Google’s new Site Reputation Abuse policy, launched in March 2024 and most recently updated in November 2024, has taken effect in most countries worldwide. Of particular note are the new regulations on “Parasite SEO” activities within the search engine’s core algorithm regarding website reputation. This update marks a decisive and “heavy-handed” effort to address the existing problems of “Parasite SEO” techniques – an increasingly controversial strategy where high-authority “host” websites are being exploited by third parties for SEO gains. Let’s analyze this topic with OKR.BUSINESS and provide you with some strategic analysis and practical solutions.
This article is most valuable for three main target groups:
- Those who have not yet applied “Parasite SEO” tactics.
- Those who have and are investing in these tactics.
- Those who practice “white-hat” SEO strategies.
This article is proudly developed with the contribution and advice of Mr. Nguyen Dang Truong Huy, Founder and CEO of OKR.BUSINESS.
Mr. Huy has over 19 years of experience working and holding senior management positions in Marketing and Operations in the Telecommunications, IT, High-Tech, and Leadership Development sectors, with teams ranging in scale from startups and SMEs to multinational corporations in Vietnam, APAC, and the EU market.
What is “Parasite SEO”?
Firstly, for those unfamiliar with the term “Parasite SEO” , let’s look at two examples:
Example 1:
- A marketing expert wants to attract potential customers from LinkedIn.
- This expert posts a newsletter on LinkedIn with an attractive topic such as “0-Dollar Marketing Secrets for Small Businesses”.
- He/she only provides a short piece of information and intentionally encourages readers to click on the “Close deal now” link at the end of the article.
- When the reader clicks to continue viewing the rest of the content, it will lead to selling services on a personal website.
- In the Newsletter content, the information is created using AI tools without fact-checking, lacking in-depth content, stuffed with keywords with hidden links pointing to the service providing website.
Example 2:
- A website selling phone accessories wants to increase traffic and sales.
- They decide to choose Amazon, with a huge user base searching for and buying products, to attract traffic to their website.
- The product description section on Amazon is exploited to insert direct advertising content for their website, instead of focusing on providing useful information about the product.
- Also, the store intentionally inserts a backlink to the website’s homepage in the product description, with the call to action “Click here to buy cheaper”.
The two cases above are simple examples of how “Parasite SEO”, or website reputation abuse, is quite familiar in online marketing, especially in the field of search engine optimization (SEO).
SEO – Search Engine Optimization, is a fundamental activity of Online Marketing
The term “Parasite SEO” is used to describe activities aimed at exploiting or taking advantage of the reputation of high-ranking or high-traffic websites to post content from a third party. In reality, this is a relatively effective strategy in the SEO world and has been used for a long time, especially with off-page SEO optimization techniques. However, this SEO strategy is also creating the risk of manipulating search rankings and undermining the quality of search results for individuals or products that apply it.
How “Parasite SEO” Works
This strategy is usually implemented through 5 main steps:
- Step 1: SEO specialists will continuously search for and list websites with high authority or large traffic. For example, media platforms (such as Forbes or Medium) or social networks (such as LinkedIn) or e-commerce platforms (such as Aliexpress, Shopee).
- Step 2: These “host” websites will be analyzed and researched to find content development opportunities for the third party, in the form of articles, industry groups, or subdomains existing right on the main domain.
- Step 3: The third party will prepare and draft content, and publish it flexibly on these “host” websites to increase the visibility of the desired content to gain attraction.
- Step 4: As one of the off-page SEO techniques, these activities are expected to contribute in the long term to attract large traffic from the host or insert backlinks pointing to third-party websites.
- Step 5: After a period of application, this strategy often brings quite noticeable results in “deceiving” the ranking algorithm of the Google search system, increasing the ranking position on the search results list.
So, What Is The Impact of This “Parasite SEO” Update?
The problem lies in the impact on websites with poor content or those that have not yet met the required quality standards. They can quickly rank high in search results, while not really commensurate with the value they bring to the user experience, at least according to the evaluation of the extremely complex ranking algorithms of search systems like Google and Edge. This poses a challenge as well as unfair competition with other “genuine” websites, taking away opportunities to appear to online search users.
“Parasite SEO” is one of the popular strategies in the keyword optimization strategies
In fact, there are many cases where big brands are also applying this SEO strategy. Typically, Forbes Marketplace has helped the Forbes website occupy many high search ranking positions on Google for many “niche” keywords, even though they are content outside the expertise and core business of this famous newspaper. The rapid rise in Forbes Marketplace’s search rankings (from 20 million to 27 million monthly visits) is a prime example of how “Parasite SEO” tactics can drive growth. By allowing and encouraging other users to contribute content, Forbes is estimated to have generated up to $400 million in revenue from attracting these “secondary” sources of information.
Therefore, Google’s search algorithm update last November targeted similar behaviors, penalizing websites and content that could be considered as “manipulating” the search ranking algorithm. Experts in the field of SEO and digital marketing recognize that although this policy is a new step forward in assessing content quality on the search system, this update seems to be just the first step for a more systematic and comprehensive solution in the future. This is entirely reasonable in case the Google team wants to ensure that they take cautious steps, make objective assessments, and especially do not “miss” any complex related violations.
Strategy Adjustment
1. For those who have not yet used “Parasite SEO” tactics
In case you or your project is considering using “Parasite SEO” tactics, be careful and consider carefully before deciding. Objectively, this strategy does bring certain benefits in the short term. However, as analyzed above, the fact that Google has been implementing an improved “Parasite SEO” algorithm poses many risks in the long run, especially the high possibility of being heavily penalized. These penalties can lead to loss of rankings, de-indexing, or even being removed from the index and not appearing on search results, causing serious damage to the entire domain of the project. Once “swept,” restoring credibility and improving website metrics in Google’s eyes takes a long time, and almost no business or individual can commit to processing results.
Instead, you can opt for more sustainable “white-hat” SEO methods. For example, optimize local SEO by creating content that matches your target audience by geography, build a presence on Google Maps or location platforms, and encourage customers to leave positive reviews. Also, building a natural backlink system is an effective direction that has been proven over the long term. Collaborating with reputable websites to share exclusive information, co-publish content series, or publish high-quality academic research to attract “premium” links and reasonable traffic from the main domains.
Thus, sustainable success in SEO does not lie in temporary or risky strategies, but depends on ethical methods, recommending a focus on bringing real value and quality search experience to users.
2. For those who have already invested in “Parasite SEO” tactics
For those who have already invested in “Parasite SEO” tactics, switching to a safer direction is essential to ensure adaptation to Google’s next update.
First, you need to comprehensively assess your current activities. This includes checking all content hosted on external platforms, especially those with high authority and large traffic. Content that may be considered by Google as “parasitic” needs to be removed or updated to avoid potential risks. At the same time, determining the level of dependence on “Parasite SEO” tactics is also important, helping you understand whether your traffic sources are overly reliant on these methods.
After completing the assessment step, you need to take steps to mitigate risks. One effective way is to use Google’s Disavow Tool to remove suspicious backlinks or those that may be “visited” by Google’s algorithm. Also, make sure that your content is aligned with the target audience and main content of the website receiving the backlink, avoiding links leading to unrelated or misleading pages. To enhance stability, you should also diversify traffic sources, not just relying on backlinks but expanding through social media channels, email marketing, and driving direct traffic. Balancing the proportion between these sources will help reduce dependence on the short-term benefits that “Parasite SEO” are bringing.
3. For those who use “white-hat” SEO tactics
If you have chosen to stick with “white-hat” SEO tactics, Google’s new update is not only a reminder but also a great encouragement to the community of transparent and sustainable SEO. Maintaining and pursuing a strategy focused on quality, relevance, and bringing value to searchers will continue to affirm the importance and correctness of building a sustainable digital presence.
This is the time for you to continue investing and strongly promoting this strategy, while improving SEO effectiveness by focusing on key quality factors such as E-E-A-T (Expertise, Experience, Authority, and Trustworthiness). Displaying authentic author information, citing credible sources, and regularly updating content will be indispensable steps in the content development process.
Also, modern AI technology is providing powerful tools to support you in creating high-quality content quickly. With the help of AI (such as ChatGPT), expanding your content repository and sharing it on multiple platforms is no longer difficult, thereby increasing your ability to reach audiences without much effort. Taking advantage of these automation tools not only saves time but also improves efficiency in disseminating valuable content to the target user community.
SEO efforts should focus on transparency and providing value to search users
The “New” Future of the Post-“Parasite SEO” Era
In the increasingly complex SEO landscape, “white-hat” tactics are not only the right choice for a foundational strategy but also a way to ensure sustainable development. As Google increasingly shows its determination in dealing with “Parasite SEO” tactics, this is an advantage for ethical and professional SEOs to affirm their right stance. Focusing on core factors such as relevance, real value to users, and transparency not only helps you overcome penalized competitors but also builds trust from both Google and target customers.
In long run, the success of a “green & clean” SEO strategy lies in adaptability and commitment to user-centric methods. By focusing on and prioritizing creating useful content, building trust, and avoiding shortcuts, you not only ensure sustainable development but are also ready to face changes in Google’s algorithm. This helps your website maintain a long-term competitive advantage without worrying about selective updates in the future, while consolidating a solid position in the face of technological “storms” in today’s ever-evolving digital world.