During the early days of SEO, it was possible to secure the first page of a search engine using black-hat method - with tactics like cloaking, jamming keywords, backlink spamming, and other tricks which could quickly push sites to the top of search results. However, those days are now part of history due to Google's powerful algorithms which can easily detect and counteract any negative SEO attack.
Not only are these malicious techniques ineffective - they can also ruin your website's ranking or prevent it from being indexed altogether.
We also know that many new site owners are so keen on getting backlinks that they approve poor quality links without thinking of where the connections originate from or why other site holders are associated with them in any case.
And because of this – we tell you and warn you – it is an unavoidable fact that negative SEO attacks happen because of spammy links. Our expertise in helping many customers resist such attacks has proven this to be the case. We can say that competitors, hackers, or any other group could be responsible for them. Without immediate action, a site's ranking with search engines can suffer permanent damage.
In the event of sudden drops in keyword rankings, it may well be indicative of a malicious attack rather than Google algorithm updates or website technical issues. That is why knowing the structure of a negative SEO attack will allow you to effectively protect your website and rectify any resulting difficulties.
Sites which are susceptible to SEO are the most vulnerable.
Startups and small businesses are especially liable to malicious SEO attacks due to weak backlink profiles. When half of the links are untrustworthy and your online presence is still in its early days, Google’s automated systems can detect this and deduce that you’re attempting to gain undue favour in the SERP.
For those new to website building and such, extra focus should be given to any backlinks gained. Even those who hire link building services must stay mindful as well. Site owners may be hesitant to partake in link building as SEO experts of the past have had a harmful effect on their domain through misleading tactics.
Although it is encouraged that you increase your backlink profile for higher domain authority and better rankings, caution must be taken over diversity of anchor texts and sources of reference in your backlink profile.
Ways to identify a negative SEO attack
Harmful backlinks
Links from websites of poor quality, with no relevance to your sector or little web traffic, should always be treated with suspicion. A large number of these low-grade links may indicate you are the victim of link farming which produces countless links quickly. If Google notices a high percentage of toxic backlinks on your new website, it is likely to determine that you have been engaging in illicit activities.
False negative site/product reviews
Negative reviews do not have as much of an effect on a website's authority as its backlink profile, yet Google still checks and renders these sites when checking if it should rank the page. Especially for local small businesses with fewer-than-stellar reviews, they won't be ranked highly. Thus, in addition to regularly analysing a site's backlink profile, owners should also pay attention to key review websites in their industry. Most major review sites let owners report any suspicious reviews they may find.
Spam links which are included in comments are a big nuisance.
In the past, SEOs added backlinks in the comment sections of blogs and forums to augment the authority of their website. If you discover irrelevant and trafficless backlinks on older blog comments, somebody may have maliciously added them. In case it's an SEO firm for whom you paid to place the link - get rid of them promptly. Google indexes such links in comments and having many unnatural backlinks will not contribute positively to your website's reputation.
Reversing the negative SEO attack
Getting out of a damaging SEO attack can be annoying, but it is not impossible to do so. If you have a keen eye of watching over your backlink profile, you should have an idea of what seems normal for your website and can quickly detect anything that appears out of the ordinary.
If you can see that a torrent of links has been used malevolently, there are actually multiple methods to restore the loss and possibly ward off any penalties implemented by Google.
While a few of these methods may be heavy on the pockets, if you are unskilled in web developing, it is suitable to seek advice from Webplanners' SEO experts. Keep in mind though that removal of the wrong links can bring about accidental negative SEO on your website, which is undesired and should be avoided at all costs. For this reason, you must let an SEO expert handle issues like this to avoid getting a negative SEO.
Request for the spammy links removal
You should first confirm that you have exerted every effort to eliminate the link by connecting with the site’s webmaster and seeking removal. If the link was an issue of comment spam, then possibly the blog owner can moderate or delete it. However, certain webmasters charge a cost for link deletion, so whether you want to pay this sum is up to your discretion or you can always opt for other ways of removing them.
Forming connections via backlinks
If you are searching for ways to increase the authority of your website in a Google-compliant way that does not negatively affect your long-term rankings, engaging in high-quality and contextual link building is essential.
What does this entail? This means producing original content to gain links from relevant publications within your industry. An experienced SEO agency like Webplanners will work with you and create a healthy backlink profile, increasing keyword rankings over time and making it easier to weather any potential negative SEO attacks. In this way, you are not only actively striving for quality links for your website, you could ensure that you are not missing out on crucial opportunities as well.
Takeaway
Issues concerning SEO are extremely disheartening and unjustified, however there is nothing website owners can do to manage it. Therefore, being ready beforehand with the appropriate knowledge is the optimal way to handle this problem. Knowing what signs to watch for will support webmasters in reacting quickly and minimise repercussions.
SEO Expert Services Melbourne
As a business owner, getting ranked high on the SERP is always the main goal. In case of negative SEO attacks due to spammy links, then that would be greatly detrimental to your site’s rankings.
To prevent this from happening to you, it is best to get in touch with the top SEO experts in Melbourne. Webplanners can provide you insight on how to go about protecting your business from spammy links, as well as maintain your site high up on the search result rankings.
Want to learn more? Get in touch with our SEO specialists today!
Suggested Read: 10 Link Building Mistakes SEOs Make While Building Backlinks
