Unnatural Links: How to Identify and Correct Them

When optimizing my website for search engines, I recognize the importance of understanding unnatural links. These are links created solely to manipulate search rankings. They aren’t organic and are often bought or planned to trick search engines into ranking a site higher than it deserves.

Google’s Webmaster Guidelines state that any links aimed at manipulating Google Search rankings can be seen as link spam. This can severely hurt my website’s visibility and credibility.

Unnatural links can be inbound or outbound. Inbound links come from other websites to mine, while outbound links are those on my site pointing to others. If these links are made to manipulate rankings—through link exchanges, paid links, or link farms—they are unnatural.

For example, paying a website to link to mine in a blog post or using schemes like private blog networks (PBNs) violates Google’s guidelines and can lead to penalties.

Google aims to provide users with the most relevant and high-quality search results. Unnatural links disrupt this by artificially boosting undeserving sites. Consequently, Google has strict policies and may issue an ‘unnatural links warning’ in my Google Search Console if suspicious activity is detected.

Ignoring these warnings can result in severe penalties, including lower rankings or even removal from Google’s index.

Identifying Unnatural Links in My Backlink Profile

Identifying unnatural links is essential for maintaining a healthy backlink profile and avoiding Google penalties. Here are some strategies I use:

1. Analyze Incoming Link Patterns

I review my backlink profile for repetitive or unusual linking patterns. Google’s algorithms spot manipulative practices like links from PBNs, low-quality directories, and overly promotional comments. A sudden spike in links from specific or similar domains might indicate a link scheme.

Tools like Majestic and OpenSiteExplorer help me download and analyze these links, uncovering patterns not immediately visible, such as many exact match anchor texts or large-scale guest blogging links.

2. Audit the Quality of Linking Domains

I assess the relevance, authority, and trustworthiness of domains linking to me. Links from low-quality or irrelevant sites, even if once natural, are now unnatural. I look for low domain authority, high spam scores, or irrelevant content.

Tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Moz provide metrics like domain authority and spam scores, helping me identify harmful links.

3. Tools to Detect Unnatural Links

Using specialized SEO tools simplifies detecting unnatural links. For instance, Cognitive SEO’s Unnatural Link Detection tool automates identifying potentially unnatural links with detailed information on anchor texts and link positions.

Other tools like SEMrush and Ahrefs offer backlink audit features that flag suspicious links based on patterns and metrics, making it easier to address unnatural links in my profile.

By leveraging these tools, I can efficiently analyze my backlink profile and correct any issues before they harm my site’s rankings.

Strategies for Removing Unnatural Links

Once I identify unnatural links pointing to my website, I take immediate action to remove them:

1. Requesting Removal from Website Owners

I first contact the website owners or webmasters hosting the unnatural links to request their removal. This straightforward method shows search engines that I’m actively cleaning my backlink profile.

I compile a list of identified unnatural links with the respective website owners’ contact information, often found in the website’s footer, contact page, or via a WHOIS lookup.

When reaching out, I remain polite and clear, explaining that the links harm my site’s SEO and requesting their removal. I keep records of all outreach efforts, including emails and responses, which is useful if I need to submit a reconsideration request to Google.

2. Using the Disavow Tool as a Last Resort

If contacting website owners fails, I use Google’s Disavow Tool. This tool allows me to tell Google about low-quality or unnatural links I can’t remove manually.

The Disavow Tool is part of Google Search Console and should be used cautiously. I use it only when I have many spammy or artificial links pointing to my site, especially if they’ve led to or might cause a manual action.

To use the tool, I create a text file listing the URLs or domains of the unnatural links, following Google’s formatting guidelines. I then upload this file to the Disavow Tool in my Google Search Console account. Google will ignore these links when assessing my site’s ranking.

I use the Disavow Tool carefully to avoid accidentally disavowing beneficial links. It’s best to try all other methods before resorting to this tool.

Preventive Measures and Best Practices

To maintain a healthy backlink profile, I implement preventive measures and follow best SEO practices:

1. Regular Audits of Backlink Profiles

I regularly audit my backlink profile using tools like Google Search Console, Ahrefs, or SEMrush. These tools help me monitor new links, identify unnatural patterns, and flag low-quality or spammy links that could harm my SEO.

During audits, I focus on the quality of linking domains, anchor text diversity, and content relevance. Regular audits allow me to quickly address any new harmful links and maintain a clean backlink profile.

2. Creating High-Quality Content and Engagements

Producing high-quality content, engaging, and relevant content is one of my best strategies for attracting natural backlinks. I focus on creating value for my audience, answering their questions, and meeting their search intent.

My content is well-written, informative, original, and easy to read. I optimize it for SEO by including relevant keywords naturally and offering unique insights. Engaging with my community through blogs, case studies, white papers, and social media posts attracts natural backlinks and enhances user engagement.

3. Educating My Team on SEO Best Practices

Educating my team on SEO best practices is essential for maintaining a compliant and effective strategy. I ensure all team members, especially those involved in content creation and link building, understand Google’s Webmaster Guidelines and the consequences of violations.

I provide training sessions on link building strategies, content quality, and avoiding link schemes. Using online courses, workshops, or seminars keeps my team updated on the latest SEO practices and tools. Clear goals and tracking progress help align everyone with our SEO objectives.

By educating my team, I prevent unintentional mistakes that could lead to unnatural links and ensure all SEO activities are ethical and guideline-compliant.

Conclusion

Managing unnatural links is vital for a healthy and compliant SEO strategy. I regularly audit my backlink profile to identify and remove any unnatural or low-quality links. I create high-quality content that attracts natural backlinks and educate my team on SEO best practices to avoid link schemes and manipulative tactics.

I ensure I request the removal of unwanted links from website owners and use the Disavow Tool as a last resort. By following these strategies, I protect my site from penalties and improve its search engine rankings.

I take action today to safeguard my website’s integrity and enhance its visibility in search results.