CEE Consumer Attitudes Toward Parasite SEO & Search Engine Responsibility

In March 2026, the EPPP – European Public Policy Partnership, in cooperation with the European Centre for International Political Economy (ECIPE), concluded the project CEE Consumer Attitudes Toward Parasite SEO & Search Engine Responsibility. The survey explored how consumers in Central and Eastern Europe perceive so-called parasite SEO practices and the role of search engines in safeguarding the quality of online content. The project aimed to better understand user expectations and contribute to the ongoing policy debate about quality, fairness, and responsibility in search rankings. It was based on a survey of nearly 2,000 consumers in five countries, regarding the visibility, credibility, and prioritisation of online content in search results. The findings show that users expect search engines to protect them on the basis of content quality and user experience – not the reputation of the website hosting the content. These insights informed EPPP and ECIPE’s outreach to the Brussels policy community and decision-makers, highlighting that the downranking of parasitic content should not be seen as a penalty for publishers, but as a necessary and proportionate quality-control measure. Such an approach helps improve reliability, reduce wasted time, and better align search results with genuine user needs. As part of the project, EPPP and ECIPE also co-hosted an online policy webinar featuring experts in digital economy and regulation, who presented the study’s findings and discussed the broader consumer experience in the context of the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

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