Pronunciation: [klˈə͡ʊkɪŋ] (IPA) 
Cloaking is spelled with the letters C-L-O-A-K-I-N-G. The IPA phonetic transcription for the word "cloaking" is /ˈkloʊkɪŋ/. The first syllable "clo" is pronounced with the long "o" sound as in "no" followed by a hard "k" sound. The second syllable "ak" is pronounced with the short "a" sound as in "cat" followed by a hard "k" sound. The last syllable "ing" is pronounced with the long "i" sound as in "eye" followed by a hard "ng" sound.
Cloaking is a deceptive technique used in the context of online content and search engine optimization (SEO) that involves presenting different content or URLs to search engines and human users. This practice aims to manipulate search engine rankings, as well as deceive users by showing them different content than what is displayed to search engines. In simple terms, cloaking is a way to present two different versions of a webpage or website, based on the user's identity or intent.
The process of cloaking involves identifying the user-agent of incoming requests and delivering tailored content accordingly. For instance, a website might display relevant and useful content for search engine crawlers to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs), while displaying irrelevant or potentially spammy content to human users. This technique is often employed to deceive search engines into ranking a webpage higher than it deserves, by optimizing its content solely for search engine algorithms.
Cloaking is widely frowned upon by search engines and SEO professionals as it violates their guidelines and aims to manipulate search rankings. Search engines may penalize or completely remove websites that engage in cloaking from their indexes, resulting in a significant drop in organic traffic and visibility. Additionally, from a user perspective, cloaking is considered dishonest and unethical, as it intentionally misleads and confuses individuals seeking genuine information.
The word "cloaking" originates from the Old English term "clāthian" which means "to cover with a cloth, to wrap". This term eventually developed into Middle English, with the form "cloken" meaning "to cover, or conceal". Over time, "cloken" changed to "cloaking", and its meaning expanded to include hiding or disguising a person, object, or information. The word's etymology is linked to the concept of wrapping or covering something in order to hide it.
