What is Parasite SEO? A 2024 Guide
Google is cracking down on sites that use parasite SEO content. You may be asking yourself, what is parasite SEO? It’s a tactic that larger sites, typically news sites, employ to take advantage of their pre-existing domain authority and site-rank SEO juice. This involves creating a lot of non-relevant content purely for the purpose of getting ranked.
For instance, a major offender in this space is Forbes. They are around the 100th most visited site in the US and around 300 globally, which means they have significant clout. They likely discovered that anything they published on their blog would rank high because of their authority and respect in the eyes of Google.
At some point, someone at Forbes thought, what if we published something that wasn’t relevant to our core business but was filled with ads and affiliate links? That’s essentially what they did. I recommend reading an article by Lars Laufgren, which delves into the specifics of this approach. With Forbes, they collaborated with a third party that licensed their name, known as Forbes Marketplace. It’s not even a subsidiary; it’s an independent entity, though Forbes probably has some stake in it.
This company produces all of the blog articles, including one that gained considerable attention: “10-best CBD oils of 2024.” This topic has nothing to do with Forbes’ core business. A couple of years ago, they did release a Forbes health initiative to lend some relevance, but that doesn’t align with the foundation of the Forbes brand built over decades.
When you look at these articles, they are essentially affiliate marketing sites. If you click on a link and make a purchase, Forbes or Forbes Marketplace earns a small percentage. By creating enough of these articles, a site can generate decent revenue. Some articles that appear under the Forbes name are written by individuals from CBD companies. My guess is those companies paid a couple thousand—or even up to $10,000—to have their articles published.
Again, Forbes is producing content that has little to do with its primary business, yet they rank quickly because Google trusts them. It’s easier for a well-established site like Forbes to appear on the first or second page compared to a random site about CBD oils that is unlikely to rank at all.
Recently, Google announced that they would be cracking down on this issue in March 2024, but they implemented measures in November 2024. Companies engaged in parasite SEO are now receiving notifications from Google Search Console, informing them that their content is classified as spammy. They have de-indexed many of these articles, advising companies to either review or change the content.
If you search for the best CBD oils, you won’t find Forbes among the top results, despite their previous standings. Instead, companies that sell CBD oils and health-related brands—sites genuinely relevant to the topic—are emerging as top contenders. With Google’s crackdown, it seems these companies may be facing significant financial losses.
It’s primarily new sites that built a solid reputation and domain authority, like Forbes, Time, WSJ, and CNN, that are likely losing millions each week. They now face a challenging period as they reconsider whether this strategy was worthwhile.
If you are part of a large company, especially a news site, avoid engaging in parasite SEO. Focus on creating content that resonates with your core audience, as Google will penalize sites that employ these tactics. This could lead to not only the de-indexing of those specific pages but also negatively impact other content designed for your audience. The best approach is to stick to your core products and avoid chasing affiliate revenue.