The top Google search result for "best pet insurance" is a Forbes site that earns affiliate revenue. Same with "best cbd gummies." "how to get rid of roaches" is the second result on Google. In fact, Forbes is in the top five results countless Google searches, and they all earn affiliate revenue. According to Lars Lofgren, Forbes affiliate income (which is managed by a separate company it parners with) is estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars annually.
"Forbes Marketplace is the single largest (and most successful) parasite SEO program of all time," write Lofgren. "And it's just getting started. I firmly believe that Forbes Marketplace is going to go after EVERY affiliate category unless Google stops them."
From his essay, Forbes Marketplace: The Parasite SEO Company Trying to Devour Its Host:
Are any of us naive enough to believe that Forbes Marketplace has gone from nothing to 27.7M searches per month in less than 5 years while also having the expertise to truly help people across such diverse topics as credit cards, roaches, CBD gummies, and sports betting? It took Nerdwallet 15 years to do that in one category. We're supposed to believe that Forbes can do it in at least 4 categories within 5 years? There's no feasible way to build a team with genuine expertise that fast.
No way in hell. Forbes Marketplace is a Google heist of the highest order. It's generic, thin content with a single goal: rank to generate affiliate revenue.
And Google has lapped their shit up.
Previously:
• Forbes' content landfill has its moment
• Accused crypto scammer is also a 'rapper' and a 'Forbes' blogger
