- Expired Domain Abuse
What it is:
This happens when someone buys an old website’s domain name (the web address) that is no longer in use and then uses it for purposes that are very different from what the site was originally about. The main goal is to trick search engines to rank the site higher because it used to have good content.
Example:
Imagine there was a website for a children’s charity, but it closed down. Someone buys the web address and starts using it to sell medical products. Because the old site had a good reputation, search engines might still think it’s trustworthy, even though the content is now completely different and not valuable to users.
- Scaled Content Abuse
What it is:
This involves creating lots of web pages with content that doesn’t really help anyone, just to get higher search rankings. Often, the content is copied, automatically generated, or made up of bits and pieces from other sites.
Example:
Someone uses a computer program to quickly create hundreds of web pages about “best smartphones.” Each page has similar, low-quality content with minor changes. The goal is to fill search results with these pages, even though they don’t provide useful information to visitors.
- Site Reputation Abuse
What it is:
This occurs when a reputable website allows third parties to publish content that has nothing to do with the site’s main purpose. The goal is to use the website’s good reputation to rank higher in search results for unrelated topics.
Example:
A website about medical advice suddenly has pages about the “best online casinos.” These pages are written by someone else and not reviewed by the medical site’s experts. The casino pages are there only to get better search rankings because they are hosted on a trusted site.
What’s Not Considered Abuse
Examples:
Press Releases: Websites that share news from other sources.
Forums: Sites where users can post their own content and discuss various topics.
Editorial Content: Articles or opinion pieces that are reviewed and approved by the website’s staff.
Advertising: Clearly marked ads or affiliate links that are part of the site’s normal content.
Summary
Expired Domain Abuse: Using an old, reputable site for unrelated purposes to trick search engines.
Scaled Content Abuse: Creating many low-quality pages quickly to dominate search results.
Site Reputation Abuse: Hosting irrelevant content on a trusted site to improve search rankings for that content.
The main theme in all these abuses is trying to manipulate search rankings without providing real value to users.