What are Unnatural Links?
Unnatural links are backlinks deliberately created to manipulate search engine rankings. They violate Google’s guidelines, and websites caught using them can face penalties, which may significantly hurt their visibility in search results.
These links aren’t naturally placed or endorsed by the website owner, which is what makes them problematic.
Examples of unnatural links include:
- Paid links (where one website pays another for a backlink)
- Links with over-optimised anchor texts (e.g., repeated use of exact-match keywords)
- Low-quality or hidden links (such as links embedded in widgets or footers)
Why are Unnatural Links Important?
Unnatural links might seem like a quick win for boosting SEO rankings, but they come with huge risks. Google is constantly refining its algorithm to detect these links, and if your site is penalised, it can take months (if not longer) to recover.
For website owners, spotting unnatural links is of utmost importance – especially if you’re working with an SEO agency. Some low-quality services still use black-hat tactics, which might give you a short-term boost but ultimately harm your website. Even if you didn’t intentionally create these links, Google won’t differentiate, and your rankings could drop overnight.
The trickiest part is that some unnatural links may already be pointing to your site without you even knowing. For example, this can happen if you’ve acquired an old domain or have outdated SEO practices from previous strategies.
How to Spot Unnatural Links
It’s essential to audit your backlinks regularly to identify any suspicious activity. Here are a few steps to help you detect unnatural links:
Look at Referring Domains
A good backlink profile will have a healthy mix of links from various sites. If you see an overwhelming number of links from one domain or the same domain links to your site repeatedly, this can raise red flags.
Check the Domain Authority (DR) or Domain Rating
High-quality backlinks typically come from reputable websites with solid domain rating (DR). If most of your backlinks are coming from low-DR websites, especially ones that don’t provide useful content, they might be unnatural. That said, not all low-DA sites are bad; just watch out for sites created purely for backlinking purposes.
Analyse Anchor Texts
If multiple backlinks are using the same exact match keywords in the anchor text, this is a major sign of manipulation. A natural backlink profile will have a diverse range of anchor texts, so if you notice keyword stuffing, it’s worth looking into.
Assess Website Quality
Visit the websites that are linking to you. Do they seem legitimate? Do they provide valuable content, or are they poorly designed with little substance? Are they ranking for spammy keywords? Low-quality sites that exist mainly to generate backlinks could be contributing to your site’s unnatural link profile.
Should You Remove Unnatural Links?
In many cases, Google’s algorithm automatically ignores suspicious links, so you might not always need to act. However, if you know you’ve purchased or inherited unnatural links, you can proactively disavow them. This process tells Google not to count certain links toward your site’s ranking.
Once you’ve cleared up any unnatural links, it’s important to maintain a healthy backlink profile by focusing on white-hat link-building strategies. These strategies involve earning backlinks naturally through high-quality content, which signals to Google that your site is trustworthy and valuable.
Best Practices to Avoid Unnatural Links
- Focus on creating valuable, shareable content. If your content genuinely helps or entertains people, backlinks will come naturally.
- Collaborate with reputable websites. Avoid link schemes or paid link exchanges. Instead, build relationships with sites that have a strong reputation and produce quality content.
- Regularly audit your backlinks. Make it a habit to check your backlinks and disavow anything suspicious. This will help protect your site from penalties down the road.
