UPDATE: This review is now outdated, and I do not make any current claims regarding this product. I am leaving it here for informational purposes only. To get the most up-to-date information and recommendations, please join my free newsletter.
11/05/2008
I wasn’t planning on reviewing this. Normally, when I review a product it’s either because someone asked me to promote their product, or because my subscribers have asked me to check something out and provide my opinion.
In this case, I actually purchased the product for my own use without expecting to review it. But after taking a look at it, I decided it would be worth reviewing it for you.
The product is called The Ultimate Search Engine Loophole, and I purchased it solely because of the claims made in the sales letter.
Essentially the claim is this:
Using their secret method you can rank #1 for any keyword on the MSN search engine.
For me the decision to buy it was simple…
I spend hundreds of dollars every day on clicks from search engines. I also don’t enjoy spending a lot of time on SEO. So the opportunity to get organic traffic by exploiting a search engine “loophole” is obviously very attractive. Their price of $67 for this information made it a no-brainer. The investment will pay for itself within one day of free traffic… if the system actually works.
So the question is…
Did the product meet my expectations, and does it work?
I’ve got some good news and a couple of warnings.
The good news is that the method seems to be totally legitimate. I’ve seen some products in the past that I decided not to even review because they were just a total waste of time (like all the “get Free Google Adwords” junk). This is not one of those.
They are very clear on the sales page that this is not a “course”. It’s a 20 page PDF that reveals a “trade secret”. That much I can verify. The method is concise, and while it is somewhat technical in nature, it’s fairly simple if you understand the basics of website building.
The warnings are that there were a couple of important points that the sales letter seemed to gloss over.
Warning #1: You have to buy something else to take full advantage of the method.
The sales letter states “If you follow the blueprint and set up your “linkubaiter” exactly how we show you, there’s simply no way you won’t see results.”
What they don’t tell you is that you have to purchase the “linkubaiter” separately. You can get it during the one time offer for $47, or for $97 if you decide to buy it later.
As stated in the one-time offer, you DON’T necessarily have to user the linkubaiter (which is a software program sold by the author). The PDF does include instructions for using the method without the linkubaiter.
However, if you decide to use the non-linkubaiter version of their method, you still have to buy an additional plugin, which came as a bit of a surprise to me.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with having to buy something else, as long as the expectation is not set to the contrary. So I guess it’s up to you to decide whether my expectations were unrealistic to begin with.
I’m sure I’ve been guilty of doing similar things with some of my products and sales letters (it’s easy to set your customers expectations too high when you’re selling information), so it’s a good reminder for me to feel what it’s like to be on the consumer side of the transaction.
And to their credit, the linkubaiter is a perfectly executed upsell. It’s tied directly to the main offer, and makes you feel the need to buy it. And they’re not paying their affiliates commission on the upsell, so I’m sure they’re making as much profit from it as they are from the front end offer (I mention this because it’s an interesting example of a profitable OTO for you to study).
In addition to this, you will need to have several domains and seperate C-class hosting for them. For someone like me who has tons of extra domains lying around, it’s not a problem. But if you’re looking at startup expenses, it’s something you would need to consider.
OK, so here’s the 2nd warning…
The sales letter implies that the method is completely innocuous… saying it’s not even “grey hat”.
After all, they say “we’re actually not abusing or violating MSN in any way.” The sales letter also states “we are not scraping content”.
However, part of the method does involve scraping content from another site… which probably violates the TOS of that other site.
If you’re a serious internet marketer who understands that even the search engines themselves are content scrapers, then it’s probably not a problem for you.
The context in which they are scraping is not blatantly “abusive” in my opinion, and I’d be willing to give it a try. But they really shouldn’t be calling this a white hat method. I’d say it’s grey.
OK, so in spite of these slight “misunderstandings”… is the product worth it?
If you’re an established internet marketer, I’d say yes it’s worth it. Just keep in mind that this is a traffic TACTIC and not a foundational component of your business. While the author states that he is not worried about MSN getting wise to the loophole at any point in the near future, I wouldn’t be so certain.
I’ve been around this game long enough to know that these kind of tactics can get wiped out overnight.
But that’s not a reason to avoid it. After all, if you know a way of getting free traffic NOW, you should do it!
Who is this product NOT for?
This product is not for people who don’t know how to set up a one page website. In other words, it’s not for the rank beginner.
Who is this product for?
This product is for someone who knows how to set up a website (knowing how to install a WordPress blog is helpful too). Additionally, you should have a method of monetization for your website, whether that be a product of your own, an affiliate promotion, or contextual ads. And as mentioned in the review, you’ll need a little startup capital beyond the price of the information.
If you meet the above criteria, and you want to grab some MSN search engine rankings, I recommend this product for you.
You’ll also have the advantage of going into it with your eyes wide open, thanks to my purchase experience 😉
Click here for The Ultimate Search Engine Loophole
The method is supposed to take between one week and two months to grab your rankings, so let me know how it works for you.
As always, you are welcome to leave your comments here on the blog.
Have a great day!
Once again Eric your info is truly ahead of the pack thanks for the heads up on the OTO I will be ready when I buy from your link and yes I think I will get the O.T.O.
I have a solid SEO associate working on something that will make a ton of SEO and Other traffic gen stuff work much easier for newbies and pro’s alike hopefully i can share this with you and get your feedback thanks again and keep up the great work.
Great review! Very insightful. As an SEO and traffic guy myself I will have to check this out, but you are right in your assumptions that they may catch onto the loop hole soon. Until that time though it sounds like you can really make this work. Thanks for the awesome review!
Great stuff Eric.
I myself hate purchasing a product and then being tricked into paying more money for additional components to get the product to work successfully. If the creator clearly spells this out in their sales copy that’s fine, but to keep it hidden until after you’ve purchased the product, that stinks.
I find the only reason why someone releases a white/gray/black hat technique is because it will soon be discovered. So they are trying to make some easy money from it before it does.
I’m going to stay far away from this product.
Kenny
Thanks for an honest review. Rather than here it is Go, Go, Go…
Thanks Mknowles. Sure thing, you can let me know about your SEO related product.
And remember, you don’t necessarily have to buy the OTO, but you will need to buy an additional plugin which is explained in the PDF.
Eric, all I can say is Thank You, Thank You, Thank You.
I’ve been trying to search for reviews regarding this product but none actually tell the whole story. I am quite surprise with the OTO. I thought I can buy it for $67, but now I have to spend another $47. The total now will be $114 and I must say it is quite expensive.
I also have a question. Can this linkubaiter thing install in free blogger blog? Or do I need to have my own website to use the linkubaiter?
Many thanks
Thanks Paul, its always nice to hear from you 🙂
Hey, Eric, appreciate you giving it to us straight. If there’s something that really annoys me, it’s getting a product that is only one part of what you need. Thanks!
Hey Eric,
Thanks for the straight forward review. Do you or anyone else know of a good MSN keyword tool? It would be nice to be able to do some research on the keywords first.
Thanks!!!
Jason
Hey bro, I covered some keyword tools in lesson 20:
Also for MSN, if you sign up for a PPC advertising account with them, you can do some internal research there.
Hey Eric,
THIS is a review. thank you very much. You are really revealing what is beside the sales letters.
Thanks for letting every body know that they will have to buy another product to make it work.
Franck
Hello Eric,
Thank you for your very honest and down to earth review of the ultimate search engine loophole.
You have saved newbies from rushing into purchasing a product that may take a much longer time to benefit from.
I prefer marketers to be honest upfront about whatever additional purchases, would make any initial product purchase function properly.
Old marketers must realise that newbies are never happy about shielded purchases.
Eric, I too bought this and was a bit shocked and angry to find out you need more to make it work. You still haven’t mentioned half the extras you’ll need to make this truely work.
1. Original offer $67.00
2. Linkubaiter script $47.00
3. Content builder for blogs $77.00
4. Webhosting (because normal hosts like Hostgator or Oneandone will not do) $40.00 a month (minimum)
5. 10 domain names (for blog building) per keyword you want to rank for (10 x $5.00 = $50.00)
Total cost to setup = $721.00
Now you could argue that if you get a number one ranking for a good keyword then $721.00 is a drop in the ocean for what you might make in return but it’s still a serious amount of money for newbies to have to fork out when originally they purchased something at $67.00
Just my 2 cents.
Richard
Thanks Eric for this great review. I was not planning on buying more products but I find you an honest person and if I have time I will look at other websites/products you recommend.
I generally don’t mind OTO’s, but if it is part 1 of a product and you really need part 2, then I get very annoyed. It’s semi-dishonest if this is not revealed on the main salespage.
O won’t be buying, cos I already have a full time plan for now. Something else always comes along next week…and the week after…ad infinitum.
Thank you very much.
I guessed there was an upsell because it was mentioned in the Warrior forum, but its arguably a bit cheeky to not mention a required purchase!
Thanks for the heads up Eric.
Alex
Hi Eric,
As usual, top useful information and really an honest guide. However, can I suppose to skip these gray stuff and focus on something else, that worked for me very well. It is about writing 3 versions of an article with equal number of paragraphs. Then, mix them up to come with around 12-15 unique articles and then submit them to top article directories. This simple technique is a bit time consuming but the results are really great as Google loves it so much to have unique contents linked back to my website.
Best Wishes for all.
Asem
I have to give thumbs up to Kenneth Washington – I kind of align myself with his views. As the article also mentioned, this sort of thing can be “nerfed” overnight if MSN becomes aware of its explotive nature.
One other question, I know that Google benefits from other search engine rankings – like MSN and Yahoo especially – but does this ranking on MSN translate into organic results for Google? IS this exploit more of one of “those things” that MSN benefits from without giving “real” ranking to the page or search word?
Thanks again for your unbiased reviews. Looking forward to more.
In the meantime – stay healthy – it’s the most important thing we have
My Omega-3 and Antioxidant Benefits Blog
Eric,
I’m a newbie and have been listening to your tips. Thank you so much for your insight and honesty. It is refreshing to read a review with pros and cons in it. You rock!!
Appreciated your effort on our behalf!
Eric, Thanks for your words of wisdom. I am a beginner and have not made any money on anything yet. Sincerely, Winston.
Thanks for the response Eric! I’ll get on that right away.
Richard, you are right… it would cost a newbie significantly more to set this up. I wasn’t thinking about the domain and hosting costs, because I have dozens of unused domains sitting around already, and multiple dedicated servers to host them on.
Also, I guess I expected that a method such as this would require some domains and hosting… but I suppose a lot of people would not make that assumption so I think I’ll add a line about it in my review above. Thanks
Eric..
Are you finished the video series on how to make money?
Or is just pushing stuff through your affiliated links from now on ???
Wheres the tutorials gone…
No I’m still working on the videos. I’m planning on there being 100 lessons. E
Yeah, I just bought this product before i read your review. All I want to say is it’s worth it. But there is a little leg work involved, but looks like it will be well worth it.
BTW, been reading your posts some time now and wanted to give a “big shout out” on doing a real stand up job on solid content!
Eric,
If I have 5 keywords I want to promote do I have to have a unique hosting account for each keyword?
Meaning, 10 domains per keyword, can i host 50 domains on the same server and still get a top ranking?
Hi Richard,
Glad you’ve done your home work and made this post. I have also bought the offer and upsell.
I am certainly not a newbie, but I’ve never done any blog work or used content builders for blogs. I’m wondering what you recommend for generating the content?
Thanks
Ray
http://www.visiolo.com/t/74
Do you have some sort of revised time frame in your “planning”? It seems to be much longer than was initially suggested and I don’t see myself hitting the goal you said would be achievable by the end of the year if we continue at this pace? There are people waiting and depending on you for these videos.
I’m not trying to be offensive but I feel it needs to be said you do seem to be going off track a bit from our perspective, especially after saying “Stop buying stuff” and that you were “retiring”.
Your videos are top shelf and as freely given we don’t have “rights”. Just a humble request from a Chrsitian brother, “Can we stay focused?”
Ray
Hi Eric,
Thumbs uo to your work! 🙂
Thanks! Eric, i like your free technique, i would like to asy in few words, that hat’s of to your work!
Hi Eric,
Are you still sending the lessons. I Haven’t seen any since #25 on 10/5/2008?
JD
Ray- sorry for the delay of the lessons. I talked about it a month or so ago in an email, but a lot of people probably missed it. I’ve been really busy with higher priority family matters, and projects outside of internet marketing, which has caused me to have to spend less time on the lessons. Part of it is because I am transitioning/retiring out of the internet marketing world and into new things. I anticipate this transition being a 1-2 year process.
But I will definitely complete the lessons. For one thing I gave my word to my subscribers, and for another I really want to provide good information to help others. Thanks for hanging in there with me.
I can’t get too much into the details without giving away the trade secrets of the ebook. But I will say that they recommend hosting each domain on a seperate C-class IP.
Yes, I’ve just had to slow down on them lately. #26 is online already and I’m currently working on #27, thanks
Hi Eric,
I have the utmost respect for you, as one of your many sterling attributes is that you never gloss over the truth. You say it as it is. You gave an honest opinion of the product and even ensured that people are aware that they will have to purchase an add on.
Usually some internet markerters will never reveal this and they allow us to learn the lesson the hard way.
I am sure that you are very well respected by many people due to your honesty and urge for may others to succeed.
Keep up the good work and I am sure that you will propel to even greater heights of success.
Thnaks Eric
Hi Eric,
I appreciate everything you giving to us.
Whith your advice and lessons I began to trust in online marketing.
Best regards,
Halina
Hello!
Eric you probably work to explain blog – Website (on a domain), and other websites for squeeze page, landing page, websites in general etc.
You told me to remind you about:
1)“do follow” for blogs, and
2)A free good software for creating covers for digital Products.
Again, thanks a lot for your quality lessons, you spread the most detailed and useful knowledge and I am grateful.
To your success and ours.
Regards
Michaela
Eric,
You said “And they’re not paying their affiliates commission on the upsell”
Are they using another payment provider besides Clickbank for the upsell?
Thanks!
Hi! Up till now I created blogs only with Blogger.com.
Because I hate the restriction about affiliate marketing links when … affiliate marketing is what I am doing, for the first time, I have created a Blog on my domain using WorldPress. Now I am free to do what I wanted.
I am still experimenting, I have only 2 posts and 2 other pages, but I think is looking good, still some small goofs, hey! I just started Sunday.
I invite everybody to look it over. Only constructive criticism, please; don’t tell me that you don’t like color blue, just kidding!
But your opinion is important to me, I want to here from you all.
http://michaelacernescu.com/
is the blog.
Regards
Michaela
Are some of these people stupid, how many times do you have to explain yourself Eric? & the way some people come across in their posts, well its just plain RUDE, you are doing these lessons FOR FREE & these people should remember that,most of us thank & appreciate you, THANK YOU !!!!!
Hi Ray, on page 13 of the MSN Loophole pdf you’ll find a link to a program for generating content for the blogs. Its called Caffeinated Content.
Cheers,
Richard
Richard,
how you come up with $700 for setting this up is beyond me 🙂 I started this paying a TINY FRACTION of this amount.
a) content builders like WordPress and plugins, or YACG or RSSGMAI are *FREE*
b) Reseller Hosting with 10 diff IPs i got for $29 (!) for 2 months, otherwise something like $60 for three months, i used a coupon for half off
This is a still, its not even $10 month for hosting…this is unlimited subdomains or addon-domains and as said, 10 different IPs.
My “normal” hosting i dont even count since i pay $2/month for excellent PHP hosting.
Domains? Who gives a ****…$5-$9 for a domain/YEAR.
How do you come up with that numbers?
Yes i said it over at W already, this is a very SOLID product and a twist of normal link building, interesting for me since i never dealt with blog-farming before.
It needs “work”, but installing a WP blog via cpanel is easy as pie and can be done in 4 mins.
Linkubaiter is super easy to integrate and manage…all super easy…FAR easier than similar programs on a “bigger” scale like DP link program or TNX etc.
Hi ! Erics, you idea is working. no follow this link frn. you are great ….
Ah the world of the upsell, cross sell, down sell, and well any which way we can sell.
Thanks for the heads up. Will check it out and walk with eyes open!@
Rich
Eric,
So glad you posted on Loophol. I found that very helpfull, so thank you. Not ready for it but it sounded good didn’t it. Loved your holiday pics.God bless. From Pixie Down Under.
Ray,
Have you had any luck with the program? This is a lot of money and you won’t see resuls for 2-4 weeks. That’s an aweful gig Gamble.
As a newbie I have been sucked in on offers that had a additional purchase requirement after the initial purchase or “steps” that were unworkable for me many times. I appreciate your honest and open review. Keep up the good work.
that’s correct, they were running the upsell directly through Paypal.
Eric,
Great site and a fountain of information. Thank you for all your efforts. I have purchased the “Loophole” and LinkuBaiter fully expecting that actual work would be required to make it succesful. This is a program to build a business, not a hobby. The investment in Caffeinated Content, LinkuBaiter and the associated Class C IPs and domains are just part of the cost of doing business. As a business decision I felt that the returns have such great potential that the investment was well worth the risk. I expect to spend about $1,000 on the front end to set up the system. How many actual money making businesses can be had for $1,000 (that are worth having – not MLM or some scam overnight wonder)? I mean something you would actuall ENJOY doing every day.I think Dave Kelly and Chris Rempel are straight shooters. If I build my business tightly around their model I feel confident it will yield great results. But yes, this is NOT for everybody looking for an online business. It takes much more effort than you might expect at first. If you buy the “Loophole”, expect to work ALOT to get it up and running successfully. But please don’t whine about the “high cost” of the business, or about the fact that it is going to take actual work to make it happen. What you get out of life depends upon what you put into it. Thanks again for all your insight and honest work.