Negative SEO or the unethical practices of the webmasters to manipulate the site’s ranking by means of tricky, deceptive, or violative strategies is a prevalent issue in the web, and it is one problem which Google tries to resolve since then. But however, it is somewhat disappointing that despite the subsequent updates or changes in the algorithm rules, this matter has not yet been ended. There are still some sites who suffer from its effect, and such causes undesirable consequence to the users’ search experience.
This is ultimately one blockage for Google to achieve its goal as the users are greatly affected by the violations, and no matter how the webmasters fight against it, it would still subsist not until everything has already been cleared. And certainly, Matt Cutts web spam team is aware of it; thus, recently, he has given insights about the negative SEO and other concerns relative to it. Here are the important points which can describe how huge is its impact to Google:
• Google is Resistant to Negative SEO – Matt was just like saying that the search engine remains unaffected by the negative SEO, and that is perhaps because of the updates and/or changes in the guidelines. Those modifications have served as one shield for the search engine against the consequences of the violations; hence, it is noteworthy that their action towards those doing it have resulted to a commendable outcome as there are some sites which got penalized due to errors or violations which may likewise serve as a deterrence for others who are planning to do the same.
• Link Disavow Tool can Help Fight Off Such Unethical Practice – along with the discussion about the negative SEO is the note about the link disavow tool as one thing which may be used by the webmasters to avoid having unnatural links as caused by the unethical practices of the spammers or their rivals in business.
• Cleaning Up Backlinks is another Issue – one toughest job for the webmasters to do is to clean up the backlinks which they have gained out of their previous operations or as caused by the Negative SEO. Thus, in this case, the use of the disavow tool is of great help as they can immediately request such links to be disavowed by Google. However, you should note that you should first try to clean it up manually before submitting a request; otherwise, it will not be approved or be given back to your with the same notification.
Is Competition the Real Cause of Negative SEO?
Since negative SEO is the violation done by some spammers in crediting bad links to other sites or doing other unethical practices to the detriment of the search engine and the users, it is thus somewhat wise to ask whether or not such is really caused by the unhealthy competition among the online marketers or site optimizers but actually we cannot conclude the real cause of it.
Does it Happen Today?
Some believe that negative SEO is true while others are on the contrary. It really divides the opinion of different webmasters who also have varied experiences in optimization. Nonetheless, based on what I have encountered I do not personally believe in it.
How to Resolve the Problem with Negative SEO?
No one can deny the fact that negative SEO can really have a devastating effect to the site if not resolved immediately; thus, if you are experiencing this problem, it would be helpful to bear in mind what Matt Cutts has suggested in using the disavow tool.
Advice from SEO Expert:
Taking notes of all the links or their sources that you have acquired is one best initiative so as you can have proof when Google asks about such thing in the future. That is one solution to avoid being credited of an unnatural link which is really not yours.
Being victimized by the negative SEO is undeniably one worst thing which any webmaster could experience, but there is always a solution whenever you are already confronted by such problem. But never wait for the time that you are already losing your business before you prevent it; always “watch out” and ensure quality in everything that you do in the web.
Here’s the full video:
