Nov. 14, 2023 5:45 pm PST | SEO Gazette | By Luke Ross
In a recent development, Google has indicated upcoming changes in how it handles third-party hosted content, often associated with the term ‘parasite SEO’. This announcement follows Google’s September 2023 update to its helpful content guidelines, which included new information specifically addressing third-party content.
Originally, the update in September was primarily a documentation change without any direct impact on search rankings for third-party hosted content. However, Sullivan has now suggested that the documentation update is just one part of a broader strategy. He expressed optimism that these changes would lead to improvements over time, especially as publishers adhere to Google’s guidelines.
Sullivan’s comments via X hint at a possible crackdown on third-party hosted content that is not closely aligned with a website’s main purpose or is produced without significant oversight. The Google guideline states that if a site hosts third-party content, either on the main site or subdomains, this content could influence site-wide signals such as the perceived helpfulness of the site’s content. Thus, if such content is largely independent or not closely supervised, Google recommends blocking it from being indexed.
This shift could signal a tightening of policies around third-party content, aligning with Google’s ongoing efforts to prioritize original, helpful E-E-A-T content in its search results. The update is a reminder for the SEO community to closely monitor and curate third-party content hosted on their sites to maintain alignment with Google’s evolving guidelines.
Further discussions in various forums are underway, and there’s anticipation that these changes might already be taking effect.
Article written by Luke Ross, The SEO Gazette
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