Does negative SEO really work?

As unsettling as the concept of negative SEO is, you may be wondering: does it really work?This is in part SEOAce thanks to Google becoming better and better at identifying and dealing with negative SEO tactics.

While back in the day Google’s algorithm would “reward” websites with a high volume of backlinks (even spammy ones) with a better ranking, things changed with the release of Google’s Penguin 4.0 update in September 2016.

Since then, Google looks at the quality of the links, essentially ignoring spammy backlinks when determining a site’s ranking.

Sometimes, however, even the mighty Google can’t stop negative SEO from damaging a site — especially when it involves hacking or DDoS attacks.

How to detect (& avoid) negative SEO
With so many negative SEO tactics out there, having a strong defense plan in place is essential to protect your online presence from attacks.

1. Watch out for a sudden drop in search engine rankings
   The first sign that you might be the victim of a negative SEO attack is a sudden and unexplained drop in your search engine rankings.

You can use Google Search Console (GSC) to monitor any unexpected changes in your site’s performance — if you see a significant dip, it’s time to start digging deeper for a cause:

SERPWatcher is another great tool for tracking your keyword positions in different locations and devices.

It gives you a clear picture of your website’s visibility in real time, so any drastic changes will be obvious right away.

2. Perform a backlink audit
   The next step is to conduct a backlink audit to check for shady backlinks pointing to your site.

GSC comes in handy for this task too, as it can show you who is linking to your site, making it easy to identify links from spammy sites:

For a more detailed analysis, you can try LinkMiner, which analyzes not only the backlinks themselves but also their anchor texts and referring domains.

You can also use it to track important backlinks so you can see if a fake removal request has been made and act immediately:

If you find that your site is tangled in a web of toxic backlinks, you can turn to the Google Disavow Tool for rescue — but use it with caution.

While great to communicate directly with Google and report spammy backlinks, it could potentially lead to you losing beneficial backlinks in the process too.

In fact, Google warns that “this is an advanced feature and should only be used with caution.

If used incorrectly, this feature can potentially harm your site’s performance in Google Search results.”

Instead, Google recommends trying to contact the webmasters of the sites linking to your site directly and only using the Google Disavow Tool as a last resort.

3. Address duplicate content issues
   Think somebody has stolen your content?

Your first line of defense should be Google Search. It might sound primitive, but you can literally copy and paste chunks of your content into Google Search to check for duplicates.

For a more technologically sophisticated approach, try Google Search Console. After selecting your URL, check out the “Google-selected canonical.” If it’s different from your own URL, there’s likely a potential duplicate content issue.

You can also use paid tools like Copyscape and Siteliner to comb the internet to check if anyone has duplicated your content.

And if you find someone has copied your content? You can report it to Google or file a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) report.

4. Be your own watchdog: Monitoring for fake reviews
   Online reviews can significantly impact a business’s reputation. Positive reviews can help your business thrive, boosting trust, attracting more customers, and increasing conversions.

On the other hand, negative reviews can damage your image and deter potential customers.

And while it’s perfectly possible that the negative reviews you received are real, they can also be used by unscrupulous competitors to damage your reputation.

Here’s where vigilance is key. Regularly check review platforms like Google My Business, Yelp, and Trustpilot (and anywhere else your business might be listed).

If you notice strange reviews that don’t seem to match your business, it’s possible these are fake.

This could include threatening or violent reviews, vague reviews like “Worst customer service EVER!” without explaining what happened, or a sudden burst of negative reviews in a short timeframe.

You can then flag or report reviews that violate a platform’s guidelines.

5. Check and improve website security
   Website security is vital for a variety of reasons, including protecting website integrity, preventing DDoS attacks, and maintaining user experience.

As a first line of defense, head to the Google Search Console and check the “Security issues” tab to ensure no breaches have occurred:

Here, you’ll find any possible security problems that Google’s systems may have detected, including malware, phishing attacks, hacked content, and server vulnerabilities.

Next, make sure you boost your defense by installing security plugins and implementing safety measures, like having strong passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, and using a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to increase your site’s security and performance.

6. Monitor website performance
   The online world is a bustling marketplace, and your website is your store’s front window.

Things like slow-loading web pages, server errors, or downtime can frustrate customers and make them move on to somebody else.