Google's latest Penguin update was intended to lessen the effect that poor quality backlinks had when it comes to a site's normal search performance. Though this development was generally received with disappointment by webmasters who were tapping backlink tools to synthetically increase their own SERP statistics, there was a particular cluster that got delighted with this development - those engaged in black hat spamming who make use of negative SEO to pull down their rivals' performances.

For quite some time, Google repudiated negative SEO's effect on normal search results, though various irrefutable case studies proved that this particular kind of attack could be tapped to radically decrease a rival's rankings.

Because of this, the most effective tactic to avoid negative SEO is by keeping aware with the ploys that these black hat tacticians make use and keep track of your website for any signs that this attack is being tapped. This is how it can be accomplished:

1st Step: Keep Track of Your Site's Backlink Sources

After proving negative SEO's serious potential damage to your website's rankings, it's highly essential to proactively avoid these strategies from affecting your website's ranking. Indeed, you can't procrastinate taking these important measures to combat SEO black hat and regret to witness your website's rankings begin to go down in SERPs!

At present, the major strategy that's employed in negative SEO tactics is through the use of poor quality backlink directed to a rival's site. It's almost costless, simple to accomplish, and almost impossible to track, since Google is unable to determine whether it was you or the spammer that directed the "20,000 backlinks for $15" bundle at your site.

Hence, the most effective strategy to avoid negative SEO tactics is to keep track of your site's backlink summary for proof that black hat links are being pointed to your website. A variety of programs can provide you this important information, but if you're really determined to avoid the serious problem this negative SEO tactic can inflict upon your site, lanciao I would advise that you use a paid service or tool.

Although there are costless programs available to offer you some information pertaining to your website's backlink summary, making use of a platform that enables you to differentiate links based on some particular criteria makes your tracking efforts towards negative SEO tactics a lot easier. For instance, if you plan to do a negative SEO tracking on a per week basis, making use of a platform that warns you of potentially harmful links and permits you to sift out only those backlinks that were tracked in the previous week will conveniently make the activity of determining harmful links a lot faster.

When you scrutinize your website's link profile, be on the look for any of these signs of black hat attack:


Backlinks from unwarranted sites such as porn, gambling, and the like

Backlinks from foreign sites

Backlinks from sites that were intentionally made to spam search engines

Backlinks from pages containing higher than 50 links

Backlinks from pages that prompt malicious software advisories with your internet browser

Now, remember that noticing some backlinks that fulfill these parameters doesn't all the time prove that you've been attacked by a negative SEO tactic. There are many various black hat strategies that end up in poor quality links being directed at your site, hence the detection of some poor backlinks does not decisively mean that a rival is aiming to put you down.

But regardless what triggered the emergence of these possible harmful backlinks, your succeeding move is definite...

2nd Step: Make Use of Google Disavow Service to Tell Doubted Negative SEO Tactics

Previously, the way to address negative SEO tactics meant that website masters go through chains of successions so as to identify which of the poor quality links were in fact inflicting harm (because of the presence or absence of NF tags) and convince backlink hosting website masters to eradicate those proven to be damaging.

Luckily, Google made the procedure of telling possibly malicious links a lot easier with their recent creation of Disavow Links service. This tool, made available in Google Webmaster, may be tapped to make files that inform Google which links you believe are negative SEO induced ones.

To begin, go to the Disavow Links and choose your site prior to ticking "Disavow Links".

You will be asked to confirm Google's notification of the possible harm as a consequence of inaccurately disavowing backlinks (this we'll explain clearly in the succeeding paragraphs).

In the succeeding step, you'll be asked to upload a particular text file containing the backlinks you want to be ignored by Google.

Thus, prior to fulfilling this final phase, you'll have to make a "disavow.txt" file containing the data you intend to send to Google. This particular text file must have the following sole information:


Complete URLs of particular pages you wish to be "devalued"

The term "domain:" and any complete domains and/or sub-domains you'd wish to block totally (be very careful as you do this part)

Comments with your backlink devaluation requests using this "#" character

Now comes the "buyer beware" part...

The most important consideration when reporting negative SEO tactics through Google's Disavow Links program is the possibility of creating crucial impact to your website's regular search performance when you inadvertently misinterpreted valid backlinks to be harmful. When a harmful-looking backlink is in fact contributing value to the PR of your website, asking for its elimination may decrease your site's rankings.

Therefore, you ought not to go through this procedure lest you've really encountered a detrimental effect in your website's search performance (i.e. a "bad backlink" caution in Google Webmaster Tools or a definite regress in SERPs performances). Though you must not linger until a rival has pulled down your site rankings totally, tarrying until you already have definite proof of some harmful effect happening will lessen the possibilities that you went off board and eliminated what were actually very important links.

(At best, it would be wise to ask an SEO expert who will be able to definitely tell you which backlinks are "ailing" and you should disavow versus those that only appear suspicious.)



Furthermore, know that Google has not publicly specified what consequence reporting harmful backlinks have on your website's rankings, hence there's no assurance that making use of this program will in fact bring back your site's pre-attack standings. At this juncture, it's prudent to consider it as one specific program that, together with others such as Google's reconsideration appeal procedure, may enable you to gain back your lost standings eventually.

Although many website masters won't encounter negative SEO tactics, it's crucial to keep track sites for proof of these black hat strategies, as immediate identification of apparent harm may be tantamount to SERPs poor rankings as well as entire business letdown.

Although it's unsure if succeeding changes in Google's algorithms will carry on to favor an atmosphere where this specific tactic can grow, it's essential for all web masters to identify the indications of a negative SEO tactic and how to avoid detrimental effects that this bring into their websites.








Pete Silva, also known in the Internet Marketing industry as "The Believer", Trains and Mentors Passionate and Highly Motivated Online Entrepreneur Learners who do not just dream but also wake up each day to FULFILL THEIR DREAMS. For highly effective SEO tutorial tips & techniques, see the site's leading SEO tutorial website to Avoid Negative SEO?