Definition of Negative SEO: a malicious online practice to watch out for

Through our SEO Agency Optimize 360

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The world of SEO is constantly evolving, particularly with the emergence of new techniques and strategies aimed at optimising a site's position on search engines.

These new approaches include negative SEOThis is a malicious practice that consists of sabotaging the ranking of a competitor's site in order to improve its own position in the search results.

Our SEO Agency explains what it's all about:

What is negative SEO?

Negative SEO is a fraudulent technique aimed at damaging the SEO of a competitor's site in order to weaken it and cause it to lose positions in the search results.

This practice is contrary to professional ethics and is not intended to improve one's own performance. websitebut rather to harm that of others.

This method can take a number of different forms, ranging from the creation of toxic links links (also known as spammy links) pointing to a competitor's site, through to the dissemination of false negative reviews and duplicate contentThese range from the hacking of websites to the deletion of original content.

The various negative SEO methods

Creating toxic links

The popularity of a site is largely determined by the quantity and quality of incoming links from other sites. Toxic link building involves creating a large number of links pointing to the target site from unreliable or fraudulent websites.

These links degrade the quality and reputation of the target site, leading to a drop in its search engine ranking.

Duplicate content and spam

Original and unique content is essential for good natural referencing. Negative SEO can therefore involve duplicating content from a competitor's site (text, images, videos) and publishing it on other platforms, without authorisation or quoting the original source.

This technique undermines the added value of the target site and the effort invested in creating it. The authors of negative SEO can also spam forums, blogs or social networks with promotional messages containing links to the targeted site, giving the impression that the latter is involved in malicious practices.

False negative reviews

Online reviews are a key element influencing the reputation of a company, product or service. As a result, some ill-intentioned people may publish false negative reviews on various platforms, with the aim of damaging the credibility and reputation of the competing site and encouraging Internet users to turn to their own offers.

Hacking and computer attacks

Some negative SEO methods are also linked to hacking: stealing identifiers, deleting or modifying content, creating malicious redirects, inserting malicious code, etc.

These attacks can cause considerable damage to a website, resulting in loss of traffic and damage to the brand image of the company concerned.

How can you protect yourself from negative SEO?

Although negative SEO may seem frightening, there are a number of measures you can take to limit the impact on your own website:

• Keep software and extensions up to date to reduce the risk of security breaches
• Create regular back-ups of your site and database
• Monitor incoming links using tools such as Google Search Consoleand report any toxic links identified
• Regularly check for duplicate content using text comparison tools
• Protecting content with copyright and digital signatures
• Use professional services to ensure the security of your site (firewall, antivirus, etc.)

Taking action against negative SEO

If you notice negative SEO attacks on your site, you should not remain passive and react quickly:

1. Identify and document attacks: type, date, source, etc.
2. Contact the authors of the toxic links to ask them to remove them
3. Report duplicate content or false opinions to the administrators of the platforms concerned
4. File a complaint with the relevant authorities in the event of computer hacking
5. Strengthen the security of your website and carry out a full audit

In conclusion negative SEO is a malicious practice aimed at damaging the ranking of a competitor's site in the search results.

Although it may be difficult to protect oneself completely against this technique, it is essential to be aware of what is at stake and to put in place preventive measures to limit the consequences.

In the event of a proven attack, it is important to react quickly to protect your reputation and ensure the long-term survival of your online business.