How Finixio/Clickout Avoids Google Sanctions and Continues Parasitic SEO
We have already seen how Finixio/Clickout’s websites faced severe sanctions following a Google algorithm update. It remains unclear whether these measures were manual or automated, but the consequences were devastating: pages that once attracted millions of visitors per month lost their rankings, and traffic plummeted.However, it is astonishing how quickly they managed to escape the sanctions and resume operations. This is a true masterclass in hiding from search engines and continuing to earn revenue despite strict restrictions.
What Methods Do They Use?
Finixio/Clickout employs a combination of redirects and content cloaking to bypass Google’s penalties. Within just a few days, their sites were back in action, barely modifying their strategy. They clearly demonstrate how resilient well-organized parasitic SEO systems can be, enabling them to continue making money even after significant sanctions.How Did Finixio/Clickout’s Sites Suffer from Sanctions?
According to data, sanctions were applied on December 2 and affected several major assets, including ReadWrite, Business2Community, and Techopedia.- Techopedia, originally an authoritative tech website, is now focused on cryptocurrencies and gambling. After the sanctions, it lost more than 64% of its traffic in just a month, dropping from six million visits to one million.
- ReadWrite suffered similar losses, with its keywords and traffic declining sharply, although the overall drop appeared less drastic.
- Business2Community lost about 75% of its traffic, a severe blow to its position.
How Did Finixio/Clickout Initially React to the Sanctions?
Their strategy to recover from sanctions consisted of two main steps.- First, they removed gambling-related pages. In some cases, pages disappeared so quickly that links to them remained in navigation menus but led to 404 errors. This allowed them to formally eliminate content that violated Google’s policies.
- Then, they used 301 redirects to transfer domain authority from penalized sites to other assets. Most often, these redirects led to landing pages rather than fully developed websites.
The Sites Were Back in Search Within a Week
Just days later, the previously removed pages reappeared. Moreover, their search rankings began recovering; for instance, pages about UK casinos not on GamStop regained high positions in search results.After the sanctions, they not only restored their content but also expanded it, adding new pages.
How Do They Hide Gambling Content?
The gambling pages were restored but are now hidden from Google’s manual reviewers.- If you access Techopedia from a Swedish IP address, you’ll see a full page listing casinos without a Swedish license.
- If you open the same page from Germany, you’ll see a message saying, “Content unavailable.”
- In other languages, users see different, less controversial information.
- A user from Sweden sees a full list of unlicensed casinos.
- A user from another country either sees a blank page or a review of legal casinos.
- Google’s search bots see safe content that doesn’t violate policies.
Redirects and Buying New Sites
Another method Finixio/Clickout actively uses is purchasing new websites and implementing redirects.- Techopedia temporarily redirected its traffic to casinoutanspelpaus(.)io. When sanctions eased, the pages returned to their original locations.
- Their network continues to expand. CardPlayer(.)com and PokerScout(.)com now feature Swedish-language sections with rankings of unlicensed casinos. These pages did not exist before but now serve as traffic funnels for Finixio’s SEO system.
CoinTelegraph and Its Connection to Finixio
CoinTelegraph is particularly interesting because it is a major crypto news site that likely does not belong to Finixio but collaborates with them.- Recently, CoinTelegraph introduced an iGaming section, which stands out significantly from the rest of the site.
- It is visually different from the main CoinTelegraph site.
- It uses different code and styles, indicating its autonomy.
- It directs users to an external site with casino rankings.
- Some authors of this section previously worked at Clickout Media, confirming a connection between the companies.
Using News Sites for SEO Promotion
Finixio/Clickout is also actively publishing content on regional news sites such as Augusta Free Press and East Bay Times. These publications now contain unnatural pages.- Augusta Free Press has a page in Korean about the best online casinos in Korea, even though the site covers news in Virginia.
- East Bay Times, a U.S. site, now features an article in Swedish about casinos operating without a Swedish license.
How Google Created an Environment for Parasitic SEO
Google itself created conditions that made such schemes possible.- Recent algorithm changes first prioritized content from Reddit and Quora and then reduced the impact of topical authority.
- As a result, websites with high domain authority are now given priority, even if their content is irrelevant.
- Consequently, companies like Finixio buy old tech sites and convert them into SEO tools.
Will There Be New Sanctions?
For now, Finixio/Clickout adapts faster than Google can respond. Their methods are becoming more sophisticated, their network is expanding, and new projects continuously integrate into the ecosystem.The main question is whether Google will be able to update its algorithm to the point where parasitic SEO stops working. Until that happens, Finixio will continue making money while evading penalties.