Google is Taking Several Steps To Prevent Parasite SEO, Will be Released in the Next HCU

Google does not use the term ‘Parasite SEO’ in their internal system. Though, Google’s search Liaison Danny Sullivan shared this term in some of his shared notes. In Mastodon, while having a discussion on Parasite SEO, Sullivan confirmed that Parasite SEO is not a term that Google uses internally. It’s just a name that crowds are using to name a certain issue.

He mentioned “When a site gets hacked or can be used for different SEO purposes rather than focusing on its own business niche, is called a Parasite SEO.” Danny also named it as Piggyback SEO and here the site at question does not get affected.

In a recent thread, Search Liaison Danny Sullivan told that Google has taken every steps to prevent Parasite SEO and similar to the term. Though, the upcoming helpful content update is not live yet but Google has taken steps to deal with this issue.

Despite of Google addressing this issue in a conversational thread, it didn’t release any update in its previous HCU. That was more of a ‘documentation change’ and not a ‘algorithmic change’.

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Sullivan added “”We have a variety of systems to deal with things like this, and yes, we’ve taken steps” in a recent X thread.

A person named Mark Williams from X quoted that “Parasite SEO still booming. I’m not sure this was in LinkedIn’s SEO targets for the year?” He shared an image where LinkedIn ranking on featured snippet ‘zero position’ for a buying-intent keyword.

Parasite SEO still booming. I'm not sure this was in LinkedIn's SEO targets for the year? pic.twitter.com/TnwFUzuERi

— Mark Williams-Cook (@markcandour) December 11, 2023

Previously, Lily Ray shared the same kind of search result where Harvard University’s subdomain was ranking for a keyword of ‘Best VPN’. This websites can be used for ‘User-generated content’ and can be used for manipulating search engine ranking algorithms.

Parasite SEO on a @Harvard subdomain.

And page 1 for "best VPN"

Spammers truly know no bounds.

Thank you for flagging @Matic_Broz pic.twitter.com/uLrIXmNKJm

— Lily Ray 😏 (@lilyraynyc) December 7, 2023

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Glenn Globe, an SEO expert, has cited ” Google has this issue covered, and know what to do to prevent this results from appearing in search. But Google also confirmed that the update has not been rolled out yet.”

From October, Glenn saw a huge drop in those website’s traffic which were booming by Parasite SEO tactics. Here is what Glenn said:

Yep, some of those systems have dealt with things over the past few months. I documented that in several tweets. Eager to see the HCU piece go live, but again, some have already dropped heavily. https://t.co/J0R1DHcfJd

— Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) December 8, 2023