IP delivery, most commonly know referred to as cloaking, is probably the most controversial, yet effective, search engine strategy used. In my opinion, much of the controversy stems from lack of understanding although I agree there does exist a measureable degree of abuse of what is otherwise a very fine tool.

First of all, let’s examine what cloaking is and how its works. Then I shall discuss the use and abuse and delve a little bit into the pros and cons.

How it works??

When a “visitor” come calling to your site, they announce their arrival using an Internet Protocol number – an IP number. IP numbers are unique and all but impossible to spoof. If you use a dial- up service, then you are using an IP number that belongs to your ISP and is temporarily assigned to your connection. On the other hand, if you have dedicated line then your computer may have a dedicated IP number that remains constant and identifies your machine every time you venture forth onto the internet.

Likewise, search engine spiders also have IP number. The difference between a search engine ‘spider’ and a real site visitor is in the purpose of the visit. The spider is there to index the page’s source code while the person is there to view the web page. Some search engine optimizers (SEOs) have gone to great lengths to collect ALL of search engine spider’s IP addresses (numbers). They have done this in order to be able to distinguish when the visitor is a real person and when the visitor is an SE spider.

Here’s where the fun begins. Professional SEOs realize that building a page that is search engine friendly poses a dilemma based on the following facts:

  • Search engine tend to favor straight-forward, text oriented, non frame, non-tables, non-graphics-intensive, non-JaveScript, non shockwave sites. Search engines love pages that most consumers would agree are non-professional, “but-ugly” pages. But SE spiders tends to score ugly pages highest because they are looking primarily fuses the SE spider and makes it want to go away.
  • SEOs also know that competitors can view their source code and steal their success. SEOs understandably object to the fact that, as soon as they build a successful high-ranking page, someone else can view-source and clearly see their optimization elements. Many times this source code is stolen outright, copyrights, trademarks and all- especially in high-competitive keyword markets.

Well, IP delivery solves both of these problems and does so in dynamic fashion. Here is how:

All of these search engines’ IP numbers are programmed into a script and the site’s server is set to identify the difference between an SE spider and a real site visitor. That allows the SEO to build two pages – an ugly but highly optimized page for the spider and an attractive consumer-oriented page for all the real people (consumers) that come visiting.

Whenever a “visitor” come calling, IP number in hand, script looks at that IP number and compares it to a list. If it finds the number on its search engine spider list, it‘ll decide which search engine is calling and feed that search engine a page that is optimized specifically for that engine. (That is why this is some times also referred to as the ‘food’ technique.)

On the other hand, if the IP number is NOT on the list, the script will assume the visitor is real person and deliver the page that is optimized for the consumer. Not only does this system help the site score higher on the engines (when done properly), it also dramatically increases consumer response AND makes it impossible for the real person (your competitor) to view the source code of the actual (ugly) page that is scoring high in the engines.

IP delivery gives the SEO the best of all worlds – high relevancy scores, cloaked source code, And potentially a better consumer response because the sales page can be built without search engine optimization being a governing factor.

Now, the controversy – there are a few idiots out there who have yet to learn that serving up irrelevant results does not increase sales and only serves to make people angry. I liken their offensive behavior to drunk behind the wheel of a car. Drunks don’t make cares dangerous. It’s the drunk that us dangerous- the car is simply a tool we use for going places and, like most tools, it can be used and /abused. But, no one (yet) has proposed that we ban cars to get the drunks off the road!

I see IP delivery in the same light. It is an effective and legitimate tool in spite of the fact that some unethical people abuse it. In my opinion, SEOs have legitimate right to protect their (frequently copyright protected) source code. Even more important, they want to design consumer friendly, sometimes interactive and intuitive websites with frames, tables, shockwave, JaveScript, etc., without being penalized by the search engines for adding the fancy bells and whistles. In my opinion, both are legitimate desires and worthless endeavors.

However, I also feel that anyone who hides behind cloaking in order to conceal the act they are using irrelevant keywords, or stealing copyrighted material, or illegally making use of a competitor’s trademark, should be banned from the engine(s) and possibly prosecuted for fraud – similar to the drunk who should be removed from behind the wheel. In such cases, its unscrupulous SEO who is scoundrel – not the strategy itself.