What methods can be used to rapidly verify a website's universal accessibility? Consistent monitoring is not always reliable since a site may be accessible through a data center server but not through a home provider. Additionally, the sites in question are foreign and not my own.
Furthermore, how does link procurement from a restricted website function? Will it function in the GEO where the website is accessible, or will it not function at all? What is the recommended course of action for previously acquired links on blocked websites - should one still pay rent for them or not renew their lease?
Sometimes a particular provider may have a website that is blocked while others are not. In such cases, it is advisable to exhibit patience before removing any links. One should give the website owners some time to transfer their site to another hosting provider.
To test the accessibility of a site, you can use online resources that determine the accessibility of a site. I recommend this - https://www.site24x7.com/tools/check-website-availability.html#:~:text=Website%20uptime%20or%20website%20availability,a%20selected%20period%20of%20time.
In addition, to find out if sites are available from which countries and if all pages are available, you can use thinner software. I use https://www.dotcom-monitor.com/ . There is a free trial period. It determines availability in over 25 countries across all pages.
If the site is blocked only for entering from a certain region (not for which promotion is taking place), then this will not have an effect, however, if the site is blocked, or you are targeting the same GEO where the blocking occurs, then such links will not be taken into account by the algorithms.
Numerous services are available to verify a website's availability from any geographical location. Some even allow checking on a national level as well as for specific cities or states.
These are some of the available services for monitoring website availability:
- Montastic.com
- Monitor-site.com
- Pingdom.com
- Host-tracker.com
- Uptimerobot.com
- Ping-admin.com
One effective approach is to utilize online accessibility testing tools that simulate various geographical locations. Services like BrowserStack or GeoPeeker can be incredibly helpful here; they allow you to see how a site performs across different devices and locations, which can give you a sense of its accessibility.
Another method is to leverage a Virtual Private Network (VPN). By connecting to different servers around the world, you can check the accessibility of the site as if you were in that location. This allows you to quickly identify if there are regional restrictions or accessibility issues.
You can also use an inspection tool like the WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool, which can provide insights on accessibility issues present on the website, regardless of its geographical content. Combining these tools will give you a rounded view of the website's accessibility status.
Now, regarding link procurement from a restricted website, it gets a bit tricky. If a website is geo-blocked, the links may function solely in the regions where the website is accessible. This means that if you're in a country where the site is blocked, any links from it might not bring value since there would be no way for users to reach the source. Furthermore, search engines also take geographical factors into account when determining the value of a link.
As for previously acquired links on blocked websites, the decision to renew or pay rent for them depend on several factors. If the site is majorly restricted and there's little chance for it to be accessible in the near future, it might not be worth maintaining those links. On the other hand, if the content or domain has significant authority and could potentially become accessible again, it might be worth keeping the link active, at least until you've assessed the situation thoroughly.
To verify a website's universal accessibility rapidly and address the challenges you've mentioned, several methods can be used:
1. Global CDN Monitoring Tools
Services like Uptrends, Pingdom, or StatusCake: These tools offer global monitoring that checks the accessibility of a website from multiple geographic locations, including different ISPs. This method ensures that the site is accessible not just through data center servers but also through various home providers.
2. Use VPN Services
Test Accessibility via VPNs: By using VPN services, you can simulate access from different countries and ISPs. This approach is useful to check if a site is accessible from specific regions where you suspect blocks might exist.
3. Web Proxies
Public or Private Web Proxies: Access the website through public or private web proxies located in different countries. This can help determine if the website is universally accessible or blocked in certain regions.
4. Tracert and Ping Tests
Traceroute (Tracert) and Ping Tests: Run these tests from different geographic locations to see where the connection fails. This helps in identifying whether the issue is with the ISP, the routing, or the website itself.
5. Global DNS Check
Use Tools like DNS Checker: These tools allow you to see if the domain's DNS records are resolving correctly across various global locations, which can indicate if the site might be blocked in certain regions.
6. Third-Party Accessibility Tools
Use Third-Party Tools like BrowserStack or LambdaTest: These platforms offer cross-browser testing with the ability to simulate different geographic regions and network conditions to check website accessibility.
Link Procurement from a Restricted Website
Link procurement from a restricted website depends on the nature of the restriction:
If the website is restricted only in specific GEOs (geographical locations): The link will still function in areas where the site is accessible. The value of such a link in search engine optimization (SEO) may diminish if major search engines cannot crawl the site due to GEO-based restrictions.
If the website is entirely blocked by search engines or ISPs: The link may not pass any link equity (SEO value) since it would be inaccessible to crawlers, and users in the restricted GEOs wouldn't be able to follow the link.
Recommended Course of Action for Previously Acquired Links on Blocked Websites
Evaluate the SEO Value: Determine if the blocked website is still being indexed by search engines in other regions or if it still holds authority. If the website is completely deindexed or inaccessible to search engine crawlers, the link may no longer provide SEO benefits.
Consider GEO Targeting: If the website is only blocked in certain regions but still functions well in others, consider the relevance of the GEOs to your target audience. If your audience is unaffected by the restrictions, it might still be worth maintaining the link.
Financial Consideration: If the blocked website no longer provides value in terms of traffic or SEO, it might be wise to stop paying rent for the links and instead invest in acquiring links from accessible and high-authority websites.
Regular monitoring of a website's accessibility using global tools is crucial to understand the true reach of your website. For link procurement, the decision to continue paying for links on blocked websites should be based on their current SEO value and relevance to your target audience. If the value has diminished, reallocating resources to more accessible and valuable links would be a better strategy.
To check if a site is blocked, you can use a few simple methods:
Direct Access: Try accessing the site directly from your browser. If the site doesn't load and you receive an error like "This site can't be reached," it might be blocked.
Use a Proxy or VPN: If you suspect the site is blocked in your region, try accessing it through a proxy server or VPN. If the site loads, it's likely blocked in your location.
Ping Test: Open the command prompt (Windows) or terminal (Mac/Linux) and type ping [website address]. If you receive a response, the site is likely not blocked. If there's no response, the site might be down or blocked.
Check Using a DA Checker Website: You can use a DA Checker website to see if the site is active or reachable. These tools not only check the domain authority but often provide information about whether the site is live or has issues with accessibility. If the DA Checker tool can't retrieve data or shows an error, it might indicate that the site is blocked or down.
By using these methods, you can determine if a site is blocked or just facing temporary issues.
To quickly verify a website's universal accessibility, use tools like web-based accessibility checkers or VPN services to test from different locations and networks. These tools help ensure the site is accessible globally, not just from specific servers.
For link procurement from restricted websites, the links will work in the regions where the site is accessible. If the site is blocked in your target region, the links won't be effective there. For previously acquired links on blocked sites, consider not renewing them if they don't drive traffic or benefit your SEO. Focus on acquiring links from accessible, relevant sites instead.
To check if a site is blocked, try accessing it from different devices or networks, use online tools like "Is It Down" services or run a ping/traceroute command to test connectivity.
You can check if a site is blocked by using online tools like "Down For Everyone Or Just Me," trying a different network, or testing via VPN access.