Spam Policies

Google Web Search Spam Policies: A Comprehensive Guide

Google is committed to providing users with high-quality, relevant search results. To achieve this, policies are in place to combat spam in all its forms. Websites that violate these policies risk lower rankings or complete removal from search results.

These policies are enforced through a combination of automated systems and human review. Suspected spam can be reported through the search quality user report.

While not exhaustive, this document outlines common spam techniques and provides illustrative examples to aid understanding.

Table of Contents

• Cloaking

• Doorways

• Expired Domain Abuse

• Hacked Content

• Hidden Text and Links

• Keyword Stuffing

• Link Spam

• Machine-Generated Traffic

• Malware and Malicious Behaviors

• Misleading Functionality

• Scaled Content Abuse

• Scraped Content

• Sneaky Redirects

• Site Reputation Abuse

• Thin Affiliate Pages

• User-Generated Spam

• Other Behaviors Leading to Demotion or Removal

  • Legal Removals

  • Personal Information Removals

  • Policy Circumvention

• Scam and Fraud

Cloaking

Cloaking involves presenting different content to users and search engines to manipulate search rankings.

Examples:

• A website displays information about sustainable living to search engines but shows a page promoting a gambling website to users.

• A website inserts keywords related to cryptocurrency into a page only when a search engine bot accesses it, hoping to rank higher for those terms.

Recommendations:

• If your site uses technologies like JavaScript, ensure search engines can access the content without resorting to cloaking.

• Implement robust security measures to prevent hacking, as hackers often use cloaking to disguise their activities.

Note:

Operating a paywall or content-gating mechanism is acceptable as long as Google can access the full content and the site follows the Flexible Sampling general guidance.

Doorways

Doorways are sites or pages designed to rank for specific search queries but ultimately lead users to intermediate pages that are not as useful as the intended destination.

Examples:

• A company creates multiple websites with slightly different URLs and homepages, each targeting a specific keyword variation related to online tutoring.

• A website generates hundreds of pages, each targeting a different city name plus "best pizza," but all pages redirect to a single generic pizza delivery service website.

Expired Domain Abuse

This involves purchasing expired domain names solely to manipulate search rankings by hosting low-quality content.

Examples:

• An expired domain name previously used by a reputable news organization is repurposed to host a website selling counterfeit goods.

• A former university website is acquired and filled with affiliate links promoting unrelated products, leveraging the domain's existing authority.

Hacked Content

Hacked content refers to any content placed on a website without permission due to security vulnerabilities.

Examples:

• A hacker injects malicious code into a website's codebase, redirecting visitors to a phishing page designed to steal login credentials.

• Hackers exploit a vulnerability to add new pages filled with spammy content about weight loss supplements to a website dedicated to gardening.

Recommendations:

• Regularly update your website software and plugins to patch security vulnerabilities.

• Use strong passwords and implement two-factor authentication for all user accounts.

Hidden Text and Links

This involves placing content on a page in a way that manipulates search engines but remains hidden from users.

Examples:

• A website uses white text on a white background to hide a block of text stuffed with keywords related to online gaming.

• A website hides links behind seemingly unrelated images, using anchor text rich in keywords to manipulate search rankings.

Note:

Using dynamic content for a better user experience, like accordions, slideshows, or tooltips, does not violate this policy. Similarly, text intended for screen readers to improve accessibility is acceptable.

Keyword Stuffing

This involves overloading a webpage with keywords to manipulate its ranking for those terms.

Example:

A website promoting dog toys includes a paragraph that reads: "Buy the best dog toys, durable dog toys, interactive dog toys, plush dog toys, and chew toys for dogs. Our dog toys are the best dog toys for puppies, adult dogs, and senior dogs."

This unnatural repetition of "dog toys" provides no value to users and is a clear example of keyword stuffing.

Link Spam

Manipulating links to or from a website to influence search rankings is considered link spam.

Examples:

• A website owner participates in a link farm scheme, exchanging links with other irrelevant websites solely to boost their backlink profile.

• A website owner pays for blog posts on various websites that include links back to their site using specific, keyword-rich anchor text.

Note:

Buying and selling links for advertising or sponsorship purposes is acceptable if the links use rel="nofollow" or rel="sponsored" attributes.

Machine-Generated Traffic

This involves using bots or automated programs to generate artificial traffic to a website, negatively impacting Google's ability to serve users.

Examples:

• A website owner uses bots to send a large volume of automated queries to Google, skewing search results and consuming resources.

• A website owner employs automated tools to scrape search results for rank tracking purposes without express permission from Google.

Malware and Malicious Behaviors

Google actively identifies and penalizes websites hosting malware or software that negatively impacts user experience.

Examples:

• A website unknowingly hosts a downloadable file infected with a virus, posing a threat to users who download and execute it.

• A website promotes a browser extension that hijacks users' search settings and redirects them to unwanted websites.

Recommendations:

• Regularly scan your website for malware and vulnerabilities using reputable security software.

• Ensure all downloadable files are from trusted sources and scanned for potential threats.

Misleading Functionality

This involves creating websites with deceptive functionality or services that mislead users into believing they offer something they don't.

Examples:

• A website claims to offer a free online tool to convert image files to PDF format. However, after users upload their images, they are bombarded with intrusive ads and no actual conversion takes place.

• A website advertises a "free VPN service" but instead redirects users to a page promoting paid VPN subscriptions, offering no free service.

Scaled Content Abuse

This involves generating large amounts of unoriginal and low-value content to manipulate search rankings.

Examples:

• Using AI writing tools to create hundreds of blog posts on different topics with no original research or insights, simply paraphrasing existing content.

• Scraping product descriptions and reviews from e-commerce websites to populate a website with thin affiliate content, offering no unique value to users.

Scraped Content

This refers to websites that copy content from other websites without adding any original content or value.

Example:

A website dedicated to celebrity news simply copies and pastes articles from various entertainment news websites, providing no original reporting or commentary.

Sneaky Redirects

This involves using malicious redirects to deceive users or search engines by sending them to a different URL than the one they intended to visit.

Example:

A website displays a legitimate-looking landing page about travel destinations to search engines. However, when a user clicks on a link, they are redirected to a website promoting gambling services.

Note:

Legitimate redirects, such as those used for site migrations, page consolidations, or secure logins, are acceptable.

Site Reputation Abuse

This occurs when third-party content hosted on a reputable website is used to manipulate search rankings.

Example:

A popular online recipe website partners with a third-party to host a page about "fast weight loss tips." This page is poorly integrated into the website, provides little value to users, and seems out of place on a recipe site. The primary purpose of this partnership is likely to exploit the recipe website's authority for ranking purposes.

Note:

Syndicated news content, user-generated content platforms, and clearly attributed third-party content with editorial oversight do not fall under this category.

Thin Affiliate Pages

These pages contain affiliate links but lack original content or added value, often copying product descriptions and reviews from the original merchant.

Example:

An affiliate website promotes headphones. However, instead of providing unique reviews or comparisons, the website simply copies the product descriptions and images directly from an online retailer's website.

User-Generated Spam

This refers to spammy content added to a website by users through features like forums, comment sections, or file uploads.

Examples:

• A blog's comment section is flooded with posts promoting unrelated websites or products, often using automated spamming techniques.

• A forum dedicated to photography is overrun with users creating spam accounts to share links to malicious websites disguised as photography tutorials.

Recommendations:

• Implement moderation tools and community guidelines to prevent and remove user-generated spam.

• Utilize CAPTCHAs and other security measures to deter automated spam bots.

Other Behaviors Leading to Demotion or Removal

Legal Removals

A high volume of valid legal requests for content removal (e.g., copyright infringement, defamation) can lead to a website's demotion in search results.

Personal Information Removals

Websites engaging in exploitative removal practices, such as ignoring requests to remove sensitive personal information, risk demotion.

Policy Circumvention

Attempts to bypass Google's spam policies through techniques like creating multiple websites or using cloaking can result in penalties, including removal from search features.

Scam and Fraud

Websites designed to deceive users for financial gain or other malicious purposes are strictly prohibited.

Examples:

• A website impersonates a legitimate bank, using a similar domain name and logo to phish for users' login credentials.

• A website claims to sell concert tickets at discounted prices but takes users' payments without delivering any tickets.

Google actively identifies and removes such websites from search results to protect users from scams and fraudulent activities.