How Black Hats Are Weaponising Google’s Backlink Algorithm
In this guest column, Digital 360’s strategic partnerships manager Don Milne (pictured below), takes a look at the dangers of Google’s SEO and brands hitching a ride on your website…
Google’s search ranking algorithm is complex beyond understanding. The few things we know for sure about search engine optimisation (SEO) are the things Google has told us.
Last year, Andrey Lipattsev, a search quality senior strategist at Google said, “I can tell you what they are. It is content. And it’s links pointing to your site” when asked what the most important ranking factors were, as reported by Search Engine Land.
Which means people can you use backlinks to attack your website or your clients’ websites.
What has this done to the digital marketing landscape in the last year?
Links have always been an important ranking factor. Links from high-quality, authoritative websites boost your rankings while links from untrustworthy or spammy websites hurt your rankings.
With Google reasserting their importance, it has given rise to new black hat SEO tactics. The danger of valuing backlinks so highly is that you do not have direct control over who links to your website.
This means that your competitors, disgruntled former employees, disgruntled customers, or anyone who feels like it can pay for a service that sends hundreds of low-quality links to your website to damage your search result rankings.
In a time when the best place to hide a dead body is on the second page of Google, this can have a devastating impact on businesses.
What can you do about it?
If you or a client’s website has slipped in the search rankings, it’s worth having a look at your backlinks. You can use online tools such as moz.com and majestic.com to check the who is linking to your website.
A negative SEO attack is pretty easily identified. There will be potentially hundreds of links from untrustworthy looking websites. You can disavow the links using Google’s webmaster tools to neutralise their negative effect.
You should also consider proactively gaining good links to your website. This can be done with things like relevant directory listings and guest blog posts. To do this the right way, everything you do should provide value for users. Guest blog posts must have unique, useful content on a relevant website for the link to your site to have any value.
In Google’s ideal world, all links would be made organically. You write good content, so people link to your website. More good links makes your website more authoritative. Unfortunately, not many people will link to your business’s website if you sell pallets or oil-water separators.
There are plenty of ways to improve your backlink profile without resorting to black-hat tactics.
SEO agencies have a responsibility to be proactive about getting good links pointing to their clients’ websites. This can be done without violating any of Google’s quality guidelines or using black hat tactics.
In all likelihood, your competitors are already doing it.
What should Google do about it?
According to Google’s policies and everything they have said; black hat tactics shouldn’t still be effective. Unfortunately, that just isn’t the case.
To be fair, Google has improved a lot in recent years, and there are many black hat tactics which no longer work. The same kind of backlinks that are being used for negative SEO attacks were formerly sold as a positive SEO tactic.
Google recognised this behaviour and now penalises websites for it, which is what makes weaponised backlinks possible.
It’s very frustrating to see competitors benefit from circumventing Google’s policies. Eventually, negative SEO attacks likely to become ineffective as well. But until then, we all need to be vigilant about our links and continue doing things the right way for ourselves and our clients.
Latest News
Enjoy A Hahn Solo… And May The Fourth Be With You
This May the fourth Hahn will celebrate alongside Star Wars fans rewarding their passion via a giant Hahn travelling solo through the sky. It’s the one day of the year when all sci-fi fans rejoice and giggle to themselves and Hahn in partnership with Thinkerbell, UM and Affinity is celebrating with an out of this […]
DMARGE Founder Unveils Creator-Led Social Media Agency Feedstar
New creator-led social media agency Feedstar to be aimed directly at Gen Zs. Well, they'd hardly want print, would they?
TV Ratings (02/05/2024): A total of 1,753,000 Aussies Witness Port Adelaide’s Defeat
Seven's AFL numbers almost double that of the NRL last night. The NRL still easily winning for ruptured ACLs.
Hotglue Cashes In With La Trobe Financial Digital Media Account
Hotglue staffers learning their cashflows from their collaterals today after nabbing La Trobe Financial's digital media.
M&C Saatchi’s Sydney Creative Lead Exits
B&T's stopping short of calling it a revolving door at M&C at the present, but there's definitely heat on the hinges.
Taylor Swift’s Music Re-Enters TikTok As Universal Pens Landmark Deal
Yes, B&T may have spent 152 hours failing to get Taylor Swift tickets, but, as you'll read here, it's all behind us now.
HAVAS Red launches inaugural Influencer White Paper
Havas Red has debuted its first influencer white paper. Unless you print it out in colour, of course.
Two Sides Global Campaign Reports Increasing Greenwashing As Organisations Focus On Sustainability
New report confirms greenwashing's on the rise. Apparently Mars' 'work, rest & play' claims also under investigation.
Aruga Launches New HQ & Changed Ownership Structure
PR agency Aruga proves Brisbane is 'so hot right now'. So hot in fact, Adelaide's had to go on anti-anxiety meds.
Delicious & American Express Partner To Launch Month Out 2024 In Sydney
Cost of living got you eating noodles prepared in the two-minute style? Why not live vicariously through this.
Aussie Ad Market Continues Decline In March
The belt-tightening in adland shows signs of a turnaround soon. Bar the belt-loosening at the all-you-can-eat buffet.
VMA Focuses On Skills And Training For Members
If there was a post-COVID hangover (bar the anti-vax ranters) it was the rise in skills shortages. Here's another one.
Nearly 90% Of Consumers Want Transparency About AI Images, Finds Getty Images Report
Study finds consumers want transparency around AI images. Couldn't care less about photoshopped magazine covers.
The National Breast Cancer Foundation Partners With VML To Boost Funds
Anyone else feel we've exhausted the office morning tea for cancer? B&T proposes the office moonshine still instead.
Perry ‘Pez’ Lazaris Named New National Hit Network Announcer
Why is it mandatory for the media to only publish the nicknames of people in radio & underworld crime figures?
Before Adland: Garry Dawson’s Journey From Teacher To Marketer
Here, the Hopeful Monsters marketer talks his shift from the classroom to the room wherever marketers congregate.
Scott Cam Urges Tradies To Prioritise Sun Protection
The Block host promoting sun protection to tradies. Also, don't try getting into the RSL after 6pm wearing high viz.
PubMatic Study: Advertising On Retail Media Is 50% More Effective Than Social Media
New study finds retail media 50% more effective than social. B&T says two-for-one Tim Tams trumps the lot.
From MOWING to life GROWING: Jim Penman launches ‘Life Coaching’ services
Can't decide on getting the hedges trimmed or finding a deeper meaning to life? You're in luck with this new venture.
Budweiser Brazil Turns Songs That Name Drop The Iconic Brand Into Spotify Ads
It's strange that Budweiser never found a market among beer-swilling Aussies. Then again, neither did the fluffy duck.
Effie Worldwide Strengthens Board With 6 New Members
B&T hopes everyone's wearing their Maseur sandals at the Effies, as it's standing room only at the next board meeting.
Special Enlist A Penguin Named Nigel In Latest Energy Campaign For Contact
Special unveils Nigel the penguin in work for energy provider Contact. Apparently Percy the peacock was booked.
Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth & George Miller Ignite Sydney For Epic Mad Max Launch
The Mad Max film franchise is Australia's cinematic gift to the world. That & Chris Hemsworth's near perfect cheekbones.
IAS Launches First-To-Market Integration With Roblox To Provide 3D Immersive Measurement
Always thought you could do with better 3D immersive measurement? Happy days are ahead here.
Fast And Furious: Top Gear Australia Launch Thrilled Motorheads, Car Entusiasts And Guests
B&T is still no closer to knowing who the new Stig is, except that she is a woman and a ridiculously fast.
TV Ratings (02/05/2024): Seven’s The 1% Club Wins The Night
The 1% club did not live up to its name when it comes to TV ratings last night.
TRA Welcomes Raft Of New Hires; Bolstering Expertise Across Markets
Insights and research agency TRA announces slew of new hires. Still no news on the return of marble wash denim, however.
CX Lavender Hires Boston Consulting Group’s Kim Verbrugghe as Chief Strategy Officer
CX Lavender announces new strategy hire and channels 'acoustic folk act at local RSL' for the publicity pic.
Opinion: Community standards, will they be the death of us?
This columnist is talking community standards. Sadly not those people who put dogs in trolleys in supermarkets.
Tegel gets heads bobbing with new free-range chicken platform
Sure, there's a lot of moral considerations when buying a chook. Yet, not as baffling as buying eggs or canned tuna.
Study: 66% of Aussie men believe masculinity is under attack
Two-thirds of Aussie blokes say masculinity's under attack. That said, sales of Solo lemon drink appear robust.
‘Equal Writes’: Canyon reveals new campaign and refreshed brand for women and non-binary writers
As this brand redesign again proves, nothing beats black on white. Well, white on black in this instance.
Icon Agency bolsters consumer and integrated offer with major hires
Icon Agency unveils new recruits. As press photo confirms office moustache competition now a lay-down misère.
Clemenger launches agricultural graduate program
Has Farmer Wants A Wife triggered an interest in dagging & hay balers? This grads program may resonate.
Levi’s Appoint UM As Global Media Agency For $217m Account
Levi's are the jeans for rockstars, models & the cool kids. Although that's not stopped dads from ruining their image.
QMS Nabs Sean Rigby From oOh!media
Things set to get spicy at the next Outdoor Media Association dinner and dance as a rival gets poached.