Should I mimic my competitors questionable SEO strategy?

[metropolitanBase]

Hey guys, so I've been slowly raising the rankings of my ecommerce site with contextual backlinks, quality pbns(t-ranks & toms). So far its good. I buy 5-20 links every month from a trusted vendor.

I recently noticed that one of my competitors, whose traffic had always been inconsistent—generally around 400 and never going above 600-700—has seen a sudden and rapid increase in the last 30 days. I believe I've identified the cause: it appears they are using a Fiverr service that claims to 'Skyrocket rankings with ********.' The backlinks from this gig seem quite sketchy and non-contextual, but it looks like they’re working.

Now my mind says this is a really stupid idea as this is a really easy target for google. Any next google update could potentially demolish this VERY sketchy tactic. My gut feeling says nothing will happen and I should do it

 

[BassTrackerBoats]

Any next google update could potentially demolish this VERY sketchy tactic.

That is what will probably happen once G sees a pattern as if your competition is doing it I'd wager there are a million others doing it.

The ranking game evolves, sometimes fast, sometimes slowly, but it always evolves.

 

[metropolitanBase]

That is what will probably happen once G sees a pattern as if your competition is doing it I'd wager there are a million others doing it.

The ranking game evolves, sometimes fast, sometimes slowly, but it always evolves.

Thank you for the reply! So should I just continue what I'm doing? Never bought fiverr stuff before and I always do a lot of research and vetting before I buy links. I dont want to sound paranoid but I think im doing things right

 

[BNB]

Don't do it. You will end up with dead site, sooner or later.

Create a whole new site, and use only that Fiverr gig.

 

[metropolitanBase]

Don't do it. You will end up with dead site, sooner or later.

You mean If I use that gig on my current site right?

 

[BassTrackerBoats]

Thank you for the reply! So should I just continue what I'm doing? Never bought fiverr stuff before and I always do a lot of research and vetting before I buy links. I dont want to sound paranoid but I think im doing things right

What typically happens is when G spots that trend and slaps you to page 17 in the search engine you never can build up to come back.

I would not do it if the site is a long term venture but if it is like a 3 month punch and run I'd go that way.

 

[Deleted member 1603965]

Don't even think about it IMO. It isn't worth it over the long run.

 

[MKSKS]

Fiverr service

That's a big red flag.
But if you have cracked it right you can use this information to your own advantage.

Look through all your competitor's backlink profiles and make a list of quality properties linked to them.

Now your own linkbuilding campaign can include similar sites to these linked ones.

Also look how the content has been structured and presented by the top ranking competing pages, if there's any gap then you can fill those gaps and make your content at par or better than those top ranking pages.

You need to be careful when trying to mimic your competitor's strategy don't blindly copy it but instead use this information in your SEO campaign.

 

[BNB]

You mean If I use that gig on my current site right?

No man, you don't want to mess with your current site, as you invested time and money to build it right.

You already have it doing well, going into the right direction. Just don't mess it up now.


If you really want to test that Fiverr gig, which is probably not that good, you can find expired domain or simply start over again with a new site where you can mostly do that Fiverr gig. It will be enough to see some good results in case your research was right.

But that still doesn't mean you should apply it on your current site, because what comes fast usually goes away even quicker.

 

[HustleTong]

Fiverr is a terrible marketplace for links
If it's a cheap package, try it out on a secondary domain. Not your main site.

 

[Alis_]

Even if it's tempting to invest in such links to see "quick" results, what's the point of it when you gonna get tanked in a few months...

I know it's super-annoying to see your competitor overtake you with minimum effort, but that's just how this game is, you need to look for long-term results, not some spike in rank for a few months and then being forgotten forever.

 

[MrBeacky]

If my method isn't the only answer, it might be better to follow those who do it better.

However, if rankings are gradually improving, I would stick with my current approach.

I have tried methods by following many top-ranking sites and have used my own methods as well.

But the answer always lies in the basics of SEO.

 

[affanperfusion]

You need to understand their strategy from a holistic point of view. Also one thing to note is that if lets say they are doing 1 violation per 100 works or 1000 works etc. Your rations may be very high or low compared to them.

 

[metropolitanBase]

I know it's super-annoying to see your competitor overtake you with minimum effort, but that's just how this game is, you need to look for long-term results, not some spike in rank for a few months and then being forgotten forever.

Yeah truly! Fucked up my whole mood last night lol . Most likely they are going to tank in a few months. Though competitors domain is a super old one so they are probably going to get some benefit out of that.

 

[MF Group]

Don't do that. If you do that your website will paralysed today or tomorrow.

 

[GenesisOne]

Why don't you ask the same question to the backlink sellers you are already working with?
If your current strategy is working well I wouldn't compromise it with an sketchy link building campaign.

 

[BizMaverick]

Why don't you ask the same question to the backlink sellers you are already working with?
If your current strategy is working well I wouldn't compromise it with an sketchy link building campaign.

Agree 100% with this!

 

[Titans]

If the rankings are fine with the current strategy, you should not change anything. As advised, Google will punish the site for sure if it identifies the pattern. Instead, you can compare their content, keyword optimization, and other strategies to improve the performance of your site.

 

[domainmadness]

Hey guys, so I've been slowly raising the rankings of my ecommerce site with contextual backlinks, quality pbns(t-ranks & toms). So far its good. I buy 5-20 links every month from a trusted vendor.

I recently noticed that one of my competitors, whose traffic had always been inconsistent—generally around 400 and never going above 600-700—has seen a sudden and rapid increase in the last 30 days. I believe I've identified the cause: it appears they are using a Fiverr service that claims to 'Skyrocket rankings with ********.' The backlinks from this gig seem quite sketchy and non-contextual, but it looks like they’re working.

Now my mind says this is a really stupid idea as this is a really easy target for google. Any next google update could potentially demolish this VERY sketchy tactic. My gut feeling says nothing will happen and I should do it

How could you possibly identify which Fiverr service your competitor is using?

 

[iMartin]

When you're using high-quality services that have some exclusivity, you are paying for that exclusivity.

That way, when Google does decide to penalize websites, your footprint is small compared to people who are mass buying a Fiverr gig. You're not only paying for rankings with an SEO service; you are paying for the consistency and security of not being lumped together with mass buying cheap garbage.