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Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has helped companies to gain organic traffic for so long. Along with this positive side, we have the negative side of SEO.

Learn more about negative SEO and why it fails through this blog.

What is a Negative SEO?

To hamper the competitor’s ranking on the search engine result page companies, tend to use negative SEO that contains a range of illegal activities.

These include creating low-quality backlinks to a competitor’s website and hacking the competitor’s site to alter the content to harm ranking. It is also done by leaking the site data over the webpage and by posting fake reviews on competitor’s sites.

How does Google Combat with Negative SEO?

Google algorithms are smartly designed to detect such illegal practices, because of which negative SEO doesn’t work.

  • Google algorithms are well-equipped to detect such fake links. These algorithms are designed meticulously to find such spammed links and stop them from hampering the ranking of the targeted website.
  • These algorithms are always improvised and updated to be more precise and accurate to detect such anomalies.
  • Google’s Gary Illyes has always mentioned that Google continuously updates its algorithms to make them efficient enough to detect any backlinks that are obtained through malpractices.
  • Other than the algorithm part Google makes use of the Disavow tool which is quite useful for the owners of the site.
  • This tool helps the site owner to inform Google about those links that seem damaging. Google then instructs the search engine to ignore such links while ranking that particular site or page.
  • Already the Google algorithms are well built to distinguish between original and artificial backlinks. The Disavow tool adds an extra layer of protection for the sites.
  • The constant effort from Google to update the algorithms has proven beneficial in filtering such links generated by illegal practices.
  • Even if negative SEO had some impact on the targeted site the next algorithm update neutralizes this impact and restores the ranking accordingly.
  • Google ensures that a site’s ranking is not damaged by such artificially generated links as Google’s search team keeps on monitoring the sites.
  • Google makes sure the pages rank well based on their quality content. Using negative SEO, the imposters modify the content to make it look like low-quality content.
  • Google has well trained algorithm that focuses on such malpractice while scanning through the pages.
  • These algorithms effectively scan and identify such duplicated content to filter out the primary ones from such altered ones.
  • This is the major reason why content scraping fails in negative SEO.
  • There are SEO communities where site owner helps each other by informing Google about any suspected negative SEO.
  • These collaborations help Google in a smooth investigation of such negative SEO and protect the site.

How can Site Owners Protect Their Site from Negative SEO?

Google is complying with its duty of protecting your site. As a site owner, you are equally responsible for working along with Google to protect your site from negative SEO.

It is very important to keep a check on your backlinks regularly. If you identify any such low-quality backlinks immediately report it to Google.

Always make sure the content you publish is of high quality, if you notice any alternative or duplicate text make sure to inform the same to Google and make use of tools like Google Search Console.

By obliging to these actions, you would be able to protect your site from negative SEO as well as adhere to Google’s SEO practice for better ranking on the search engine result page.

Conclusion

Google always does its best to ensure your site is protected from negative SEO. The algorithms used by Google are well-trained and updated frequently to get more advanced in detecting such anomalies. Moreover, using Disavow along with algorithms offers an extra layer of protection over the site.

The sole responsibility is not just with Google. As a site owner you also equally need to be mindful of what going on with your site. Visit your site regularly and conduct a site audit to know if anything wrong is happening on your site or not. This will protect your site.

Sandeep Goel

Sandeep Goel is the founder and CEO of Obelisk Infotech, with over a decade of experience in digital marketing. He started his career as an SEO Analyst, refining his skills with US clients, which deepened his understanding of digital culture. Sandeep is passionate about writing and regularly shares insights through blog posts. He plays a key role in company growth by implementing processes and technologies to streamline operations. <strong>Founder (Obelisk Infotech)</strong> <a href="https://in.linkedin.com/in/sandeepgoel-digital-marketing-expert"><img class="wp-image-23746059 alignnone size-full" src="https://obeliskinfotech.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/icons8-linkedin-64.png" alt="linkedin" width="30" height="30" /></a>