John Mueller from Google addressed a query regarding handling spammy links pointing to a website, with concerns about potential negative impacts on rankings. Mueller reassured that such links are generally not a cause for worry unless there’s evidence of someone buying links.
The question posed was:
"There are tens of thousands of backlinks to our website… I’ve heard a lot from you… about websites that are spammy, maybe penalized by Google… What should we do about those websites? Should we just ignore them?"
Mueller responded:
"For the most part, unless there’s regular link-building activity, possibly by a previous SEO for your site, I wouldn’t worry. Websites that have been around longer tend to accumulate links from all sorts of places. These are normal occurrences on the web."
Spammy links have been common for years, and many successful websites encounter them. A recent client inquiry led to an explanation that spammers may mass-produce pages using brand names and content snippets to rank for long-tail searches, aiming for ad clicks or spreading malware.
My advice aligns with Mueller’s — such links are a web staple that Google frequently encounters.
Negative SEO
Mueller also touched on negative SEO, identifying a specific scenario that might warrant concern:
"So, unless you’re aware of a concerted effort to buy numerous links or engage in activities against Google’s guidelines, I wouldn’t be concerned."
Mueller did not elaborate on this exception but suggested that disavowing uncontrollable spammy links might be prudent, despite the low likelihood of adverse effects from paid links.
Spammy Links as a Web Norm
The key takeaway is that such links are standard across the web. If concerned about them, it could be more beneficial to focus on on-page factors to understand ranking issues.
Mueller reassured the publisher that spammy links are typical:
"It’s useful to occasionally review your links, but generally, this mix of various linking web pages is normal."
Images by Shutterstock, Modified by Author
