Your website is critical to your success as a small business—so much so that doing business without one is nearly impossible today. Search engine optimization (SEO) is essential to maximize visibility among potential customers. On average, small businesses spend $497 monthly on SEO services to improve search rankings, select effective keywords, and build quality backlinks. However, the increased focus on SEO among small businesses has led to a growing threat: a specific cyberattack that can severely damage your search rankings.
Negative SEO attacks, also known as spam attacks, are increasingly prevalent.
These attacks flood websites with spammy keywords and backlinks, causing a significant drop in search rankings. Since search rankings can make or break a small business, understanding how to strengthen SEO security and prevent such attacks is vital for long-term success.
What is SEO Spam?
Hackers and spammers rely on various methods to execute negative SEO attacks. They may inject harmful links into existing web pages, create new pages filled with malicious links and spammy content, or use website redirects to lead your site’s visitors to other sites.
One of the most common types of negative SEO attacks is spamdexing. This occurs when hackers redirect visitors navigating your site to malware-infected or phishing websites. As a result, you lose web traffic and, more importantly, the trust of your audience.
Another easy way for cybercriminals to launch negative SEO attacks is by injecting spam or malware into blog posts or comment sections. Using black-hat SEO techniques, these criminals deploy bots to flood websites with endless spam comments. These comments often resemble those from a hacked site and can discourage visitors from engaging with your business.
So, what do SEO spammers gain from these attacks? Typically, they aim to steal traffic from your site to boost their search engine rankings. This unethical practice can damage your SEO performance and overall online reputation.
7 Tips to Strengthen Your SEO Security
Negative SEO attacks can do more than lower your website’s rankings—they can damage your credibility with customers and visitors. These attacks may also expose other pages on your site to security vulnerabilities, and even lead to your site being flagged or blocked by search engines.
To protect your rankings and maintain your credibility, take proactive steps to enhance your website’s SEO security using the following strategies:
1. Keep your software and plugins updated.
Outdated software and security plugins can create vulnerabilities that cybercriminals may exploit. To safeguard your website, keep your content management system and plugins updated. Check for updates regularly and ensure that security patches are applied promptly. Additionally, remove unnecessary applications, as a simpler site with fewer third-party tools reduces your overall security risk.
2. Create and use strong, secure passwords.
If you manage a WordPress site or a similar platform, using a strong and secure password for your login is crucial. Brute-force attacks often attempt to guess passwords by cycling through commonly used options until they succeed. Hackers may also gather personal details from social media, such as pet names, children’s names, or birthplaces, and use these clues to crack your password. Avoid predictable choices and use complex, unique passwords to enhance your security.
3. Secure your input fields by sanitizing them.
4. Implement a CAPTCHA system.
You’re likely familiar with CAPTCHA, even if the term is new to you—it’s the test that asks you to select themed images before logging in or completing a payment. CAPTCHAs are designed to differentiate human visitors from bots. Adding CAPTCHA to your website’s login pages, account sign-up forms, and ecommerce checkouts can block bots from flooding your site with SEO spam.
5. Configure and regularly monitor Google Search Console.
Google Search Console is beneficial for tracking your site’s search engine performance and monitoring potential security issues. It alerts you if your site’s security has been compromised. Additionally, you can track the search terms for which your site ranks. If you notice unrelated terms, such as those involving Viagra, Cialis, or other pharmaceutical products, your site may be a target of search engine spam. Search Console also notifies you if your site accumulates many spammy backlinks, helping you take prompt action.
6. Monitor your backlink profiles regularly.
Cybercriminals often use low-quality spam links and malicious redirects in negative SEO attacks, making it essential to monitor your backlink profiles. Use reliable SEO monitoring tools to track backlinks and keywords, enabling you to quickly identify and address harmful redirects or spam links targeting your site.
7. Use a web application firewall (WAF) to block spammy comments.
Lastly, installing a WAF can block bad bots from deploying spammy comments on your website. When evaluating WAF options, ensure your solution includes a built-in CAPTCHA as an added layer of security. A web application firewall (WAF) protects your website by blocking major security threats before they can reach it.
Stop SEO Spamming Today
Building your business’s search ranking takes significant effort and is an investment in your company’s success. Don’t let cybercriminals strip away that hard-earned progress. Enhance your SEO security by understanding the causes and methods behind these attacks. Begin by implementing a robust web security solution that can block SEO attacks, safeguarding your small business from SEO spam and harmful bots.
Monik Basenti is a Product and Channel Marketing Specialist at SiteLock, which secures over 16 million websites worldwide. Monik is passionate about improving customer experiences. The company has become a leader in web security innovation with SiteLock’s dedicated research and development efforts, aggressive product roadmaps, and access to a massive global data set.