Definition
Negative SEO refers to malicious practices aimed at lowering a competitor's search rankings. Common attacks include: mass creation of toxic backlinks (spam links, links from adult or gambling sites), content scraping and duplication, spam link injection via security vulnerabilities, fake brand signals (fake reviews, fake DMCA), and DDoS attacks. Protection involves constant link profile monitoring (Ahrefs/SEMrush alerts), using Google's Disavow tool to disavow toxic links, securing the site against injections, monitoring content duplication (Copyscape), and setting up Google Alerts for the brand. Google states that its algorithms detect most negative SEO attacks, but vigilance remains essential.
Key Points
- Regularly monitor the link profile with automatic alerts
- Google's Disavow tool allows disavowing toxic links
- Site security (WAF, updates) prevents spam injections
Practical Examples
Spam link attack
A site discovers via Ahrefs that 50,000 toxic backlinks were created in one week from gambling and adult sites. A Disavow file is quickly submitted to Google and rankings stabilize after 3 weeks.
Content scraping
A blog discovers its content is copied on dozens of scraping sites that sometimes rank better. DMCA submissions and self-referencing canonical tags protect the original content's authority.
Frequently Asked Questions
The impact is debated. Google has strengthened its algorithms to ignore obvious spam links. However, sophisticated and sustained attacks can still impact rankings. The best defense is a naturally strong link profile and active monitoring.
Telltale signs: sudden unexplained increase in backlinks, links from dubious domains, ranking drops without changes on your side, duplicate content found on other sites. Set up alerts in Ahrefs or SEMrush for new backlinks.
Go Further with LemmiLink
Discover how LemmiLink can help you put these SEO concepts into practice.
Last updated: 2026-02-07