Google launches a new policy to combat the “SEO parasite” and protect the quality of search results. How will this affect website rankings? Will third-party content still be considered spam?
The new SEO anti-parasite policy
Starting May 5, 2024, Google will introduce a policy against reputational abuse, or “SEO parasites.”.
This new rule aims to combat practices that allow low-quality content to use the reputation of a third-party site to artificially improve their ranking in search results.
What is reputational abuse?
Reputation abuse occurs when third-party content, usually of low quality, is published on trusted sites with the aim of exploiting their authority to improve their rankings.
For example, a reputable educational site can host payday loan reviews, gaining visibility in Google search results.
Consequences for third-party content
Under the new policy, third-party content posted primarily for ranking reasons, without the direct supervision of the site owner, will be considered spam.
Google will then take measures, automatic or manual, to combat this abuse.
Implications for the SEO Industry
Reactions in the SEO community
This new policy is welcomed by many SEO professionals, who have complained about the negative effects of SEO parasite practices on the quality of search results.
They hope that this initiative will improve the relevance of the results by eliminating misleading or poor-quality content.
Exemptions for native ads
It is important to note that this new policy does not cover all forms of third-party content.
Advertising content aimed at regular readers, such as native advertising or advertorials, is generally excluded from the definition of spam.
This content, when published on trusted sites, should not confuse readers accustomed to the publication or users arriving via search results.