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 months of 2023.
“But NSEO is a Myth! Malicious linking hasn’t worked in years!” we hear you cry.
“Google has repeatedly assured us that NSEO is useless!” you add confidently.
NSEO is VERY MUCH Alive & Well
And not only is Negative SEO alive and well, it’s also exceedingly effective when applied correctly to an already weak target.
What do we mean by “weak target?”
We are referring to small and medium online enterprises, the lower end of the corporate spectrum, as well as startups.
It’s no use trying to carry out a NSEO attack against Apple, Coca Cola, Tesla, or other mega corporations. The web presence of such companies is effectively unassailable, because they are too well established and well-defended for any Negative SEO to have any meaningful effect on their SERP presence or reputation.
Harming such huge corporations can only be caused by a massive negative shift in public opinion, in the way we are beginning to see with the Disney corporation.
Meanwhile, Back in the Real World…
The rest of the commercial Internet isn’t fortunate enough to be impervious to attacks against its web presence.
In fact, a great many companies who rely on the Internet for revenue are extremely vulnerable to one of the many effective Negative SEO Attack Vectors currently being used by unethical operators all over the world.
“But if they’re so effective, why aren’t more people aware of them?” you ask, sounding puzzled.
The Answer to this Question is Twofold:
- Google continues to downplay the reach and effectiveness of Negative Search Engine Optimization techniques
Instead of taking any constructive or meaningful action to close the myriad loopholes in its systems that continue to be exploited by ruthless operators, the search giant has chosen to clap its hands firmly over its ears, while continuously repeating the “LALALA! I’m not listening. That won’t work!” mantra, for reasons best known to Alphabet’s senior management.
- Collectively, the SEO sector is afraid to discuss the real issues publicly, for fear of “Giving the Bad Guys ideas.”
While the topic of Negative SEO has been hotly debated for well over a decade now, SEOs judiciously avoid discussing the problem’s true scope because they’re afraid of upsetting the status quo by showing the business world just how vulnerable it is against attacks, or the many angles of attack which exist, beyond mere “malicious linking” and because such public discussion would encourage a fresh batch of bad actors to play havoc in the SERPS, the Google My Business ecosystem, and on the other platforms used by Google to ascertain/assign ranking, relevance, and reputation to online businesses.
FunFact: The Bad Guys Don’t Need Your Ideas!
In fact, the “Bad Guys” are quite capable of conceiving “Ideas of their own” without needing the creative input of an entire market sector that continues to collectively pretend that “the Bad Guys are stupid.”
At the same time it’s actually in Google’s best interests to claim Negative SEO to be a nonexistent issue, because its current systemic deck is firmly stacked against small and medium operators, in favor of the search giant’s fellow mega-corporations.
And all the time, those same small and medium operators are being subjected to an expanding gamut of highly effective Negative Search Engine Optimization techniques, due to the aforementioned “Code of Silence.”
Ignoring the Problem has Only Made it Worse
This is why today ArcLite Solutions is launching an entire website devoted to the topic of Negative SEO. Containing a constantly expanding archive of NSEO attack vectors we have identified – and are continuing to identify – complete with descriptions, degrees of risk, potential impact levels, and outlines of extant preventive/remedial measure where they exist, this site is purpose built to disrupt the status quo and to finally force the massive elephant in the SEO room into the light of public discourse.
Because pretending that NSEO isn’t real has done nothing but make the problem exponentially worse, over the course of more than a decade.
Only by publicly discussing the issues and developing solutions together will we be able to stop the threat of NSEO from getting completely out of control and bringing even more ruin to online businesses ranging from tiny mom & pop websites right up to small corporations.
So Yes, It’s MOST DEFINITELY Past Time to Have “The Talk” about NSEO!
With all that said, we encourage everyone who reads this to contribute your insights to this growing Negative SEO archive. You will of course be given full public credit for your contributions, along with a link back to your own site or social media profile.