--- title: How To Avoid Negative SEO description: Check out these tips on how to avoid negative SEO, so you can avoid both Black Hat SEO and detrimental backlinks, as well as other forms of negative SEO. image: https://www.worldlightmedia.com/hubfs/how%20to%20avoid%20negative%20SEO.webp --- [![WorldLight Media Digital Marketing Logo](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/hs-fs/hubfs/raw_assets/public/WorldLight_Media_September_2021/images/Worldlight-Media-logo.png?width=2000&height=144&name=Worldlight-Media-logo.png "WorldLight Media Digital Marketing Logo")](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/) [![WorldLight Media Inbound Marketing Logo](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/hs-fs/hubfs/raw_assets/public/WorldLight_Media_September_2021/images/Worldlight-Media-logo-alt.png?width=2000&height=144&name=Worldlight-Media-logo-alt.png "WorldLight Media Inbound Marketing Logo")](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/) [![WorldLight Media Digital Marketing Logo](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/hs-fs/hubfs/raw_assets/public/WorldLight_Media_September_2021/images/Worldlight-Media-logo.png?width=2000&height=144&name=Worldlight-Media-logo.png "WorldLight Media Digital Marketing Logo")](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/) - [Company](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/about) - [About Us](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/about) - [Company History](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/company-history) - [Our Process](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/our-process) - [HubSpot Certified Partners](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/certified-hubspot-partners) - [Are We The Right Fit?](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/are-we-the-right-fit/) - [Giving Back](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/wlm-gives-back) - [Careers](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/join-our-team/) - [Marketing Services](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/digital-marketing-services) - [Full List of Services](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/digital-marketing-services) - [Inbound Marketing](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/inbound-marketing-overview) - [Web Design](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/web-design/) - [SEO Services](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/seo-services-overview) - [Branding](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/strategic-branding-overview) - [HubSpot Consulting](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/hubspot-consulting-services) - [Podcast Services](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/podcast-services) - [Video & Photography Services](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/video-and-photography) - [Email Marketing Services](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/email-marketing) - [Design Services](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/design-services) - [Website Audits](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/checkup) - Resources - [SEO Ultimate Guide](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/seo-ultimate-guide/) - [Inbound Marketing Guide](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/inbound-marketing) - [Digital Marketing FAQ](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/digital-marketing/digital-marketing-agency) - [Web Design FAQ](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/web-design-faq) - [Website & Marketing Glossary](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/common-website-and-marketing-terms) - [Core Web Vitals Guide](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/resources/core-web-vitals-guide) - [Free Website Grader](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/website-grader) - [HubSpot ROI Calculator](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/hubspot-roi) - [Blog](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog) - [Company](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/about) - [About Us](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/about) - [Company History](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/company-history) - [Our Process](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/our-process) - [HubSpot Certified Partners](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/certified-hubspot-partners) - [Are We The Right Fit?](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/are-we-the-right-fit/) - [Giving Back](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/wlm-gives-back) - [Careers](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/join-our-team/) - [Marketing Services](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/digital-marketing-services) - [Full List of Services](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/digital-marketing-services) - [Inbound Marketing](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/inbound-marketing-overview) - [Web Design](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/web-design/) - [SEO Services](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/seo-services-overview) - [Branding](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/strategic-branding-overview) - [HubSpot Consulting](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/hubspot-consulting-services) - [Podcast Services](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/podcast-services) - [Video & Photography Services](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/video-and-photography) - [Email Marketing Services](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/email-marketing) - [Design Services](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/design-services) - [Website Audits](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/checkup) - Resources - [SEO Ultimate Guide](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/seo-ultimate-guide/) - [Inbound Marketing Guide](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/inbound-marketing) - [Digital Marketing FAQ](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/digital-marketing/digital-marketing-agency) - [Web Design FAQ](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/web-design-faq) - [Website & Marketing Glossary](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/common-website-and-marketing-terms) - [Core Web Vitals Guide](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/resources/core-web-vitals-guide) - [Free Website Grader](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/website-grader) - [HubSpot ROI Calculator](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/hubspot-roi) - [Blog](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog) [![Let's Talk](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/19522085/a8e44693-c022-47b7-acde-e51d51246737.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/19522085/a8e44693-c022-47b7-acde-e51d51246737) [![Let's Talk](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/19522085/a8e44693-c022-47b7-acde-e51d51246737.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/19522085/a8e44693-c022-47b7-acde-e51d51246737) [![WorldLight Media Digital Marketing Logo](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/hs-fs/hubfs/raw_assets/public/WorldLight_Media_September_2021/images/Worldlight-Media-logo.png?width=2000&height=144&name=Worldlight-Media-logo.png "WorldLight Media Digital Marketing Logo")](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/) # How To Avoid Negative SEO June 02, 2023 [Inbound Marketing](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/inbound-marketing), [SEO](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/seo) ![Blog post image](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/hubfs/how%20to%20avoid%20negative%20SEO.webp) Using negative SEO can be detrimental to your website, and can even get your website banned from search engines like Google. Avoid using negative SEO at all costs, and focus on [building your SEO](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/seo-ultimate-guide/) to grow your traffic organically.  It’s important to check your site daily for any suspicious activity so you can catch negative SEO tactics before they cause harm. ### What Is Negative SEO? Negative SEO is any activity that negatively affects your search engine ranking. For instance: - Black Hat SEO—manipulating a website’s indexing programs. - Toxic Backlinks—links from sites that weaken your SEO. - Removing Backlinks —sending out fake removal requests to a website's webmaster. - Website Hacking—gaining illegal access to a website. - Duplication —creating duplicates of websites or content and spreading the fakes on the internet. - Copyright Infringement—copying and distributing your content. - Inappropriate Keywords—pointing to your website via pointless keywords. - Broken Links —links that go to an error page or go to the wrong location. - Broken Images —images that don't load or are no longer available. - Poor Page Speed —slow loading speeds for your page. - Fake Reviews —posing as someone else or creating multiple fake accounts that post false, negative reviews about a business. ### How To Notice It One of the most obvious signs of negative SEO? Receiving a penalty notification from Google. They can also let you know if there’s a drop in your website’s speed, which is another big sign of Negative SEO. If you have a sudden drop in search traffic, then it’s highly possible you are a victim of Negative SEO. A drop in your search traffic can also mean your keyword ranking dropped as well. If you receive link removal requests, then someone may be trying to remove quality links from your website, which can hurt your SEO. ### What Looks Like Negative SEO, But Isn't Sometimes, negative SEO can be tricky to spot. And negative SEO isn't always the reason that your website's traffic has suddenly dropped off, but it should *always* be investigated to make sure that if it is negative SEO that's causing your loss in traffic, you can stop it as soon as possible. Since [Google's algorithm](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/is-it-really-important-to-rank-on-the-first-page-of-google) is always changing, it can sometimes mess with search engine results which may cause a drop in your traffic. During Google's updates to the algorithm, they often do split testing which can cause your website to be lost in the results. Another reason you may see a sudden drop in traffic is due to Google's algorithmic filtering. Google's algorithmic filtering filters out certain keywords and can remove them from search results completetly. To find out if your keywords have been filtered out, you can [perform keyword research](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/how-to-choose-the-right-keywords-for-your-seo-campaign) to see if you've been affected. It is still unknown why Google does this. ### What Can You Do? In order to avoid negative SEO, you can perform link audits. Additionally, you can set up alerts through[ Google Webmaster Tools](https://www.google.com/webmasters/). Then, check the speed of your site through your hosting company. For backlinks, you can add tags that will notify you whenever they are removed. Google typically notices duplicate content. There are[ tools you can use](https://yoast.com/diy-duplicate-content-check/) to find duplicate content. If your website has been hacked, then you need to[ take action right away](https://www.google.com/webmasters/hacked/?hl=en). 1. Contact your website host. They most likely will offer support. 2. Quarantine your website. 3. Assess the damage. 4. Identify the place of vulnerability. 5. Clean and maintain your site. And if you need support with any of these steps, then [contact Worldlight Media](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/lets-talk). We, not only design, develop and build websites but also help to ensure you avoid negative SEO. We take the guesswork out of both building and maintaining a secure website. So you can rest assured your reputation and intellectual property are safe with us. [![Subscribe to Blog Updates](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/19522085/6c71a594-8e9a-447a-bab5-0e471971bd4c.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/19522085/6c71a594-8e9a-447a-bab5-0e471971bd4c) ###### Share: ## Search ## Latest Posts [![WorldLight Media Nominated for People's Choice Award](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/hubfs/1920x1081wlm.jpg)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/worldlight-media-nominated-for-peoples-choice-award) [Strategy](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/strategy), [AI marketing](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/ai-marketing) ##### [WorldLight Media Nominated for People's Choice Award](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/worldlight-media-nominated-for-peoples-choice-award) February 26, 2025 [![The Missing Piece in Your AI Marketing Strategy? Expert Consulting and Training](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/hubfs/AI-Generated%20Media/Images/The%20image%20features%20a%20sleek%2c%20modern%20office%20setting%20with%20a%20large%20conference%20table%20at%20the%20center-Jan-03-2025-12-38-00-8605-AM-1.jpeg)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/the-missing-piece-in-your-ai-marketing-strategy-expert-consulting-and-training) [Strategy](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/strategy), [AI marketing](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/ai-marketing) ##### [The Missing Piece in Your AI Marketing Strategy? Expert Consulting and Training](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/the-missing-piece-in-your-ai-marketing-strategy-expert-consulting-and-training) January 07, 2025 [![How Pest Control Companies Can Benefit From Digital Marketing](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/hubfs/Pest%20Control%20Digital%20Marketing.png)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/how-pest-control-companies-can-benefit-from-digital-marketing) [Digital Marketing](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/digital-marketing) ##### [How Pest Control Companies Can Benefit From Digital Marketing](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/how-pest-control-companies-can-benefit-from-digital-marketing) December 03, 2024 [![HubSpot vs WordPress: Which is Better for SEO?](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/hubfs/Hubspot%20Vs%20Wordpress%20Which%20is%20better%20for%20SEO%20.png)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/hubspot-vs-wordpress-which-is-better-for-seo) [SEO](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/seo), [Web Design](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/web-design), [Driving Traffic](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/driving-traffic), [CRM](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/crm), [HubSpot](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/hubspot), [WordPress](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/wordpress) ##### [HubSpot vs WordPress: Which is Better for SEO?](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/hubspot-vs-wordpress-which-is-better-for-seo) November 21, 2024 ### Categories - [Web Design (53)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/web-design) - [Inbound Marketing (51)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/inbound-marketing) - [Digital Marketing (42)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/digital-marketing) - [Marketing (37)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/marketing) - [HubSpot (34)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/hubspot) - [SEO (34)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/seo) - [Search Engine Optimization (SEO) (27)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/search-engine-optimization-seo) - [Social Media (26)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/social-media) - [Content Marketing (23)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/content-marketing) - [Strategy (21)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/strategy) - [Small Business (19)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/small-business) - [Blogging (16)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/blogging) - [Digital Ads (12)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/digital-ads) - [Lead Generation (12)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/lead-generation) - [WorldLight Media News (11)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/worldlight-media-news) - [Automation (10)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/automation) - [Web Maintenance (10)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/web-maintenance) - [AI marketing (9)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/ai-marketing) - [Branding (9)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/branding) - [Digital Marketing Funnels (9)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/digital-marketing-funnels) - [Lead Nurturing (9)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/lead-nurturing) - [Mobile Web Design (9)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/mobile-web-design) - [Agency (8)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/agency) - [Email Marketing (8)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/email-marketing) - [Driving Traffic (7)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/driving-traffic) - [Facebook (7)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/facebook) - [Sales Automation (7)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/sales-automation) - [Design & Artwork (6)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/design-artwork) - [Fresno (6)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/fresno) - [Google Ads (6)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/google-ads) - [Pay Per Click (PPC) (6)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/pay-per-click-ppc) - [User Experience (6)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/user-experience) - [WordPress (6)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/wordpress) - [CRM (5)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/crm) - [Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) (5)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/conversion-rate-optimization-cro) - [Instagram (5)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/instagram) - [Landing Pages (5)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/landing-pages) - [ADA Compliance (4)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/ada-compliance) - [Conversion Rate (4)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/conversion-rate) - [Customer Journey (4)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/customer-journey) - [Customer Relationship (4)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/customer-relationship) - [Engagement (4)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/engagement) - [Fresno Chamber of Commerce (4)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/fresno-chamber-of-commerce) - [Video Podcasting (4)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/video-podcasting) - [Ecommerce (3)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/ecommerce) - [Growth-Driven Design (3)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/growth-driven-design) - [LinkedIn (3)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/linkedin) - [Performance Reports (3)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/performance-reports) - [Personalization (3)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/personalization) - [Twitter (3)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/twitter) - [Video (3)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/video) - [Accessibility (2)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/accessibility) - [Buyer Personas (2)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/buyer-personas) - [Convert (2)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/convert) - [Customer Journey Map (2)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/customer-journey-map) - [Email Marketing Campaigns (2)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/email-marketing-campaigns) - [Sales Enablement (2)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/sales-enablement) - [YouTube (2)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/youtube) - [Buyer Profile (1)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/buyer-profile) - [CCPA (1)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/ccpa) - [CPRA (1)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/cpra) - [Data Laws (1)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/data-laws) - [Data Protection (1)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/data-protection) - [Discounts (1)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/discounts) - [GDPR (1)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/gdpr) - [Lead Scoring (1)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/lead-scoring) - [Martech (1)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/martech) - [Pinterest (1)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/pinterest) - [Revops (1)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/revops) - [Storybranding (1)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/storybranding) - [Testing (1)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/testing) - [Threads (1)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/threads) - [Webflow (1)](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/tag/webflow) [![WorldLight Media](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/hs-fs/hubfs/raw_assets/public/WorldLight_Media_September_2021/images/Worldlight-Media-logo-alt.png?width=3000&name=Worldlight-Media-logo-alt.png "WorldLight Media")](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/) [Connecting world changers to their audience through branding and digital marketing. Success doesn’t happen by accident. Get started today.](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/request-proposal/) [Looking for an Inbound Marketing Agency in Fresno?](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/inbound-marketing/) ## Quick Links - [Free Website Grader](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/website-grader) - [Case Studies](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/case-studies) - [Fresno Web Design Services](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/web-design-fresno) - [Fresno SEO Services](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/seo-services-fresno) - [Our Team](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/worldlight-team) ## Connect [WorldLight Marketing Office: 4539 N Brawley Ave, Suite 102 Fresno, CA 93722](https://goo.gl/maps/X49mNzJZ9CYyEikM8) [(559) 9-DESIGN](tel:5599337446) - - - - ### Blog - [Privacy Policy](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/privacy) - [Our blog](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog) - [Latest projects](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/our-work) - [Contact us](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/request-proposal) © 2026 WorldLight Marketing Inc. All Rights Reserved. | [Sitemap](https://www.worldlightmedia.com/sitemap.xml) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "kate", "url" : "https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/author/kate" }, "dateModified" : "2023-06-06T22:41:51.687Z", "datePublished" : "2023-06-02T16:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "How To Avoid Negative SEO", "image" : [ "https://www.worldlightmedia.com/hubfs/how%20to%20avoid%20negative%20SEO.webp" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.worldlightmedia.com/blog/how-to-avoid-negative-seo", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.worldlightmedia.com/hubfs/WLM%20Logo-WEB-Vert-FullColor.png" }, "name" : "WorldLight Marketing, Inc" } } ```