2018, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/page-view-generating-services-scam-way-to-get-kicked-off-google-legitimate/819558/4 "2018-08-14T12:10:07Z")
There are good ones and there are bad ones. The bad ones outnumber the good ones by a _large_ margin. And how are you going to tell which is which? The really good ones know they are good and are careful. They take on fewer clients in order to keep a low profile. And in turn charge a lot more for their services. Odds are you are going to end up throwing your money away. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2018, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/page-view-generating-services-scam-way-to-get-kicked-off-google-legitimate/819558/5 "2018-08-14T13:23:12Z")
I’m interested in the context of this question. Does this mean that Google prioritizes search results in part on the number of page views, and there are services to run up your page views so you place higher in Google results? If so, how does Google even know how many page views you’ve had? If not, what the heck is this about? ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2018, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/page-view-generating-services-scam-way-to-get-kicked-off-google-legitimate/819558/6 "2018-08-14T16:54:00Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > I’m interested in the context of this question. Does this mean that Google prioritizes search results in part on the number of page views, and there are services to run up your page views so you place higher in Google results? If so, how does Google even know how many page views you’ve had? If not, what the heck is this about? Google does know what links in a Google search you click on. That is what “page views” means in this context. Note that the original [PageRank](http://www.cs.princeton.edu/~chazelle/courses/BIB/pagerank.htm) ™ algorithm does _not_ depend on page views, just links between web sites. But people seem to think based on SEO analysis that current Google rankings do depend in part on clicks. And if you use a Google product like Chrome they know a lot more about your surfing habits. Information is money.