Do search engines index references to password protected smut?
Recently Matt Cutts said that Google doesn’t index password protected content. I wasn’t sure whether or not that goes for all search engines. I thought that they might index at least references to protected URLs, like they all do with other uncrawlable content that has strong inbound links.
Well, SEO tests are dull and boring, so I thought I could have some fun with this one.
I’ve joked that I should use someone’s favorite smut collection to test it. Unfortunately, nobody was willing to trade porn passwords for link love or so. I’m not a hacker, hence I’ve created my own tiny collection of password protected SEO porn (this link is not exactly considered safe at work) as test case.
I was quite astonished that according to this post about SEO porn next to nobody in the SEOsphere optimizes adult sites (of course that’s not true). From the comments I figured that some folks at least surf for SEO porn evaluate the optimization techniques applied by adult Webmasters.
Ok, lets extend that. Out yourself as SEO porn savvy Internet marketer. Leave your email addy in the comments (dont forget to tell me why I should believe that you’re over 18), and I’ll email you the super secret password for my SEO porn members area (!SAW). Trust me, it’s worth it, and perfectly legit due to the strictly scientific character of this experiment. If you’re somewhat shy, use a funny pseudonym.
I’d very much appreciate a little help with linkage too. Feel free to link to http://sebastians-pamphlets.com/porn/
with an adequate anchor text of your choice, and of course without condom.
Get the finest SEO porn available on this planet!
I’ve got the password, now let me in!
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Sebastian | Testing, Search Quality, Fun, SEO | Related posts
Always happy to help you out with your scientific experiments Sebastian. I’ll get a link up. My wife says I am over 18, does that help?*
*I’m having flashbacks to the ID control we got at the MSN Party in Vegas!
Ok so what’s the password?
Thanks for your participation, Nick! I trust your wife. Password sent.
I’d love to help, Sebastian. I’ll get the link up for you.
Hmm, I have a Hawaii I.D. that says I’m 26: http://tinyurl.com/2rfa7m
Pratt, of course I accept Hawaii I.D.s as proof of age. You have mail.
Ok, Half, you’re in because your grandchildren vouched for you.
Thanks for playing guys.
[…] recently fired up an experiment so I thought I’d post this up to give his experiment some link juice. While I’m at it, […]
[…] Sebastian’s Pamphlets) is running an experiment for a topic I have a lot of interest in: do the Search Engines index password protected smut? In order to do that, Sebastian was forced to create a collection of SEO porn and password protect […]
Spot the lie - I solemnly do declare that I am over 18, although I am often asked for ID to prove it
[…] change your underwear perhaps…? Well, no perhaps not. Anyhow the brief point of it all is do sebastian a lemon and throw a little link his way for his SEO Porn […]
Thanks Rob, bearded guys are certainly qualified to view cyber smut. Check your mail.
Thanks for the smut links guys.
SearchCap: The Day In Search, January 16, 2008…
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web…….
You going after the porn again, Sebastian?
Yep Shaun, nothing’s better than a neat piece of smutbait.
Let’s get that password Sebastian, I’m interested to see what will happen here.
I’ll take it.
However, I cannot believe you made it through this entire post without a joke about Vanessa Fox nude.
LinkBait Darling? Will cost you very expensive for the link..:)
I am a high class escort girl, and my mama did not raise me to be stupid!
I’ll take that bait. Shoot me a pass and I’ll sort out the link asap.
Rgds
Richard
Hey, if it’s for science, count me in
I thought you were pulling our yoyos like you usually do, but the collection is excelent. Better than Playboy, Swank, and PentHouse.
Some nice Shit..:)
Thanks for the preview!
Wiep, Richard, Igor, Shady, Ben - thanks for playing, passwords sent.

To the jester trying to get a search engine rep a free porn pass - strange to say your contribution went to /dev/null.
BTW, I’ve trademarked and registered “smutbait” yesterday, so more smut’s coming some day .
I’m all in for science, I will just have to close my eyes when I log in!
So I might have peeked between my fingers, you got a thing for the pretty redheads their and the Mermaid well….
If only everyone else could see it, if only Google could.
(Was that overkill)
ok, i’ll bite. i’m filled with shame, shame and anticipation
Thanks Tim, glad you liked it.
Ms. Googlebot uses a patented technology (smut-ray®) to lurk in protected porn sites, hence I’m sure that Google saw it. Anyway, it seems not a single search engine has indexed the /porn/ URI yet. Maybe they keep stuff like that for the internal indexes, smut4staff.corp.google/microsoft/yahoo/ask.com …
Seriously, I don’t expect that Google will list the URL on their SERPs. I’ll give the other engines more time to index - and you guys more time to view the smut. Technically spoken, that means the duration of this experiment is unlimited to give the dead slow ask/teoma crawler a fair chance.
Ask has a crawler? I didn’t know they were still in business…whooda thunk it?
John, I heard they’re still crawling in NJ, but I can’t verify that. I mean, who’s hosting smut in NJ?
Hahaha, as the self proclaimed SEO porn queen (from the seomoz thread you mentioned), I wanted to wish you luck with your experiment
[…] is performing an indexation test, so I just had to throw in a link… Push my Buttons! submit_url = […]
Thankfully sent u/p to these smutboxes: Crash + John.
Nick, is the russian translation of Half’s post linking here yours?
When I search for crap my first choice is always MSN. Today they’ve indexed an unlinked sitemap file that’s referenced in robots.txt only:

Probably MSN likes everything as long as it’s slightly porn related.
>Nick, is the russian translation of Half’s post linking here yours?
Nope wasn’t me. I *never* cross the streams
It’s all for the advancement of our trade, so ,let’s have a look! PW please.
My favorite show in 1981 was “The Fall Guy” to prove my age.
Am 39.
Very nice, this is becoming the sleeper topic of 2008. I wouldn’t be surprised if this becomes a panel discussion at an SMX or PubCon event this year.
Nick, Half’s post is spot on, translations of such valuable articles would make a lot of sense.
Vingold, I don’t think it’s a sleeper topic. So far nothing is indexed, not even Yerbando’s smutbox.
Time will tell, but at least Google and Yahoo do behave. Maybe MSN will index the thin 401 response page, though.
[…] while ago I’ve staged a public SEO contest, asking whether the 401 HTTP response code prevents from search engine indexing or […]
Curious about the experiment
Johnny, here you go.
[…] Sebastian’s Pamphlets) is running an experiment for a topic I have a lot of interest in: do the Search Engines index password protected smut? In order to do that, Sebastian was forced to create a collection of SEO porn and password protect […]
I dont know what you think I’m doing here other than SEO research, but a password to the porn section might do me well.