How real is the threat?#
Google says its systems are very good at ignoring spammy links that point at a site, so the classic “thousands of bad links” attack rarely works today. Attacks that can do damage are usually about security and reputation rather than links.
Types of negative SEO#
| Attack | Risk | Defence |
|---|---|---|
| Spam links pointed at your site | Low | Usually ignore; disavow only with a manual action |
| Content scraping and duplication | Low–medium | Self-referencing canonicals, original publish dates, DMCA requests |
| Hacking (injected spam pages, redirects) | High | Updates, strong passwords, 2FA, security monitoring, backups |
| Fake negative reviews | Medium | Flag policy-violating reviews; reply professionally |
| Fake removal requests or DDoS | Medium | Monitor Search Console; use a CDN/WAF such as Cloudflare |
Monitoring checklist#
- Check Search Console weekly for manual actions, security issues and sudden spikes in indexed pages.
- Set up uptime monitoring and alerts for file changes.
- Watch your Google Business Profile for suspicious edits and reviews.
- Keep regular off-site backups.
Related: disavow tool, WordPress security guide.