Parasitic vs. Commensal: Two Killer Approaches in SEO and Link Building

[Seth Gleason]

Hey fam,

I'm currently working on some long-form content about this and thought I'd share an interesting analogy I've developed.

I strongly believe, that all seo is parasite seo.

unless you are printing your own money, there is no non-parasistic marketing at all.



By comparing different types of SEO strategies to known types of parasites in nature, we can better understand their characteristics, circumstances, and approaches.

I hope this helps some of you out there!

Assignment of Parasite Types to SEO Types​

1. Parasitic SEO: The Aggressive Strategy​

Raubparasiten (Parasitoids)

• Characteristics: Parasitoids kill their host at the end of their lifecycle. They fully exploit the host's resources without regard for its survival.
• Parallel to SEO: Parasitic SEO uses aggressive and destructive methods to achieve short-term gains. This can involve inserting backlinks into content on high-ranking sites without concern for the long-term impact on the host site.
• Example: An SEO strategy where large numbers of low-quality guest posts are placed on foreign blogs to quickly generate backlinks, ultimately damaging the quality and reputation of the host sites.

Obligate Parasites

• Characteristics: Obligate parasites are entirely dependent on their host and cannot survive or develop without it.
• Parallel to SEO: SEO strategies that rely solely on the use of external resources. These methods are highly dependent on the authority and traffic of the host websites.
• Example: A website that generates traffic exclusively by posting content on high-ranking websites and cannot build its own reach without these platforms.

Facultative Parasites

• Characteristics: Facultative parasites can live with or without a host. They exploit the host only occasionally.
• Parallel to SEO: Temporary SEO strategies that occasionally access external resources but are not constantly dependent on them.
• Example: A website that occasionally publishes guest posts or conducts periodic link-building campaigns but also uses its own SEO measures to generate traffic.

2. Commensal SEO: The Cooperative Approach​

Commensals

• Characteristics: Commensals live alongside their hosts and benefit from their resources without harming them.
• Parallel to SEO: SEO strategies that rely on sustainable and cooperative partnerships where both parties benefit without causing harm to either side.
• Example: Long-term content partnerships and the mutual exchange of backlinks between thematically appropriate websites, enhancing the visibility and traffic of both sites.

Temporary Parasites

• Characteristics: Temporary parasites visit their host only briefly for nourishment and do not cause long-term harm.
• Parallel to SEO: Short-term SEO collaborations and promotions that provide immediate benefits without creating long-term dependencies or causing harm.
• Example: Temporary actions such as joint webinars or events where both parties benefit from increased attention.

3. Other Parasitic Strategies in SEO​

Brood Parasitism

• Characteristics: Brood parasites have their offspring raised by other animals, saving their own resources.
• Parallel to SEO: Using external platforms to distribute one's own content without investing in the maintenance and promotion of that content.
• Example: A company places affiliate links or sponsored content on foreign blogs, which then generate traffic and sales for the company.

Kleptoparasitism

• Characteristics: Kleptoparasites steal resources from other organisms, such as food or nesting sites.
• Parallel to SEO: Stealing content or SEO strategies from competitors to replicate their success.
• Example: A website copies the successful content of a competitor and attempts to achieve high rankings by using similar keywords and structures.

This analogy shows how diverse SEO approaches can be when viewed through the lens of parasitism.

Some strategies are aggressive and short-term, while others focus on cooperation and sustainability.

By transferring the characteristics and behaviors of real parasites to SEO, we can better understand and evaluate the various methods and their long-term impacts.

Hope this sparks some ideas and helps you refine your strategies!

Cheers

 

[Violet Treutel]

I've been doing a lot of parasite stuff these days, and I have to be honest I like it a lot. Ranks way quicker than writing on own site.

 

[Gerda Bauch]

nice insight!

 

[Jabari Kovacek]

Thanks for the insight !

 

[Emie Rohan]

A nice one, only that a commensal association is not well represented.

The host does not benefit, neither it's harmed, so it's not a mutual relationship as you portrayed.

 

[Kavon Goodwin]

Hey It's my may be 1st or 2nd week and I'm getting such premium information no one is sharing on other mainstream platforms like youtube. Thanks