Any marketer would agree that getting Search Engine Optimization and your site ranking as high as possible on Google should be a priority regardless of the business they work in, and for good reason: data shows that the top page of Google receives 95% of all web traffic, while the sites after it only receive 5% or less.
High-quality backlinks are one of the most popular strategies to improve your site’s ranks, and according to a recent analysis of one million Google search results, “the number of domains connecting to a page linked with rankings more than any other aspect.”
In other words, off-site links are an essential component of any effective SearchEngine Optimization plan. However, Google and your rivals are aware of this, so it’s critical to keep an eye on the caliber of your incoming links. Negative SEO or a Google penalty are the two Search Engine Optimization hazards you risk facing in the absence of this.
But how often are these dangers? These are indeed two of the main issues, according to a recent poll by Alexa of 17 SEO experts.
Search Engine Optimization threats and what you can do to solve them.
What is negative SEO, and how can you spot it?
When someone makes an unethical attempt to lower a site’s rating, this is known as negative Search Engine Optimization. Although building a large number of spammy links pointing to your website is the most typical attack, there are a few other types as well.
Copying and republishing your website’s content elsewhere online (also known as “scraping”)
linking to your website with phrases like “prescriptions,” “porn,” “gambling,” and “payday loans,” which are connected with deviant content
There are a lot of links from blog postings that make no sense at all.
Nearly half of those questioned by Alexa feel negative Search Engine Optimization is on the rise, with more than 40% of participants knowing someone who has been the victim of negative Search Engine Optimization. This is despite the fact that Google works hard through algorithm upgrades to defend sites from these sorts of attacks.
Before you start to freak out, remember that some websites are more vulnerable to this kind of harm to their rankings than others. You should be particularly attentive to potential negative Search Engine Optimization concerns if your site is in a highly competitive industry, for example, or if you’ve already received a Google penalty.
Whether you fall within these guidelines or not, you should frequently perform a backlink audit because it is the greatest approach to guard against threats to your ranking.
There are many tools available to help in backlink research. You can try with the following tools to better understand your present backlink portfolio:
- Ahrefs: Enables you to assess the inbound link profiles of rivals against your own and find untapped backlink chances to strengthen your link profile.
- SEMrush: Before Google penalizes you, take a thorough look at your backlink portfolio and identify and remove any poisonous backlinks.
- Alexa: Check your site’s backlinks to see who is linking to it and to find new opportunities for linking that can increase your site’s rankings.
- Launching Site Explorer Find chances for link building and track down possibly harmful links.
How to Avoid Being Hit by Google Penalties
Google penalties, which I briefly mentioned above, can also significantly harm your rankings, and the majority of SEO experts surveyed believe they pose a real threat. More than 80% of respondents said they are at least “somewhat concerned” about Google penalties, and 50% reported having assisted a client who had received one at some point.
How then may your website be secured? Understanding the distinctions between the two categories of punishments should be your first step.
- If Google’s online spam team determines that a site is not adhering to their Webmaster standards, manual penalties are immediately applied to the offending site.
- When a Google algorithm update detects spammy or out-of-character conduct, it will impose an algorithmic penalty.
Although Google is always adjusting and changing how it indexes information, the following are some telltale signals that you may have received a penalty:
- If a site search for a keyword using site: yourdomain.com returns no results
- A page other than your home page is linked from the Google listing for your website.
- When you perform a search for your brand name, your website is not among the top results.
If you spot any of these symptoms, respond right away. You must submit a request for reconsideration if the penalty was manual (i.e., Google let you know about it) and focus on finding and eliminating any spammy links. You won’t need to report anything to Google if you think it was an algorithmic penalty, but you should start removing any detrimental connections.
It can be scary to figure out how to handle a sudden drop in ranks, but these two Search Engine Optimization dangers can be resolved with some research and attention to both quality content and links while rebuilding your site. Although there isn’t a single formula for success when it comes to raising your site’s ranks, there are a few things you should keep an eye on. For example, you should carefully monitor your backlink portfolio to ensure that it adheres to Google’s best practices.
Has your Google ranking fallen off recently? What actions have you taken in the past to raise your ranking? In the contact us page, let us know.
