Negative SEO Attack Vector #8: Hack Attacks

Essentially, any malicious action which leaves the attacker with full control of the target website can be deemed to fall under the header “Hack Attack.” And while hacking for negative SEO purposes is still a relatively uncommon practice, the number of instances of this vector has increased noticeably during the past couple of years. Breakdown…

Negative SEO Attack Vector #8: Hack Attacks

Negative SEO Attack Vector #7: Bad Links Attack

Reads: NSEO Attack Vector: #7 - Bad Links Attack. Description: A landscape digital display of a world map, in various shades of green (dark background, brighter outlines etc.). Has two horizontal bars of text across the map background at approximately 1 3rd and 2 3rds down the image, that read: 'NSEO Attack Vector: #7' and 'Bad Links Attack'

Its name says it all – it’s a matter of getting your pages or site punished, for seeming to have manipulative links. It’s probably the most known and talked about form of Negative SEO.It’s also far less effective than people believe.The reality is – Google do ignore a large number of links automatically.So weird links…

Negative SEO Attack Vector #7: Bad Links Attack

Negative SEO Attack Vector #6: Fake DMCA Takedowns

Reads: NSEO Attack Vector: #6 - Fake DMCA Takedown. Description: A landscape digital display of a world map, in various shades of green (dark background, brighter outlines etc.). Has two horizontal bars of text across the map background at approximately 1 3rd and 2 3rds down the image, that read: 'NSEO Attack Vector: #6' and 'Fake DMCA Takedown'

The frequency of Fake DMCA Takedown Request attacks has gradually increased during the course of 2024, as word of the Negative SEO vector’s simplicity and effectiveness has spread around the web, among certain “online business” communities and NSEO providers¹. Almost frighteningly simple in its execution, false DMCA takedowns can have devastating consequences on their victims’…

Negative SEO Attack Vector #6: Fake DMCA Takedowns

Negative SEO Attack Vector #5: Boost the Bad

Reads: NSEO Attack Vector: #5 - Boost the Bad. Description: A landscape digital display of a world map, in various shades of green (dark background, brighter outlines etc.). Has two horizontal bars of text across the map background at approximately 1 3rd and 2 3rds down the image, that read: 'NSEO Attack Vector: #5' and 'Boost the Bad'

This is one of the most commonly used Negative SEO attack vectors because it’s one of the simplest. Its effects can be wide-ranging, and although a “Boost the Bad” attack does not directly affect the target company’s website in a negative way, the reputational and organic SERP ranking consequences and knock-on effects can be considerable…

Negative SEO Attack Vector #5: Boost the Bad

Negative SEO Attack Vector #4: The Venomous Phoenix

Reads: NSEO Attack Vector: #4 - Venomous Phoenix. Description: A landscape digital display of a world map, in various shades of green (dark background, brighter outlines etc.). Has two horizontal bars of text across the map background at approximately 1 3rd and 2 3rds down the image, that read: 'NSEO Attack Vector: #4' and 'Venomous Phoenix'

The Venomous Phoenix is able to utilize a number of other Negative SEO attack vectors, such as the Canonical Link Attack, Content Hijacking, and even Impersonation, to create a multi-prong offensive which can carry truly devastating effects for its target website. At the base-level, this type of attack is designed to transfer a Google Manual…

Negative SEO Attack Vector #4: The Venomous Phoenix

Negative SEO Attack Vector #3: Directory Edits Attack

Reads: NSEO Attack Vector: #3 - Directory edit attack. Description: A landscape digital display of a world map, in various shades of green (dark background, brighter outlines etc.). Has two horizontal bars of text across the map background at approximately 1 3rd and 2 3rds down the image, that read: 'NSEO Attack Vector: #3' and 'Directory attack'

While many professionals will claim that this particular attack vector is not related to Negative SEO, because it takes place solely on third-party services, there are defined negative SEO ramifications for the victim’s website. We’ll get into these in a moment. While effective action of this type against a target company will usually take some…

Negative SEO Attack Vector #3: Directory Edits Attack

Negative SEO Attack Vector #2: Canonical Link Attack

Reads: NSEO Attack Vector: #2 - Canonical link attack. Description: A landscape digital display of a world map, in various shades of green (dark background, brighter outlines etc.). Has two horizontal bars of text across the map background at approximately 1 3rd and 2 3rds down the image, that read: 'NSEO Attack Vector: #2' and 'Canonical link attack'

Like several other Negative SEO or adverse SEO attacks, Canonical Link Attacks aren’t really about single strikes doing massive damage.  Instead, such approaches are about wasting resources, complicating analysis and dirtying the victim’s data. In this case – it’s causing Search Engine Bots to request, crawl and index a number of URLs that shouldn’t really…

Negative SEO Attack Vector #2: Canonical Link Attack

Negative SEO Attack Vector #1: Link Removal Requests

Reads: NSEO Attack Vector: #2 - Canonical link attack. Description: A landscape digital display of a world map, in various shades of green (dark background, brighter outlines etc.). Has two horizontal bars of text across the map background at approximately 1 3rd and 2 3rds down the image, that read: 'NSEO Attack Vector: #2' and 'Canonical link attack'

This particular Negative SEO tactic is one of the most common, but also most effective. In this post we’ll walk you through the steps involved and the countermeasures you’re able to take if a jealous competitor, disgruntled ex-employee, or a “bad actor for hire” launches this type of attack on your website. If carried out…

Negative SEO Attack Vector #1: Link Removal Requests

It’s Past Time We had “The Talk” about Negative Search Engine Optimization (NSEO)

NSEO is about far more than just malicious links.

As the economic climate has become tougher, globally, we have noticed an alarming trend of increasing numbers of online businesses coming under external attack against their SERP rankings and reputations. During the past six months alone, the amount of Negative SEO problems we have diagnosed and mitigated have nearly tripled compared to the last six…

It’s Past Time We had “The Talk” about Negative Search Engine Optimization (NSEO)