What Is Code Swapping?
Code swapping means showing one version of a website to search engines while presenting a different version to human visitors.
The search engine copy emphasizes speed and text-heavy content deliberately calibrated to boost rankings. This behind-the-scenes site aims to trick the search algorithms.
This specialized search engine version of the website typically has content optimized with heavy keyword usage.
It uses a simple, plain structure cleanly formatted to please search engine bots. It's designed with speed as a priority, using minimal heavy elements that would slow loading times.
Once the optimized search engine version has built up the site's rankings over time, that page gets swapped out.
Now real human visitors from search links start seeing a flashy, graphics-intensive site providing a richer user experience.
This second version may contain elements such as multimedia, scripts, and complex designs that potentially slow down the loading time and might not be as SEO-optimized as the initial version.
This tactic is similar to "cloaking" and risks penalties from search engines since it intends to trick the system.