Google has always been on the forefront of advocating for transparency and good practices in the world of search engine optimization (SEO). One of the ways they do this is by regularly updating their search algorithm to ensure that websites are providing users with the best possible experience. One of the most recent updates is their warning against cloaking HTTP status codes.

Cloaking is a technique that some websites use to deceive search engines into thinking that their content is different than what it actually is. This is typically done by showing different content to search engine bots than what is shown to human visitors. For example, a website might show a search engine bot a page filled with keywords in order to rank higher for those terms, but then show human visitors a completely different page that does not contain those keywords.

HTTP status codes are a way for servers to communicate with web browsers and search engines about the status of a webpage. For example, a 200 status code means that the page was found and is being displayed, while a 404 status code means that the page was not found. Cloaking HTTP status codes means showing a different status code to search engines than what is shown to human visitors.

So why does Google warn against cloaking HTTP status codes? There are a few reasons:

It is deceptive: Cloaking HTTP status codes is a deceptive practice that goes against the principles of transparency and honesty that Google values. By showing different status codes to search engines than what is shown to human visitors, websites are essentially lying to search engines about the content of their pages.

It can lead to penalties: Google is constantly on the lookout for websites that use deceptive practices to manipulate search engine rankings. Cloaking HTTP status codes is one such practice, and websites that are caught doing it can be penalized by Google. This can lead to a drop in rankings or even being removed from Google's index altogether.

It can harm user experience: Cloaking HTTP status codes can also harm user experience. If search engines are being shown one version of a page while human visitors are being shown another, it can lead to confusion and frustration. This can cause users to leave the website and seek out other sources of information, which can harm the website's overall reputation and credibility.

In addition to these reasons, there are also technical considerations to keep in mind when it comes to cloaking HTTP status codes. For example, if a website is cloaking status codes in order to hide pages that they don't want indexed by search engines, this can cause problems with crawling and indexing. Search engines rely on status codes to understand the content of a webpage, and if the status codes are being manipulated, this can make it difficult for search engines to properly index the site.

A google team expert strongly advised against cloaking standing codes, stating that it is risky, in response to the website owner's question.

The team explained that a number of serving conditions might lead to potential problems, like the location not being indexed by Google.

According to Google's webmaster pointers, cloaking is a direct violation.

It is regarded as a deliberate attempt to deceive search engine crawlers. Sites that participate in cloaking may even see their content removed from search results or see their rankings drop.

Avoid giving different standing codes to customers and search engines like Google and Yahoo. As a result, you should avoid all cloaking.

Displaying different content, meta tags, or design elements to search engines like Google and Yahoo, among others, is one form of cloaking.

It's everything towards Google's rules and could make your site look risky.

One of the easiest ways to keep people and search engines like Google and Yahoo happy is to be honest and open, which leads to better rankings and customer experiences.

So what can website owners do to avoid cloaking HTTP status codes? The first step is to ensure that all pages on the website are returning the correct status codes to both search engines and human visitors. This means avoiding any techniques that would show different status codes to search engines than what is shown to human visitors.

Another important step is to focus on creating high-quality content that is valuable to users. By focusing on providing a good user experience and creating content that is useful and informative, website owners can avoid the temptation to engage in deceptive practices like cloaking HTTP status codes.

In conclusion, cloaking HTTP status codes is a deceptive practice that goes against the principles of transparency and honesty that Google values. Websites that engage in this practice can face penalties from Google, and it can also harm user experience and lead to technical problems with crawling and indexing. By focusing on providing high-quality content and avoiding deceptive practices, website owners can ensure that their sites are both user-friendly and search engine-friendly.