Have you ever heard of Parasite SEO? 

This is a strategy of SEO which can improve the search rankings of some of your web pages.

Parasite SEO involves finding authority websites that accept sponsored content and creating content for these sites to link to your own website.

In this article, let's find out what is SEO search engine pest and how to do it correctly. Let's go!

Table of contents ☰

What is SEO Parasite? A complete guide for beginners

SEO parasite

What is SEO Parasite? How it works?

Parasite SEO is a way to improve your website's search ranking by linking it to a BIG website. This can be done by getting links on the authority website and getting link juice from their domain authority. 

Imagine that you are a small fish swimming in the ocean. The big fish are the BIG websites, which have a lot of power (i.e. authority). 

They can swim faster and eat more food than you. In other words, large websites can rank faster and higher than small websites.

Le SEO parasite is like being a small fish attaching itself to a big fish. The little fish doesn't have to work as hard to swim; it can also eat some of the food of large fish. Likewise, you will get better search rankings by building links and mentions from authority websites.

what is SEO parasite

Example of spurious SEO

Here is a real-world example of a spurious website.

Let's say you want to rank for a very competitive keyword: "sell feet pictures." 

Ranking at the top of Google for such competitive search terms is NOT easy at ALL.

Additionally, the search intent for these keywords is highly commercial, meaning you can make a lot of money if you rank for these keywords.

Google generally prefers e-commerce and image platforms to rank for these keywords. But when you search for the same keyword on Google, you will notice this:

example of parasite

As you can see above, slate.fr ranks #1 for the keyword. Slate is one of the main French online magazines.

It ranks above e-commerce sites like Etsy for this keyword. This is the BEST example of successful spam SEO.

Typically this is a sponsored post.

Websites that offer products related to certain niches pay for publish an article which will have several links to their websites.

Parasite SEO can be extremely effective in improving your website's authority and search ranking. 

But… you have to do it carefully. If you use spam SEO too aggressively, your website could be penalized by Google.


How to correctly implement Parasite SEO? 

Here are some proven steps to get started with spam SEO to build links and increase your website's organic visibility. 

1. Find websites open to spam SEO

To use parasite SEO, you need to find high-authority websites relevant to your niche. 

You need to find websites that meet the following criteria:

  • Websites with Huge DA (Domain Authority)
  • Websites that allow users to post content
  • Websites That Allow Sponsored Content (For Money)
  • Websites that allow you to link to your website (or its content)
  • Websites that generate massive traffic from search engines like Google

In case you are wondering, here are some authority websites that most website owners use to create spurious SEO links;

  • Forbes
  • Business Insider
  • Business2Community
  • Entrepreneur
  • The Huffington Post
  • Social Media Examiner
  • Content Marketing Institute

Once you have identified these websites, create content that is relevant to both your website and the high authority website. 

Once you have created the content, you can publish it on the authority website. This will help your website get high DA backlinks and improve its search rankings. 

2. Find the right keywords to rank for

There is no point in using spurious SEO for keywords that have absolutely no relation to the topics of your website.

Be sure to perform a keyword research to find relevant keywords that can help you target your website traffic from search engines.

Here are some quick tips for finding better keywords to implement parasite SEO;

  • First, don't look at metrics like monthly search volume, keyword difficulty, etc. For what ? If you get links from big sites, your sponsored content will rank. So, focus on keyword intent instead.
  • Target long-tail keywords. They are more specific and help target search visitors. For example, instead of targeting the keyword “SEO consultants,” you can target the long-tail keyword “best SEO consultants for agencies.”
  • Consider local keywords, especially if you have a local business. These are keywords relevant to your location. For example, you can target the keyword “SEO consultants in New York”.

Create engaging and useful content

Once you are done with keyword research, you need to create useful content.

Yes, you post sponsored content for others to build your website's link authority. But your content should be informative. Otherwise, it could harm your website’s reputation.

Here are some of the best tips for creating engaging content.

  • Do your research on the subject. Try to cover detailed information so that it can be useful to users looking for more information on the topic.
  • Avoid using jargon and technical words when writing a topic. Use simple words so that even a beginner can understand your content. Use a conversational tone. Write as if you were talking to a friend.
  • Use lots of visuals to explain the topic you are discussing. 
  • Edit your content carefully. Make sure your content is free of grammatical errors.  

3. Implement on-page SEO 

On-page optimization is important in parasitic SEO because you will primarily build links by creating content on authority sites.

If your content is poor, it can harm your brand in the long run.

On-page content optimization is the process of optimizing your blog posts for specific keywords.

Here are some helpful on-page optimization tips you can follow when creating content for BIG websites.

  • Use relevant keywords in your title tags and meta descriptions.  
  • Use lots of attractive subheadings to break up your content. Try to write informative and in-depth content on any topic you choose.
  • Include attractive images and illustrations in your content. You can use tools like Canva to create images while creating content.

DON'T stop link building just because you bought (or attracted) links on high authority websites.

Google rewards web pages that contain many relevant backlinks.

Here are some proven ways to build more relevant links organically.

Write on platforms like Quora: Quora is a question and answer platform where people can ask and answer questions on various topics.

Quora is a powerful platform for building links to your website content. The key here is to write high-quality answers to questions relevant to your website.

When writing answers on Quora, you can include one or two links to pages on your website that are relevant to the particular answer.

Guest blogs: lguest blogs are the process of writing articles for other websites. Guest posting is an EVERGREEN strategy for building links, whatever your niche.

To get started, look for a list of free guest posting sites . Analyze their top-performing blog posts and come up with ideas for relevant topics to pitch to website owners.

You can start writing high-quality guest posts if they are happy with your topics. Make sure to keep their audience in mind and write in a conversational tone to build user engagement. 

You can also access relevant websites and request links. This can be done in many ways like blogger outreach, broken link building, influencer marketing, etc….

Want more ideas? Here are 12 proven ways to build quality backlinks to your website in 2024.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Parasite SEO

benefits of parasite SEO

So, what are the pros and cons of Parasite SEO in 2024? Let's find out.

Advantages:

  • You can compete with BIG websites in your niche (because you leverage high authority sites for link building). We all know that for most keywords, big websites will appear in the top 3 results. With parasite SEO, you can improve your site's organic ranking for targeted keywords.
  •  This allows for quick visibility of target keywords in search engine results
  • You can attract targeted visitors from the host website
  • With Parasite SEO, ranking new website content is easier.
  • You will be able to increase the domain authority of your website if you get backlinks from the host site

disadvantages:

  • Risk of being penalized by Google (if you overdo it). 
  • Rankings fluctuate because your competitors may also use the same technique to build links and outrank your website in search results.

A Quick Checklist for Spurious SEO

If you're new to parasitic SEO, here's a handy checklist you can use to improve your website rankings in 2024.

  • Find a list of all high authority websites that accept guest posts or sponsored content, such as Forbes, etc…
  • Come up with ideas for relevant keywords you want to rank for.
  • Create high-quality content relevant to your target audience. Make sure your content is original and informative. Don't use AI tools!
  • Rinse and repeat the process until you start seeing better results on Google.
  • Don't stop building links using other methods, such as guest blogging, writing on Quora, video marketing, influencer outreach, etc. NEVER depend on just one strategy.

FAQs | What is spam SEO

Here are some FAQs about SEO Parasite.

Is Parasite SEO the best practice for improving rankings?

No it's not. This is a bad SEO practice that essentially involves “buying links” or sponsored content on authority sites to quickly improve search rankings. However, if you run a website with less domain authority and are looking to rank for profitable keywords, spurious SEO can work.

Is Parasite SEO worth the risk?

If you do it carefully, parasite SEO can help you get better rankings and domain authority for your website. If you do this aggressively, it can ultimately lead to your website being penalized by Google.

How do you know if a website uses Parasite SEO?

It is difficult to know if a website uses Parasite SEO. However, you can use tools like the SEMrush backlink audit to find a list of all high authority websites that link to a website. If you see a low-quality article ranking at the top of Google, it could be a sign that the web page is using spurious SEO.

Can I recover after using Parasite SEO?

If you see a massive drop in traffic in your website's ranking, be sure to check your website's links. If there are toxic or spammy links pointing to your site, use the Google Disavow tool to remove these links.

What are the best ways to build links in 2024?

Some of the evergreen link building strategies are:
– Guest posting on other websites
– Creating broken links
– Influencer awareness

Related Resources:


Final Thoughts on Parasitic Websites

Remember that Parasite SEO is PRIMARILY intended to generate short-term gains. This is NOT a long-term SEO strategy. Don't overdo it if you want to stay safe from website penalties.

Parasite SEO can be effective if you are QUICKLY looking to improve the ranking of some of your web pages in Google.

So, what do you think about parasitic SEO? Are you going to try it? You have more questions ? Let us know in the comments.