May 5, 2024 Parasite SEO Prediction Thread

**bpmee** · 3 May 2024, 9:42 am

This Sunday, May 5, 2024, Google will begin taking action on parasite SEO content. Let's call this the "Cinco de Mayo" component of the recent update cycle. Who will be penalized, binned, clapped, or bounced?

Who will escape unmolested?

Probably safe with modest rankings loss
MiamiHerald
Inquirer
USAToday
Sports Illustrated
NYPost
Independent

Probably Bounced
"News and Variety" style blogs: crypto, fintech, cannabis, gambling, iPhone reviews, nutritional supplements
Any Regional US news site that hasn't already removed parasite content
Techopedia
Hudson Reporter
Outlook India
US college newspapers selling sponsored posts
Any high DR site selling posts with link brokers emailing you 20x per week

Surgical Removal - Certain pages or sections removed while the domain's main content remains
Sites with big coupon sections
Sites that aggregate recipes whose primary purpose isn't cooking or health
Major US News sites with obvious sponsored content that are "too big to penalize" - a couple household names like the NyTimes carefully verge into selling sponsored posts though it's safe to assume such content is produced "with oversight and collaboration with the site's authors".

Still unknown
1) Which signals does Google use to identify such content?
2) When does Google keep or cull the pages?
3) What about false positives?
4) It's likely this is only the first iteration and that future updates will have further refinements

Other Update Threads Worth Reading
Many US news sites have already removed scaled AI content from their domains:
https://www.dietistaktuellt.com/forum/some-ai-s...es-267045.html

For broader update discussion, have a look here:
https://www.dietistaktuellt.com/forum/massive-g...ng-266754.html

**newcustomeroffer** · 3 May 2024, 10:40 am

Good idea. Expect you can add the Telegraph to your safe list if your assertion about the Independent is correct.

**Niko** · 5 May 2024, 1:59 am

I don't believe much is changing, as you can see Technopedia still ranking super-high

**bpmee** · 5 May 2024, 8:52 am

1) Give it a few days

2) Surviving sites will be the new model for parasite SEO and content farms.

Techopedia is a bit a of unique case. It was once a useful reference site with many inbound links from high authority tech, reference (Wikipedia), and some media sites. The new owners didn't need to change much besides preserving/301 redirecting the old content and launching the parasite section.

High authority content farms are rare enough that they can't be replicated and will probably always be a problem. But if someone could create 2-3 of them and lock up a few SERPs, Google will be left to manually penalize such sites.

**baldidiot** · 5 May 2024, 10:36 am

I don’t think it’s running yet, nothing listed in Google’s search status and there’s been no announcement.

https://status.search.google.com/pro...W2GwMi/history

**newcustomeroffer** · 5 May 2024, 12:12 pm

Originally Posted by baldidiot

I don’t think it’s running yet, nothing listed in Google’s search status and there’s been no announcement.

https://status.search.google.com/pro...W2GwMi/history

Is a bit odd that they said it would start on a Sunday in the first place, perhaps it will be confirmed and kick off properly tomorrow.

**baldidiot** · 5 May 2024, 12:21 pm

I think the actual wording of the initial announcement was “after May 5th” rather than on, so technically it could be anytime after today.

**wonderpunter** · 6 May 2024, 4:21 am

I think any regional parasite SEO will be smahed, national i,e forbes, CNET, and the like will be safe.. USAToday is insanely bad, also think oreagon live will also get killed.

**wonderpunter** · 6 May 2024, 4:22 am

Originally Posted by bpmee

1) Give it a few days

2) Surviving sites will be the new model for parasite SEO and content farms.

Techopedia is a bit a of unique case. It was once a useful reference site with many inbound links from high authority tech, reference (Wikipedia), and some media sites. The new owners didn't need to change much besides preserving/301 redirecting the old content and launching the parasite section.

High authority content farms are rare enough that they can't be replicated and will probably always be a problem. But if someone could create 2-3 of them and lock up a few SERPs, Google will be left to manually penalize such sites.

The have started repeating the model buying exact match domains and flooding it with paid links ranking top almost instantly.

**econfox** · 6 May 2024, 4:02 pm

In my humble opinion.

Google sucks Tijuana donkey d***s.

That is all.

**newcustomeroffer** · 6 May 2024, 4:23 pm

Originally Posted by baldidiot

I think the actual wording of the initial announcement was “after May 5th” rather than on, so technically it could be anytime after today.

Danny Sullivan has confirmed on X that the 'enforcement' is starting later today (6th May): https://x.com/searchliaison/status/1787516944947777869

**econfox** · 6 May 2024, 10:26 pm

From Google Search Liason on x
Not sure if you're still online, Barry -- but we're only doing manual actions right now. The algorithmic component will indeed come, as we've said, but that's not live yet.

Manual actions tonight

**bingoreviews** · 7 May 2024, 3:28 am

Originally Posted by newcustomeroffer

Good idea. Expect you can add the Telegraph to your safe list if your assertion about the Independent is correct.

Interesting the telegraph are the first ones I've seen hit

**baldidiot** · 7 May 2024, 4:05 am

Originally Posted by bingoreviews

Interesting the telegraph are the first ones I've seen hit

I was just coming on to say that, the telegraph are toast

Looks like the whole /betting/ subfolder is been deindexed, except for a few straggling archive pages.

Also if you search [telegraph betting] it takes you to the gambling news section of the main site, which is how it should be really. It's a newspaper.

**baldidiot** · 7 May 2024, 4:24 am

Originally Posted by bpmee

Probably safe with modest rankings loss
MiamiHerald
Inquirer
USAToday
Sports Illustrated
NYPost
Independent

"Sites like CNN, USA Today, LA Times and others are seeing their rented subdomains and subfolders dropping in rankings after they were hit by manual actions."

https://searchengineland.com/google-...elisted-440294

Google is clearly taking this a bit more seriously than we gave them credit for.

**newcustomeroffer** · 7 May 2024, 4:37 am

Originally Posted by baldidiot

I was just coming on to say that, the telegraph are toast

Looks like the whole /betting/ subfolder is been deindexed, except for a few straggling archive pages.

Also if you search [telegraph betting] it takes you to the gambling news section of the main site, which is how it should be really. It's a newspaper.

Wow - some serious repercussions from this and it's only just started.

**casionmark** · 7 May 2024, 5:20 am

Didn't expect that. That's huge. Let's see if the independent goes next ...

**bpmee** · 7 May 2024, 9:39 am

Happy I was so wrong @baldidiot

Appreciate the intel. I'm going to surf around and see what dropped in my neck of the woods.

Though I do think the large corporate affiliates stand to gain the most here: their sites have the existing authority and breadth to fill the gaps.

**bpmee** · 7 May 2024, 9:45 am

Still seeing Forbes, MLive, EasyReaderNews, etc ranking for their gambling "information" sections. These are primarily reference and tutorial pieces.

Honestly thought Forbes would get a manual action. They've been doing parasite SEO across multiple verticals for years now.

Forbes.com "point spread" still very much alive: https://www.google.com/search?q=forb...oint+spread%22

**edgarf76** · 7 May 2024, 9:58 am

the Telegraph got hit a little already.

Originally Posted by newcustomeroffer

Good idea. Expect you can add the Telegraph to your safe list if your assertion about the Independent is correct.

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