A quality backlink profile is a must for high rankings.
But, as you know, not every link is good. It is advisable to check your profile every once in a while to see if you’re getting irrelevant links or even toxic ones.
In this article, we’ll discuss how to find bad backlinks and their types
Let’s get into it.
- Why Would you Need to Find Bad Backlinks?
- Unmarked Paid Links
- Link Farms & PBNs
- Negative Link Attacks
- Links from Irrelevant Sites
- Low-Quality Directory Links
- Reciprocal Links
- Links from Penalized Websites
- Over-Optimized Anchor Texts
- Redirected Spam Links
- Links from High Spam Score Sites
- Now Over to You
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Link building cheat sheet
Why Would you Need to Find Bad Backlinks?
Even though Google is really good at finding and ignoring bad links, it’s still a good idea to run a backlink audit every once in a while.
Here’s why:
First, it helps you see who’s talking about your site. You might find links from places you didn’t expect, which can be useful.
Second, although it’s less common now, someone might try to hurt your website by sending a bunch of bad links to it. Checking your links helps you catch this early.
Third, if you hired someone to build links for you, you need to make sure they’re doing a good job. Checking your backlinks shows if they’re getting good links or bad ones.
It’s important to remember that Google is really good at filtering out most harmful backlinks. So, most of the time, you don’t need to worry.
Lastly, if your website suddenly drops in search results or Google tells you they’ve penalized you, you definitely need to check your backlinks. That means there’s a problem, and you’ll need to find and remove the bad links.
Basically, while Google handles a lot of the work, keeping an eye on your backlinks helps you protect your website and make sure it stays healthy.
How to Disavow Backlinks
Disavowing backlinks means excluding them from the ranking algorithm.
Tools like Google Search Console, Ahrefs, or SEMrush can help you find bad backlinks. Focus on the ones that are obviously harmful.
Next, you need to make a list of these bad links in a simple text file.
Open up Notepad or TextEdit and write down the domains or specific URLs you want Google to ignore.
If you want to disavow an entire website, write “domain:example.com.” If it’s just one page, write the full URL.
Put each one on a new line. You can even add notes to yourself by starting a line with a hashtag. Save this file as a “.txt” file.
Now, head over to Google’s Disavow Links Tool.
Make sure you’re logged into your Google account and choose the website you’re working on. Then, you’ll upload that “.txt” file you just made. Click “choose file,” select your list, and submit it.
Google will process your request, but it won’t happen instantly.
It takes time for them to update their records, so don’t expect to see changes right away. Also, it is very important to remember that link removal is not a magic fix.
It is a tool that is available, but it is not a cure all.
Remember, be careful with this tool. Disavowing the wrong links can actually hurt your website. Only disavow links that are clearly harmful, and always try to get the links removed manually first.
Unmarked Paid Links
Unmarked paid links are a problem because they directly violate Google’s guidelines and undermine the very foundation of how search engines deliver relevant results.
They disrupt the natural order of search results, erode user trust, and can lead to severe penalties from Google. Google’s guidelines are in place to ensure a fair and level playing field for all websites, and unmarked paid links directly contradict those principles.
These are the first bad links you should take care of – there is zero searching involved since you know what you paid for (if you did).
Link Farms & PBNs
Link farms and Private Blog Networks (PBNs) are both tactics used to manipulate search engine rankings by artificially creating backlinks.
They’re considered black hat SEO techniques and are heavily penalized by Google.
Link farms are websites or networks of websites whose sole purpose is to provide backlinks to other websites.
They typically contain low-quality, often automatically generated, content and have a high volume of outgoing links.
They offer little to no value to users and exist purely to manipulate search engine algorithms.
These are a tell-tale sign that a site is a link farm or private blog network:
- Low-quality content
- Excessive outgoing links
- Lack of relevance
- Suspicious domain names
- Poor website design
- High spam score
Negative Link Attacks
While Google’s algorithms are remarkably effective at filtering out link spam, the possibility of a negative SEO link attack (a malicious attempt to damage your site’s reputation) shouldn’t be dismissed.
The most glaring indicator is a sudden, unexplainable drop in your search engine rankings, particularly for your key terms.
This isn’t a gradual decline; it’s a sharp, noticeable plunge.
To confirm your suspicions, use a backlink checker like Ahrefs or Semrush.
A dramatic, rapid increase in low-quality backlinks is a major red flag. Look for links from known spam hubs, toxic link farms, Private Blog Networks (PBNs), or websites with irrelevant, poorly written content.
A natural link profile grows organically; a sudden surge is highly suspicious.
Pay close attention to the anchor text of these backlinks.
If you spot a flood of spammy links with irrelevant, or over-optimized anchor text, it’s a strong sign of manipulation.
Offensive or inappropriate language within the anchor text further confirms malicious intent.
Additionally, be wary of links from foreign websites that are completely unrelated to your target audience or from sites with suspicious domain names and IP addresses.
Sometimes, referral spam in Google Analytics can accompany a negative SEO attack, as the perpetrators generate fake traffic alongside the harmful links.
Links from Irrelevant Sites
Irrelevant links do not contribute to your rankings and may even hurt them.
To spot them, fire up your link report in Ahrefs/Semrush and ask yourself these questions:
- Does the linking site’s topic have nothing to do with yours? A cooking blog linking to a car repair site is a clear sign.
- Is the linking site’s target audience completely different from yours?
- Are links coming from sites in a language or region you don’t target?
- Even if the site is vaguely related, is the link placed in a context that makes no sense?
Low-Quality Directory Links
Low-quality directories are outdated, spam-filled online listings that offer minimal value to users.
They were once used as a common SEO tactic, but now they can negatively impact your website’s search engine rankings.
It’s important to note that not all directories are bad – just the old ones that don’t get any real traffic anymore.
First, examine the categories in which your website is listed.
If your site appears in categories unrelated to its niche, it indicates a low-quality directory. Next, evaluate the directory’s website design.
Outdated designs, excessive advertisements, and broken links are tell-tale signs. A lack of contact information or an “About Us” page is also a red flag.
Use SEO tools to check the directory’s domain authority.
A low DA score signifies low credibility. Scrutinize the directory’s listings for spammy or irrelevant entries.
Note the number of outgoing links; excessive links suggest low quality. Also, consider the directory’s traffic volume; minimal traffic indicates low value. Pay attention to generic domain names and hidden or obscured ownership information.
Reciprocal Links
Reciprocal links, those where two websites agree to link to each other, might seem like a straightforward way to boost visibility, but they directly violate Google’s guidelines.
A healthy link profile is diverse, drawing from various sources. A flood of reciprocal links creates a homogenous, suspicious pattern – and Google is really good at spotting a link scheme.
This manipulation not only undermines the integrity of search results but also risks penalties from Google, ranging from ranking drops to complete removal from search indexes.
While direct, two-way reciprocal links are problematic, a much less risky alternative is the ABC link exchange.
This involves a chain where Website A links to B, B links to C, and C links back to A. This method is a lot harder to track and is less likely to be flagged as overtly manipulative.
Links from Penalized Websites
One of the most telling signs of a penalty is a sudden, sharp decline in a website’s organic traffic.
Tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs can reveal these dramatic drops.
Similarly, a significant decrease in search engine rankings indicates that Google has likely taken action.
If a “site:” search in Google returns very few or no indexed pages, the site may have been de-indexed, a severe form of penalty.
Stagnant content, a lack of recent updates, and a high spam score from SEO tools are also strong indicators. Additionally, a very low amount of indexed pages is also a warning sign.
Links from these penalized websites can damage your own site’s visibility.
Firstly, the “bad neighborhood” effect can associate your site with spammy backlinks or manipulative practices, damaging your reputation.
Secondly, Google discounts links from penalized sites, rendering them useless for boosting your website’s authority.
Over-Optimized Anchor Texts
Think of anchor text as the way people describe your website when they link to it.
If everyone used the exact same phrase, it would seem forced and unnatural, right?
Google thinks so too.
That’s why over-optimized anchor text, the repetitive use of exact keywords in unnatural links, is a red flag.
For example, if you sell “green gardening gloves,” constantly using phrases like “green gardening gloves,” “buy green gardening gloves,” or “cheap green gardening gloves” looks suspicious.
Google’s algorithms are smart enough to recognize this as an attempt to manipulate rankings, and they might penalize your site.
Instead, a more natural approach involves using partial match anchor text, which incorporates variations and related keywords.
This is like having people describe your gloves in different ways, such as “gardening gloves,” “green hand protection,” or “find gloves for gardening.”
This variety appears more organic and helps Google understand the broader context of your website.
To create a healthy link profile, you need a diverse mix of anchor text, reflecting how people naturally link to websites.
This includes using your brand name, the website address, simple phrases like “click here,” similar keywords, the actual website address, related keywords, and sparingly, the exact keywords.
Redirected Spam Links
Redirected spam links are a deceptive practice where a hyperlink’s apparent destination differs from its actual endpoint.
This manipulation aims to trick users and search engines, often leading to harmful or unwanted websites.
The core issue is that the link initially suggests a legitimate site, but upon clicking, the user is rerouted to a completely different location.
These links pose several threats.
They mislead users, undermining trust.
Spammy links can distribute malware, infecting devices with harmful software. They facilitate phishing scams, stealing sensitive information.
They promote spam and low-quality websites, tricking users with unwanted or even malware. Even an indirect association with these links can damage a website’s reputation.
They are also employed to circumvent security protocols.
Identifying these links requires careful observation or the use of spammy link tracking tools like Ahrefs.
Be vigilant of unusually long or random URLs, or anchor texts promising discounts and coupons.
Pay attention to multiple redirects, as these are often used to obscure the final destination.
Links from High Spam Score Sites
Spam Score, a metric provided by Moz, serves as a valuable tool for assessing the potential risk associated with websites linking to yours.
It essentially quantifies how “spammy” a website appears, based on a range of characteristics commonly found on sites penalized by Google.
This metric is not a definitive judgment, but rather an estimation of the likelihood that a site is engaging in manipulative or harmful practices.
Moz’s algorithm evaluates 27 distinct “spam flags,” which are characteristics frequently observed on penalized websites.
These include factors like low domain authority, indicating a lack of credibility; bad link diversity, suggesting a toxic link profile; and thin content, pointing to low-quality or automatically generated material.
Other factors include, very few indexed pages, a lack of external links, a low amount of linking root domains, an unnaturally high ratio of follow to nofollow links, large sites with few links, and over optimized anchor text.
To check the Spam Score of a website linking to you, you can utilize Moz’s Link Explorer tool or the MozBar browser extension.
Link Explorer, accessible through the Moz website, allows you to input a URL and receive a comprehensive analysis, including the Spam Score.
The MozBar extension, installed in your browser, displays these metrics directly on the website you’re viewing.
Link building cheat sheet
Now Over to You
In conclusion, to keep your backlink profile healthy, you need to actively nurture it.
But don’t overthink it: ONLY disavow toxic links if you were hit with a Google penalty (or suspect you are going to because you have been engaging in black-hat link building).
But let’s switch the topic to good links that you have to work to get – through blogger outreach.
Respona is made just for that – so don’t hesitate to start your 14-day free trial to see it in action!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How often should I check my backlinks for bad links?
It’s a good practice to check your backlinks at least quarterly.
If you’ve recently engaged in link-building activities or suspect a negative SEO attack, you should monitor them more frequently, perhaps monthly.
Regular checks help you catch potentially harmful links before they cause significant damage.
What are the best tools for finding bad backlinks?
Several tools can help you find bad backlinks, including Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Moz Link Explorer.
Google Search Console provides a free overview of your backlinks, while paid tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Moz offer more in-depth analysis and features like spam score checks.
If I find a bad backlink, should I always disavow it?
Not necessarily.
First, try to contact the website owner and request that they remove the link. If that’s not possible or practical, and the link is clearly harmful (e.g., from a known spam site), then disavowing it is a good option.
Disavow only clearly toxic links.
Can bad backlinks completely destroy my website’s ranking?
Yes, especially those from penalized sites or through manipulative backlinks, can significantly harm your website’s ranking.
Google may penalize your site, leading to a drop in search results or even de-indexing. That is why monitoring is key.
How long does it take for Google to process a disavow file?
Google states that it can take several weeks for them to process a disavow file.
There’s no set timeframe, and it depends on various factors. Be patient and continue to monitor your backlink profile for any changes.
Disavowing is not a quick fix.
