Cloaking means:
Show different HTML content to users and another one different to search engine.
For example:
- A text page will be loaded for search engines and a flash site to users.
- Show a different content to users with JavaScript activated and another content to non-JavaScript users (usually robots).
- Show some affiliates links to yours partners that are from a specific country and another different to user in local country.
The Cloaking was a very practical use years ago by many webmasters whose clients wanted a website designed completely in flash as a solution to allow search engines to understand a flash site, but now a days that's changing as the use of flash in not popular.
Flash was one of the most important technological advances in the field of web design (I
don't think so), was developed by FutureWave Software Company in 1994 under the name of Future Splash Animator.
Starting in 2010, Flash comes into open warfare with Apple and its use began to decline.
Our goal as a White SEO is allow you to reach all your pages just by clicking regular links, and your site should be pretty crawlable beside use flays style design, but remember that this is also banned by search engines.
On that link you will see a good explanation: link
Script to cloaking content:
Show content for javascript disable on Internet Browser:
<noscript>Your content for Javascript disabled browsers and bots here</noscript>
PHP cloaking:
Redirect to specific site reading country code url parameter.
<?php
$var=$_GET['cc'];
header('Location: http://www.othersite.com/m-xx.cfm?var='.$cc);
?>
How to test your site cloaked:
For Example on firefox width User Agent Switcher or spider the site yourself with wget and specify an user agent with -U parameter.
Related:
Unnatural Link
http://cognitiveseo.com/blog/4224/unnatural-links-definition-examples/
What Google think about Cloaking:
http://www.seolium.com/seo/learn/google-about-cloaking/
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloaking