Last April, Google’s continued fight against Parasite SEO stirred much discussion after a formal EU complaint was raised over antitrust issues. Today, some argue that Google’s action to eliminate manipulative and spammy pages harms competition and benefits only a few big media organizations and companies. Our Search Engine Optimization Services in Ashburn USA, are here to discuss more about the topic in detail.
Publishing shallow content full of keywords on big and influential websites helps some websites achieve better rankings in Google searches. Due to their misleading nature, these pages may not be of any real use to users, yet they can affect the site’s reputation.
Like any SEO Service in Ashburn USA, an affiliate marketer or third-party advertiser posts an advertisement on a respectable site; unexpectedly, the page dominates search results for competitive terms due to the site’s high domain authority. It fetches a bigger crowd than higher-quality sites with less authority. Due to this situation, people now find it hard to get reliable information from search engines.
Google communicated in March 2024 that they had updated their algorithm and issued penalties for Parasite SEO. As a result, the company tried to promote helpful content that depended on accurate sources and was focused on users. Among the actions taken were:
- If pages looked cancerous or lacked proper editing, they were deindexed.
- Lowering the rank of web pages from high-authority websites with little useful content.
- Stricter rules for the publication of third-party content by websites of news and academic institutions.
- Google has explained the situation through its spokesperson. Google’s spokesperson stated:
“Our goal is to ensure that users are not misled by SEO manipulation. We want trustworthy, helpful content to win, not content that rides on the reputation of others.”
A group of digital publishers and affiliate marketers made an official antitrust claim against Google at the European Commission in April 2025. According to the complaint, Google’s decision to restrict Parasite SEO unfairly targets smaller companies to support the major websites of YouTube, Reddit, and Amazon. Important accusations made in the complaint are outlined here -
- According to the complaint, Google favors lead firms by penalizing small affiliates and independent SEOs.
- Questions have been raised again that Google is applying updates to boost the visibility of its systems - YouTube clips, Google News snippets, and featured snippets.
- Many publishers claim they received unfair treatment since the penalization was not always clearly explained or left without an opportunity to object.
- Supposedly, by picking which kinds of content are displayed well, Google is exercising control and misusing its power in search.
The European Commission has not officially acknowledged the investigation, though it will likely examine several possible violations of the Digital Markets Act. The DMA requires gatekeepers or large online platforms to -
- Use algorithms that are open and unbiased for ranking.
- Avoid giving priority to their recommendations.
- Make sure all users of the system are treated equally.
- If Google is found guilty of not following the rules, it could be fined up to 10% of its worldwide income.
- Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, has previously stated:
“Gatekeepers must not use their control to stifle innovation or distort competition. We will not hesitate to intervene if dominance becomes abuse.”
There has always been conflict between SEO practices and antitrust law, as per our SEO Services in Ashburn USA, but it’s getting stronger. In the last two years, there has been -
- The U.S. Department of Justice sued Google for engaging in monopolistic actions in its advertising and search sectors.
- According to a UK ruling, Google will have to provide clearer information about the reasons for its actions to penalize businesses.
- Puzzled webmasters are joining the “Search Fairness Alliance” to demand an explanation.
Currently, Parasite SEO is bringing new attention to issues involving -
- It is difficult to decide if spam protection is crossing over into censorship.
- If Google can act as both the judge and a participant in SEO.
- How competition law should govern updates and adjustments made by companies to their algorithms.
Some Parasite SEO does not cause any real harm to any SEO Agency. Some people in marketing view it as a way for every website to share the results. It is reasonable for intended audiences to see value in great resources published on proven and well-regarded websites. Google uses another approach, particularly when -
- The content has very little information, and what is given is unclear.
- The website hosting the content does not oversee the editing of the material.
- People are being tricked to make money.
In short, Google is trying to prevent users from being manipulated, though how it carries out the enforcement is now being questioned.
The SEO purge for Parasite has already resulted in -
- Thousands of affiliate marketers are seeing a drop in traffic.
- Publishers are making their guest posting and sponsorship guidelines stricter.
- A focus is given to Google using snippets and native videos from YouTube.
Experts in digital marketing or any SEO Agency are asking digital marketers to:
- Ensure the page is Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthy (EEAT).
- Create their reputation, rather than borrowing one from others.
- Get traffic from various places since using SEO alone is riskier than before.
Some large publishers and SEO professionals support the crackdown, saying it cleans up the web.
Lily Ray, a prominent SEO analyst, tweeted:
“If you're mad your parasite SEO page got deindexed, maybe it's time to ask if it ever provided real value to users.”
Others see it as Google pushing an agenda.
A Redditor from r/SEO remarked:
“Reddit and YouTube get a pass, but an affiliate review on a university blog gets nuked? That’s not spam control—that’s monopolistic curation.”
Legal experts say this case could become a landmark precedent for how AI-driven content moderation is regulated in the EU.
The next few months will be critical -
- The European Commission may formally open an investigation.
- Google may be required to offer clarity on its algorithmic decision-making.
- Smaller SEO players might gain stronger legal grounds to appeal penalties.
For Google, the challenge is maintaining high-quality search results while avoiding the perception of unfairness or bias. For marketers, it's a wake-up call to prioritize sustainability over short-term hacks.
Google’s decision to tackle Parasite SEO aims to ensure users receive useful and real results. On the other hand, how companies carry out these actions and their impact on the internet are now being questioned. If it is discovered that Google benefited certain platforms by leaning on its dominance and squeezing out proper competitors, the outcome could greatly shift the digital realm for SEO experts and the whole ecosystem. As Europeans wait to see what happens next, SEO is certainly changing. Complying with policies while trying to be competitive will be the top goal for SEO in the next five years. You can find more details about this or avail of our Search Engine Optimization Services in Ashburn USA, at Webtrills.com.
