Details
- Vector type:
- Link Attack
- Risk level:
- Tiny
- Impact level:
- Almost Nonexistent
Building bad links to your target’s website is basically the original NSEO tactic. The idea here is to pollute your victim’s link profile to the point where Google will implement algorithmic markdown or an outright Manual Action. This vector includes approaches like comment-bombing, article syndication, private blog networks, and directory spam, among others.
Defense
This approach has been rendered largely useless, as Google has been auto-handling most questionable links for quite some time now. The only sites really still at risk in 2024, are those which have a questionable link-building history to begin with.
Caveat
Guest posting is one way to build bad links to a target’s website which is still highly effective, since “excessive guest posting to build links” is a tactic that’s still actively frowned on by Google, and which can draw negative SERP consequences.