Spammy Backlinks from Toxic Site (Uplinke dot com) – What Should I Do?

Have you ever noticed strange backlinks popping up in your website’s profile and wondered what to do about them?

You’re not alone. Managing your backlink profile is crucial for maintaining your site’s health and ranking, but sometimes, dubious links from unknown sources can sneak in.

In this case study, we’ll dive into a real-world example of how to identify and handle these spammy backlinks, usually considered black hat backlinks, drawing on insights and advice from SEO experts.

Identifying the Problem

Recently, we noticed a surge in backlinks from a suspicious site named Uplinke dot com. These backlinks were not only from a domain with zero domain rating (DR) but also seemed to use spammy anchor texts and irrelevant pages. The following image summarizes some of these backlinks:

We also observed a noticeable increase in the number of referring domains and backlinks over a short period.

As shown in the graph below, the number of referring domains jumped by 53, reaching a total of 215, while the number of backlinks increased by 47, totaling 834.

This sudden spike is a strong indicator of unnatural linking activity, likely caused by the influx of spammy backlinks from Uplinke dot com and similar sources.

Moreover, this issue is not unique to us. Many website owners have experienced similar problems, as evidenced by numerous discussions and posts on forums like Reddit. Here are a few examples:

Further Reading: Black Hat Backlinks: The Problems and Techniques to Avoid

Expert Opinions

We turned to the SEO community on Reddit for advice. Here are some of the valuable insights shared by users:

1. Disavow the Links

digi_devon suggested using Google’s Disavow Tool to tell search engines to ignore these backlinks. Disavowing can prevent these links from impacting your site’s ranking.

2. Monitor and Block

Regularly monitor for new spammy backlinks and disavow them promptly. Blocking the IP address of the spammy site can also help prevent further issues.

3. Do Not Engage with Spammers:

Direct engagement with the spammy site or its operators is not recommended. Focus on legitimate SEO efforts instead.

4. Google’s Perspective on Disavowal

Google’s John Mueller advises against worrying too much about random low-quality links unless they were specifically paid for or unnaturally gained. He suggests disavowing links that were intentionally built or harmful.

Our Advice

To address a surge in spammy backlinks from a site like Uplinke, you should first understand that Google’s algorithms, since the Penguin 4.0 update, are designed to ignore bad links and, in most cases, can assess which links to trust without additional guidance. This approach helps mitigate some risks associated with grey hat SEO tactics, which often blur the line between acceptable and manipulative practices.

Therefore, most sites will not need to use the disavow tool. However, if you have a considerable number of spammy, artificial, or low-quality links pointing to your site, and these links have caused or are likely to cause a manual action on your site, then you should consider disavowing those backlinks.

You can manually review your website’s backlinks to see if they need to be disavowed or if they can be ignored. Ahrefs provides a “Best links filter” that helps you filter out any backlinks you wish to ignore across Site Explorer reports. This filter affects both the actual backlinks you wish to see and the number of backlinks displayed in tables and graphs.

It’s important to note that Google does not specify any specific metric or score that would determine if a backlink is considered manipulative or spammy, so a manual review is the most precise way to determine the nature of your backlinks.

Further reading: WordPress Security: How to Make Your Website Secure

Pro Tip: Using Ahrefs’ Disavow Tool

Managing spammy backlinks can be a daunting task, but Ahrefs makes it easier with their Disavow Tool. This feature allows you to efficiently compile and manage a list of disavowed URLs and domains directly within the Ahrefs platform.

Once you’ve identified the unwanted backlinks, you can export this list and upload it to Google Search Console, instructing Google to ignore these links in your backlink profile. This not only helps in protecting your site’s SEO health but also saves time by streamlining the disavow process.

Conclusion

Spammy backlinks are a common issue that can potentially harm your site’s SEO performance. By staying vigilant and using tools like the Google Disavow Tool, you can manage these unwanted links effectively. Remember, the key is to maintain a healthy backlink profile and focus on quality over quantity.

If your website has been negatively impacted by spammy backlinks and you need professional help, consider our SEO consulting services. We specialize in diagnosing and resolving complex SEO issues to restore and enhance your site’s performance.