Google recently announced that they would help make it less lucrative to tie up millions of Internet addresses using a loophole that keeps domain names from individuals and businesses. Domain tasting, or what’s commonly known as Domain Kiting, is a subject I’ve been discussing at SES panels over the past year and 1/2. Seems like they are finally listening and I commend Google for that.

According to an Associated Press article, Google will start looking for domain names that are repeatedly registered and dropped within a five day grace period for full refunds. Domain Registrars take advantage of an ICAAN policy loophole allowing them to test domain names, to see if they can be monetized, without paying for them. The whole process is automated and generates huge profits for both scammers and the engines. Search queries on those domains (often typo traffic) result in pages full of “sponsored listings” from Google or Yahoo, commonly known as “link farms”. It’s really quite a sleezy practice and part of the dark underbelly of search. I’m happy Google is trying to end the profiteering. It’s a poor user experience for consumers (when they enter a mistype search query and come to a page of links with google ads) and dilutes the conversion rates advertiser experience as well (from our own client’s experience). The more marketers and consumers expose these schemes the more likely the big giants of search won’t choose to conveniently look the other way.