The sound of the Parasite SEO feels destructive. But using it for SEO is not how it sounds!
So, what’s the basic idea of a parasite? An organism that latches itself to feed on others for food is a parasite.
Parasite SEO does the same but is used as a technique that is beneficial for websites to build authority and grow their online presence. It is a short-term digital marketing strategy that drives more traffic to parasitic sites.
Let’s get into more detail so you can learn more about parasite SEO.
What Do You Mean by Parasite SEO?
Let’s say you created your website long back but are still struggling to generate traffic. You try different traditional techniques such as link building, writing content with proper keywords, working on your on-page optimization, and so on. But no use!
When all your techniques fail, that’s when you can use this technique.
Parasitic hosting, parasite hosting, or parasite SEO is a strategy where you use the name of other websites so that your website grabs the first position or gets placed on the first page of SERP.
You can do this by writing quality content on highly ranking websites indexed by Google. Here you use the host domain authority to get better visibility on Google’s search engine result page.
The highly ranking websites will act as your host, and you can benefit from their traffic and increase your chances of getting more leads and converting them.
But wait! Are you confusing it with guest posting?
Well, while it may seem like it, there is something that makes them different from each other.
When you use SEO parasite strategies, your goal is not to get backlinks but to send more and more people to your affiliate offers. This strategy involves creating content on third-party websites to get organic traffic.
Let’s see an example for more clarity. Nordal Marketing wanted to increase their reach of “Best Diet Pills” to many people. They selected a website like Timesunion.com with a good DA.
The platform surpasses famous medical websites like mayoclinic.com and healthline.com.
It also shows that Norcal Marketing has paid to be on the high DA website to increase its visibility and rank as no.1 on Google search.
You can also write an article on a website like Quora, which has a DA of 93. Your article will have a better chance of ranking high. Remember to add affiliate links going back to your website so you can make money from commissions.
Some common examples of best parasite SEO platforms in 2023 with high DA are Reddit, Medium, YouTube, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Quora, Vimeo, Vocal, G2, and other high-authority websites.
Why Is It Important For Your SEO?
By employing a parasite SEO strategy, you focus on improving your site’s authority and search engine visibility by leveraging high-authority websites.
Essentially, it’s like using another platform’s established reputation to boost your own website’s performance. If your primary goal is to gain more traffic and enhance search rankings, parasite SEO can deliver the results you’re aiming for.
This approach is particularly effective for attracting more visitors, increasing organic traffic, and driving conversions. These are goals that lie at the heart of most SEO strategies.
The key to success lies in choosing high authority platforms, such as news sites or third-party websites, and reaching the right audience through high-quality, optimized content.
When you create valuable content tailored to relevant keywords, you can significantly improve search engine rankings and grow your website’s profitability.
To make the most of parasite SEO, focus on building legitimate backlinks and creating parasite SEO content that aligns with your audience’s needs. Utilize established platforms like video-sharing platforms or third-party sites with high domain authority to publish content that links back to your website.
By doing so, you’ll see an increase in your site’s traffic, improved search engine optimization, and measurable revenue growth.
Once you master this SEO tactic, it can become a reliable tool in your digital marketing arsenal. With consistent efforts, a focus on building engaging content, and maintaining your site’s authority, your website will remain on a profitable path in the competitive landscape of search engines.
When To Use It?
Now, the question is, when do you know the best time to use this strategy?
Here are some conditions that you should look at before implementing parasite SEO.
- When you have made a list of relevant and high DA websites that are related to your industry.
- You know how to use it and know how to make money with it.
- You are well-versed in link building and SEO.
While there are conditions to help you know when you can use it, there are times when you should be careful not to use it:
- Refrain from using this technique if the website you’ve found does not have more domain authority than your website.
- If you don’t know how to use it for your financial benefit.
- Like any other SEO practice, parasite SEO also demands a lot of time and effort. So, if you don’t see the right results, it’s better to step back from this strategy.
How To Use It?
Here are some ways in which you can use this strategy to your full advantage:
Look For High-Authority Host Websites
To begin, you should first make a list of the most trusted high-domain authority websites relevant to your niche where you can publish your content. By doing this, you can get high-quality backlinks that can improve your position on search engines.
Use The Right Keywords
Using related keywords in your content is key to quality content. Make sure you write blog posts or create content with valuable information to share, along with using the keyword you want to rank for. Remember to go for the highly searched keywords rather than low-difficulty ones.
Doing this will ensure that you are fulfilling your audience’s user intent.
Advertise your content
Don’t be static and wait for results without doing anything. Try to share and promote your content on different social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube to get more people to see and reach you.
You just have to add your social media links to the shared content and wait for the results to show up. You can also use our Social Signal services to get the most out of your social media presence.
Try getting backlinks
When you share your content on the host website, ensure it is related to what you offer. That way, you’ll have a better chance to get backlinks from the host website and those who are following your host website.
Make use of the link-building opportunities
Getting backlinks from highly authoritative websites will improve your site’s reputation, visibility, and authority. But these backlinks must be from relevant sources.
Guest blogging can be an option to try on. You can use PR strategies such as HARO or similar platforms where you can put up high-quality content to show your knowledge and get backlinks.
Use different SEO tools
The authority of a website alone cannot help you rank high. Therefore, it is always suggested to use SEO tools like Ahrefs’ Content Explorer to make sure your content’s on-page SEO is properly optimized for the search engines.
Check if your content has appropriate keywords, has the right keyword density, and whether the keyword’s position is favorable.
Additional ways to make use of Parasite SEO
Have a look at some more ways to use this SEO approach:
Medium Articles
Medium is a content publishing platform which allows you to publish valuable content and even look at some intuitive stories. You can use this platform to write authoritative articles by also including your site’s link. This is a great platform that can help your website rank higher in search results and get more traffic to your website.
Quora Answers
If you are an expert in a topic that people are looking for answers to in Quora, take up this opportunity to answer the questions with informative answers. Including your responses in Quora and adding backlinks to relevant pages on your site can help you tap into the platform’s authority.
Post on LinkedIn
LinkedIn is not just for job hunting; people also use it to get informative insights. You can, thus, use this platform to post knowledgeable articles with your site’s link to use its authority and connect with the professional audience.
YouTube
YouTube is a massive platform to create and share videos with a larger audience. You can create videos related to your niche and post them here. While writing content, you can also add a link to your YouTube video to get more traffic and build links from different platforms.
Local Business Directories
Listing your business online is very important for your business to be seen. Whether it is Google Business Profile or other reputed local directories like Yelp, add a backlink along with your business’s other information. This is a great way to enhance your local SEO efforts.
E-commerce Marketplaces
If you have a business where you are supposed to sell products and services, listing yourself on different e-commerce platforms is important. These can be eBay, Amazon, etc, which can help you connect with a wider audience and increase sales.
Guest Posting
If you have the proper knowledge and expertise in your field, you can also go for this technique. You just have to look for websites accepting guest posts or sponsored posts and contribute your piece of content on their platform.
Some Pros And Cons You Must Know!
Not everything about parasite SEO is a walk in the park. It works both ways by having both its pros and cons.
Pros
- Content written for parasite SEO broadens your reach online because you are not just relying on your website.
- You can expect your website to see higher on the search results page.
- When you write on a high domain authority site, and that content is shared by the host website, you look more trustworthy.
- The more reliable and trustworthy your website looks, the more chances you have of improving your brand recognition.
- When high-authority sites link back to you, your site looks better to search engines like Google.
- Since you’ll be getting traffic from the people of the host website, you can have a chance to reach potential customers and increase your sales.
- If your content ranks higher in search on platforms like Quora, YouTube, and Medium, you can have the possibility to gain new visitors.
- Once you have a good amount of people and backlinks coming to your website, your site will show up better on the SERP for the keywords you want to be found for.
Cons
- You could be penalized by Google if you use it too aggressively, which may harm your site’s ranking.
- Overusing links and stuffing keywords in your posts can show that you are trying to manipulate the search algorithm, which can hurt your SEO efforts.
- It can be quite time-consuming to look for the right website to make them your host.
- Not paying attention to the quality of your content on third-party websites can affect your brand’s reputation badly.
- Sometimes, it is challenging to get backlinks from high-authority websites.
- When creating content on third-party platforms, you do not have much control over your content.
- The host website can make alternations in your content, change it, or even delete it without informing you.
- Measuring if parasite SEO is working for you can be pretty tricky.
Are You Ready For More Gains With Parasite SEO?
Parasite SEO has been a widely used tactic in search engine optimization for years. It is especially beneficial for small businesses or websites struggling to improve search engine visibility and attract more traffic.
However, it’s not limited to smaller players—larger websites also use parasite SEO strategies to establish themselves as reputable brands and maintain their competitive edge in search engine rankings.
This approach uses high authority platforms, such as news sites, video sharing platforms, or other third-party websites, to publish content that directs traffic back to your website.
When executed properly, it can improve search engine rankings, build backlinks, and boost your site’s authority.
As detailed in this blog, parasite SEO offers a variety of methods, such as creating parasite pages, guest post links, and utilizing free platforms to improve SEO. If done mindfully, this strategy can yield visible results over time.
That said, success with parasite SEO doesn’t come without effort or risk. While this tactic can help you target highly competitive keywords and gain organic traffic, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows.
Risks such as site reputation abuse, reliance on third-party platforms, or crossing into black hat parasite SEO practices can jeopardize your long-term goals.
Before diving into parasite SEO, take the time to thoroughly understand the strategy, measure the pros and cons, and assess its compatibility with your overall SEO efforts.
Focus on creating valuable and optimized content, building legitimate backlinks, and adhering to white hat SEO tactics to make the most of this approach while minimizing potential drawbacks.
FAQ
Is there any risk of employing Parasite SEO?
Yes, there can certainly be some risks of using this strategy.
• You don’t have enough control over your content.
• There is a risk of getting penalized by Google if you over-optimize the content and don’t use it appropriately.
• Creating low-quality content will not help you make it to the top websites; it could also damage your brand’s reputation.
• You must constantly be updated and abide by the rules and regulations and the policies of your host websites.
• This is a short-term strategy, which does not make it better than traditional SEO in some aspects.
• You cannot have guaranteed success using this. Because if the host website removes your content or changes its rules, the referral traffic you get might reduce.
How is it better than the traditional methods?
Traditional SEO methods are highly beneficial. But what it lacks is the duration of providing results. Compared to traditional methods, Parasite SEO shows quick results as it attaches itself to the top websites and sucks authority from the host to benefit from its position on SERP.
Is it a black hat technique?
Not really, but if you don’t use it in moderation and ethically, it can be regarded as a black hat SEO technique.