What is Negative SEO?
TL;DR
Attempting to hurt a competitor's rankings through malicious tactics, building spammy Backlinks to their site, hacking their website, or creating fake negative reviews. Negative SEO is unethical and can have legal consequences. Google has gotten better at ignoring obvious negative SEO, but it still happens. Monitor your backlink profile.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Negative SEO
What are examples of negative SEO attacks?
Common attacks include: pointing thousands of spammy links at your site, scraping and duplicating your content, hacking your site to insert spam, creating fake bad reviews, and sending fake removal requests to sites linking to you.
How do I know if I'm a victim of negative SEO?
Watch for: sudden drops in rankings without explanation, massive influx of low-quality backlinks you didn't build, duplicate content appearing on spammy sites, or suspicious activity in Google Search Console. Regular monitoring helps catch attacks early.
Can negative SEO actually hurt my site?
Google claims to be good at ignoring obvious negative SEO. However, it can still cause issues, especially for smaller sites without strong authority. Taking preventive measures and monitoring your backlink profile is wise.
How do I protect against negative SEO?
Monitor your backlinks regularly, set up Google Search Console alerts, keep your website secure (updates, strong passwords), monitor your brand mentions, and document your legitimate link building efforts to distinguish from attacks.
What should I do if attacked?
Document everything, disavow obviously spammy links in Google Search Console, secure any hacked areas, respond to fake reviews through proper channels, and consider consulting an SEO professional. Serious attacks may warrant legal action.
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