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Update: How To Search-Bomb Your Friends

The best laid plans of search-bombers often go awry.

Search Bombing

Update 1

Earlier today, after search-bombing most of you who left comments on Friday’s post, Search-Bombing: An Irresistible April Fool’s Blogging Tradition, I learned that my searchbombs were not going through.

After some investigation (and manic tweeting with the fabulous Chad Jones), I realized that Google has tightened their privacy settings on search terms. As a result, if you are signed in to Google when you search-bomb someone, your search will likely not appear in that person’s blog stats as you entered it, but instead will be filed generically under “Unknown Search Terms.” Your searchbomb, in other words, will not be there.

To solve this, you have two options: (1) sign out of Google before you search bomb someone, or (2) use Bing (or similar) as your search engine when you’re trying to search bomb someone (Bing doesn’t tend to give as good of results for search bombing, however).

In case you’re new to this, here’s a step-by-step guide on how to search-bomb:

  1. Go to http://google.com. Make sure you’re signed out (look in the top right corner of the screen).
  2.  Choose your victim: a blogging friend.
  3. Search for their name (or blog title) and something else that’s interesting about them. It makes it easier if you put their name in quotations (e.g. “Clay Morgan” is not going to be successful in his plot to take over Canada).
  4. Look at the results displayed. Ensure one of the URL’s is your friend’s blog. Click on it.
  5. Tell them to check their stats (if you don’t want to be anonymous!)
  6. Repeat.

How To Retrieve Search Bombs Using WordPress:

  1. Go to your Dashboard.
  2. Under the home menu on the left column, click “Site Stats.”
  3. Scroll down and you should see “Search Engine Terms.”
  4. If you have a lot of results, click on “Other search terms” for a complete list.
  5. If you are unsure of the day you were search-bombed, click on “Past 7 days.”

SO…

Over the next few days, I will be sending you new-and-improved searchbombs that will (hopefully) go through. Remember to check your stats.

If you want me to visit your blog and searchbomb you, just comment on the original post, Search-Bombing: An Irresistible April Fool’s Blogging Tradition.

Thanks for your patience.

~

Update 2

Indiana Jones defeated Atticus Finch in Clay Morgan’s March Movie Madness. Thank you for your votes. Atticus went further than most people predicted, thanks to your support. If Atti had to lose to anyone, I’m glad it was Indy. The finals will feature Indy vs. Westley if you wish to weigh in.

Filed Under: Finding Humor Everywhere Tagged With: April Fool's, Blogging, Chad Jones, Clay Morgan, google, humor, Leanne Shirtliffe, Search Bombing, Searchbombing

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Chad Jones says

    April 1, 2012 at 3:22 pm

    Search bombing is the, well, bomb!

    😉

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe says

      April 1, 2012 at 7:48 pm

      Did you Atticus-Finch bomb me?

      I got you back. You know that.

      Reply
  2. Off the Wall says

    April 1, 2012 at 4:53 pm

    ah, well, that it explains then. I thought it was just me, that my stats will NEVER change, even after a search bomb! lol Sorry for the extra work involved Leanne. I hope you are wearing the proper costume!

    Reply
  3. hopefulleigh says

    April 1, 2012 at 5:10 pm

    Well, hellfire and damnation! I was so looking forward to seeing what you’d done to me, only to be let down. Stupid Google. You don’t have to re-SB me, friend. I’ll dream up something magical and pretend it was you. 🙂

    Reply
  4. Kelly K @ Dances with Chaos says

    April 1, 2012 at 5:33 pm

    I was wondering where the bombs were. I’m guessing you didn’t get mine either.

    Stupid Google. It also answers the unknown search question…

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe says

      April 1, 2012 at 7:49 pm

      I think this one’s yours! “leanne shirtliffe is da bomb… if only she would visit in texas”

      And you’re right. It does answer why I didn’t get your birthday bombs.

      Reply
      • Kelly K @ Dances with Chaos says

        April 2, 2012 at 12:54 pm

        Yup. That is mine. I did that with yahoo search after I read this post.

        I’m bummed you didn’t get any of the birthday bombs I sent you.

        I still don’t see one from you… if you’ve bombed me recently.

        Reply
  5. Raelyn Barclay says

    April 1, 2012 at 6:56 pm

    Ahh-ha! Thanks for the update 🙂

    Reply
  6. Howlin' Mad Heather says

    April 1, 2012 at 6:57 pm

    Cool. I’m gonna have to try it with something really weird.

    Reply
  7. Leanne Shirtliffe says

    April 1, 2012 at 7:52 pm

    Houston, we have lift off.

    Not sure who left a bomb in my inbox, but here are a couple that made me laugh:
    -ironic mom how do i make súrsaðir hrútspungar “leanne shirtliffe”
    -ironic mom leanne shirtliffe is the meg ryan of canada
    -funny reasons i was asked to leave canada (this may not be a search bomb…)
    -leanne shirtliffe watched john carter and liked

    Reply
    • Chad Jones says

      April 1, 2012 at 8:03 pm

      Those were me. [Bows, with flourish

      Atticus Finch was not (I voted Atticus).

      🙂

      Reply
      • Leanne Shirtliffe says

        April 1, 2012 at 8:28 pm

        He shoots, he scores!

        You need to imagine a Canadian accent. This will help: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21Sde16DFKw

        Reply
  8. BlurbMyEnthusiasm says

    April 1, 2012 at 9:40 pm

    Aha! I thought I was just uneducated on this all. It wasn’t me!!

    Reply
  9. monicastangledweb says

    April 1, 2012 at 11:57 pm

    Search bombing can be so complicated. Ah, for the days of yore when it was so much easier to do!

    Reply
  10. Matthew Wright says

    April 2, 2012 at 12:08 am

    I got some really funny search strings arriving on 1 and 2 April (NZ time) which I assumed were yours…no?

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe says

      April 2, 2012 at 8:35 am

      Guilty as charged. Do searchbombs get frequent flyer points?

      Reply
  11. thisgalsjourney says

    April 2, 2012 at 1:06 am

    I’ve always wondered how to search bomb!! Gonna hafta try this out!! 🙂

    Reply
  12. JM Randolph says

    April 2, 2012 at 5:57 am

    I like it even better having to put someone’s name in quotation marks.

    Reply
  13. gojulesgo says

    April 2, 2012 at 6:27 am

    Ah hah! Mystery solved. Thank you for your dedication, Leanne. 🙂

    Reply
  14. Renée A. Schuls-Jacobson says

    April 2, 2012 at 7:21 am

    Did you not see mine? They are pretty obvious. Hmmmmm. Must try again.

    Also good to tell people to scroll own to where the #’s indicate only 1 person searched for a particular term. Because when you search bomb, they are pretty unique…shall we say?

    Reply
  15. educlaytion says

    April 2, 2012 at 7:58 am

    It’s all part of the experience, kind of like getting April Fooled by Google.

    Reply
  16. JR Reed (@SxNSingleDad) says

    April 2, 2012 at 11:45 am

    Keeping in mind that my blog title contains the words “sex” and “dad” I will let your mind run amok and imagine the sick shit some people search for and find my blog. They never stay and they typically come from Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, France, Greece, Kentucky, Alabama and Arkansas.

    Reply
  17. mistyslaws says

    April 6, 2012 at 10:17 am

    Huh. Yeah, I checked when you said you did it, but never saw anything I thought was from you. Unless you decided to start throwing that F word around in the search, which I found unlikely.

    If you do it again, just let me know. Thanks!

    Reply
  18. The Hook says

    April 6, 2012 at 3:22 pm

    Never mind my patience… thank you for being such an awesome blogging ally!

    Reply
  19. Jenny Hansen says

    April 7, 2012 at 6:59 pm

    Yep, and I saw one search that included the word “humor” and another that included “whore.” Are you saying I’m a “humor whore???” LOL…

    Reply

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