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JcPenney's SEO scandal

JCPenney was involved in an SEO scandal around 2011 when it was discovered that the company used unethical tactics to improve its search engine rankings. They hired a firm that created a large number of low-quality backlinks on irrelevant websites, manipulating Google's algorithm. This fraudulent approach initially boosted JCPenney's visibility but ultimately led to penalties from Google. The incident highlighted the importance of ethical SEO practices and transparency in digital marketing, demonstrating that short-term gains from such tactics can lead to long-term consequences and damage a brand's reputation.