Google Search Engine Update: Effective May 6th, site reputation abuse policy enforcement has begun, as confirmed by Google’s SearchLiaison.

What is site reputation abuse?

Site reputation abuse occurs when any third-party page is published on the website. In this case, publishing is done without the involvement or oversight of the first party. This is done with the intent of manipulating the search ranking and taking advantage of first-party ranking.

To Whom Does Google Target?

Google’s latest update on site reputation abuse targets “third-party content.” This time, Google policy targets such websites and keeps them from spam or abuse of site reputation.

Google’s SearchLiaison tweeted:

“It’ll be starting later today. While the policy began yesterday, the enforcement is really kicking off today.”

Recently, this practice has reemerged as an old strategy. Digital Marketing Agency use this strategy to rank higher on search engines by piggybacking their content on another website. As a result, a publisher piggybacks on another publisher’s site. This is also referred to as “parasite SEO.” However, this is not a simple affiliate marketing strategy. Numerous major brands also practice this, especially for credit cards and product reviews.

Manual Action Now, Algorithmic Later

Manual actions mean removing a site from the search index when human reviewers at Google decide if a site warrants a manual action.

What are the effects of site reputation abuse?

As a result of Google’s recent changes, the following effects have been observed: 

Effect on Brands: 

Most brands use third-party companies to curate and manage coupon content. This is done by leasing pages on news and content sites. Some of these partnerships may result in a drop in traffic and conversions.

Affecting Content and News Publishers: 

According to Google’s policy, third-party websites are not allowed to publish content. A major source of content monetization is cut off, and their ability to deliver the best deals is jeopardized.

Affecting Deal Platforms that Lease Pages: 

After Google’s policy changes, their affiliate revenue may be dramatically reduced until they find new ways to collaborate with brands and publishers.

Site Reputation Abuse vs. Parasite SEO

Q. Is site reputation abuse the same as parasite SEO? 

Ans. No! Site reputation abuse is not quite parasitic SEO.

Parasite SEO involves latching onto a higher-authority website and linking to it from your own site. Linking is done with minimal involvement from the host.

In contrast, site reputation abuse involves third parties publishing content on a host’s website to gain the ranking power of the host.

There are some similarities between these terms, even though they aren’t interchangeable:

• They both involve third parties publishing on websites with higher authority.
• Their ultimate goal is to increase traffic to the third party.
• Hosting websites may or may not participate in content creation.

How Do You Detect Site Reputation Abuse?

A Google Search Console tool can make this process easier. The Manual Action section will notify you if there is a problem with any of your Google-indexed pages. You can check the Google Search Console and resolve them.

How do I resolve site reputation abuse?

It is crucial that you carefully review all third-party content to ensure it meets the following requirements: 

1. Your niche and your site’s content are relevant to the content on the site.
2. Your content met quality standards since you were involved in the creation process.
3. The quality is exceptional. Regardless of whether it meets this criteria or not, you may want to remove this content from your website to avoid penalties from Google.