Have you ever considered leveraging the power of guest posting on authority websites to boost your own website’s visibility? In this post, we’ll unravel the secrets of strategic link building and explore how it can work wonders for your SEO. Let’s dive in and discover how to do it right!
What is Parasite SEO? A Complete Guide for Beginners
What Is Parasite SEO? How Does it Work?
Parasite SEO is a way to improve the search rankings of your website by linking it to a larger website. This can be done by getting links from the authority’s website and getting some link juice from their domain authority.
Imagine you are a small fish swimming in the ocean. Big fish are big websites that have a lot of power (i.e. authority).
They can swim faster and eat more food than you. In other words, larger websites can rank faster and higher than smaller websites.
Parasite SEO is like a small fish that attaches itself to a bigger fish. Small fish do not have to work as hard to swim; It also gets to eat food from some big fishes. Similarly, you will achieve better search rankings by building links and mentions from authority websites.
Parasite SEO Example
Here is a real-world example of a parasitic website.
Let’s say you want to rank for a high-competition keyword, “sell feet photos.”
It is not at all easy to rank on the top of Google for such competitive search terms.
Also, the purpose of searching for such keywords is highly commercial, which means you can make a lot of money if you rank for those keywords.
Google usually prefers ecommerce and image platforms to rank for such keywords. But you will notice this when you search the same keywords on Google;
As you can see above, Outlook is ranking #1 for the India keyword. Outlook India is a top Indian online magazine.
It is ranking above ecommerce websites like Etsy for that keyword. This is the best example of successful parasitic SEO.
If we click on the result and scroll down the page, we can see that it is a sponsored post.
have a look;
The Feetfinder website has paid Outlook India to publish the article. We can say this because the article has been linked to the website several times within the post.
Parasite SEO can be extremely effective in improving your website’s authority and search rankings.
But…you need to do it carefully. If you use parasitic SEO too aggressively, your website may be penalized by Google.
How to Implement Parasite SEO Properly?
Here are some proven steps to get started with Parasite SEO to build links and increase your website’s organic visibility.
1. Find websites open to parasite SEO
Leveraging High-Authority Websites for SEO Growth
Building connections with reputable websites within your niche can be a powerful way to boost your search visibility. Look for platforms that:
- Share relevant content with your target audience.
- Have a strong reputation and domain authority.
- Welcome high-quality guest posts and collaborative content creation (not just paid content).
- Allow you to link back to your website naturally within your content.
Some popular examples include Forbes, Business Insider, Entrepreneur, and Social Media Examiner. However, remember that quality matters more than just the platform’s name.
Focus on creating valuable content that resonates with both your audience and the host website’s readers. This will not only benefit your SEO but also build genuine relationships and establish you as a trustworthy authority in your field.
Remember, sustainable and ethical SEO practices are key to long-term success. By collaborating with the right websites and creating high-quality content, you can leverage the power of authority platforms to propel your website to greater heights.
2. Find the right keywords to rank for
There is no point in using parasitic SEO for keywords that are completely irrelevant to your website’s topics.
Be sure to do keyword research to find relevant keywords that can help drive targeted website traffic from search engines.
Here are some quick tips to find better keywords to implement parasitic SEO;
- “don’t look at metrics like monthly search volume, keyword difficulty”: While focusing on link building from high-authority sites is crucial, completely ignoring metrics like search volume and keyword difficulty might not be the best strategy. These metrics can still offer valuable insights into potential traffic and competition. Consider mentioning that while link building is important, it’s not the only factor, and understanding these metrics can help refine your keyword targets for optimal results.
- “your sponsored content will rank”: This statement is a bit strong and could be misleading. While high-quality content on authority sites can certainly improve your rankings, it’s not guaranteed. Other factors like on-page optimization, user experience, and Google algorithm updates play a role. Consider rephrasing this to “improve your ranking potential, especially when combined with other SEO best practices.”
- “Focus on the intent of the keywords instead”: This is a good point. Keyword intent, which refers to the user’s search purpose, is crucial for targeting the right audience. However, it’s still important to consider search volume and difficulty to ensure your chosen keywords are relevant and have potential reach. Consider mentioning that both intent and search volume/difficulty should be considered when choosing keywords.
Create engaging and helpful content
Once you have completed keyword research, you should create useful content.
Yes, you are publishing sponsored content for others to boost your website’s link authority. But your content should be informative. Otherwise, it may harm your website’s reputation.
Here are some great tips for creating engaging content.
- Do your research on the topic. Try to cover in-depth information so it can be useful to users looking for more information on the topic.
- Avoid using jargon and technical words while writing any topic. Use simple words so even a beginner can understand your content. Use a conversational tone. Write as if you’re talking to a friend.
- Use lots of visuals to explain the topic you’re discussing.
- Edit your content carefully. Make sure your content is free of grammar mistakes.
3. Implement on-page optimization
On-page optimization is important in parasite SEO because you will mostly build links by creating content on authority sites.
If your content is mediocre, it can hurt your brand in the long run.
On-page content optimization is the process of optimizing your blog posts for specific keywords.
Here are some useful on-page optimization tips that you can follow when creating content for larger websites.
- Use relevant keywords in your title tags and meta descriptions.
- Use lots of engaging subheadings to break up your content. Try to write informative and in-depth content on any topic you pick.
- Include images and appealing illustrations in your content. You can use tools like Canva to create images while creating content.
4. Build more backlinks to your website
Don’t stop building links just because you bought (or attracted) links from high-authority websites.
Google rewards webpages that have lots of relevant backlinks.
Here are some tried and tested methods for building more relevant links organically.
Write on a platform like Quora: Quora is a question-answer platform where people can ask and answer questions on a variety of topics.
Quora is a powerful platform for building links to your website content. The main thing here is to write high-quality answers to questions that are 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 Blogging: Guest blogging is the process of writing articles for other websites. Guest posting is a timeless strategy for building links, no matter your niche.
To get started, find a list of free guest posting sites. Analyze their top performing blog posts and come up with relevant topic ideas to present to website owners.
If they are satisfied with your topics then you can start writing high-quality guest posts. Be sure to keep their audience in mind and write in a conversational tone to increase user engagement.
You can also reach out to relevant websites and ask for links. This can be done in many ways, such as 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.
Pros & Cons of Parasite SEO
So, what are the advantages and disadvantages of Parasite SEO in 2024? Let’s find out.
Pros:
- You can compete with BIG websites in your niche (as you’re leveraging high-authority sites to build links). We all know that, for most keyword terms, big websites will show up in the top 3 results. With parasite SEO, you can improve your site’s organic rankings for targeted keywords.
- It helps with quick visibility for the target keywords in search engine results
- You can attract targeted visitors from the host website
- With Parasite SEO, ranking content for a new website is easier.
- You’ll be able to increase your website’s domain authority if you get backlinks from the host site
Cons:
- Risk of getting penalized by Google (if you’re overdoing it).
- Fluctuations in rankings as your competitors can also use the same technique to build links and outrank your website in search results
A Quick Checklist for Parasite SEO
If you’re new to parasite SEO, here’s a handy checklist you can use to improve your website rankings in 2024.
- Find a list of all the high-authority websites that accept guest posts or sponsored content, such as Forbes, Outlook India, etc.
- Come up with relevant keyword ideas that you want to rank for.
- Create high-quality content that is 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 from Google.
- Don’t stop building links using other methods, such as guest blogging, writing on Quora, video marketing, influencer outreach, etc. NEVER depend on one strategy.
FAQs | What is Parasite SEO
Here are some FAQs on Parasite search engine optimization.
Is Parasite SEO the best practice to improve rankings?
no it’s not. This is a bad SEO practice that basically involves “buying links” or sponsored content from authority sites to rapidly improve search rankings. However, if you are running a website with low domain authority and want to rank for profitable keywords, Parasite SEO can work.
Is Parasite SEO worth the risk?
If you’re doing it carefully, Parasite SEO can help you with better rankings and domain authority for your website. If you do this aggressively, your website may eventually be penalized in Google.
How do I know if a website is using Parasite SEO?
It is difficult to detect whether a website is using parasite SEO or not. However, you can use a tool like SEMrush Backlink Audit to find a list of all high-authority websites pointing to a website. If you see a low-quality article ranking at the top of Google, it may be a sign that the webpage is using parasite SEO.
Can I recover from using Parasite SEO?
If you’re seeing a huge traffic drop in your website rankings, be sure to audit your website links. If any toxic or spammy links are pointing to your site, use Google Disavow tool to remove such links.
What are the best ways to build links in 2024?
Some of the evergreen link building strategies are;
- Guest posting on other websites
- Broken link building
- Influencer outreach
Final thoughts on parasite websites
Remember, Parasite SEO is MOSTLY meant to gain short-term gains. It’s 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’re looking QUICKLY to boost some of your web page rankings in Google.
So, what are your thoughts on parasite SEO? Are you going to try it out? Have any more questions? Let us know in the comments.
