Unnatural link
What is an unnatural link?
An unnatural link is a backlink created primarily to manipulate search engine rankings rather than to provide value to users. These links violate search engine guidelines by artificially inflating a site's perceived authority or relevance. Unnatural links typically come from low-quality or irrelevant websites, appear in suspicious patterns, or use manipulative anchor text. Common examples include links from private blog networks (PBNs), paid links without proper disclosure, comment spam, forum signatures with keyword-rich anchors, and widget links that scale across many sites. While natural links develop organically when others reference your content because it's valuable, unnatural links are deliberately placed to game the system.
How does Google identify unnatural links?
Google uses a sophisticated combination of algorithmic detection and human review to identify unnatural links. Their systems analyze link patterns, looking for unnatural spikes in link acquisition, overoptimized anchor text, and links from topically irrelevant sites. The Penguin algorithm, now part of Google's core ranking system, automatically devalues suspicious links. Google's quality raters also conduct manual reviews, examining whether links appear manipulative or violate their guidelines. They look for signs like identical anchor text across multiple domains, links from sites with no editorial standards, or patterns suggesting coordinated link schemes. When Google's systems detect enough suspicious signals, they may issue a manual action against your site.
What penalties can unnatural links cause?
Unnatural links can trigger two types of penalties: algorithmic and manual. Algorithmic penalties occur when Google's systems automatically devalue suspicious links, causing ranking drops without notification. These can affect your entire site or specific pages. Manual penalties happen when Google's team confirms guideline violations and takes direct action. You'll receive a notification in Google Search Console specifying whether the penalty affects your entire site or specific sections. Penalties can range from reduced rankings for targeted keywords to complete de-indexing in severe cases. Recovery from manual actions typically takes weeks or months, requiring thorough cleanup and a successful reconsideration request. Even after penalty removal, it may take time to regain previous rankings.
How do you identify unnatural links in your backlink profile?
To identify unnatural links, start by examining your backlink profile using tools like Google Search Console, Ahrefs, or similar platforms. Watch for warning signs such as a high percentage of links with exact-match commercial anchor text, sudden spikes in link acquisition without corresponding content or PR efforts, and links from irrelevant sites or in irrelevant content sections. Be suspicious of links from sites in known spammy industries, sites with no clear purpose or editorial standards, or pages with an unusually high number of outbound links. Review for geographical patterns that don't align with your business operations, like clusters of links from countries where you don't operate. Finally, question any links you've acquired through methods that violate Google's guidelines, even if they haven't triggered penalties yet.
How can you recover from an unnatural link penalty?
Recovering from an unnatural link penalty requires a thorough cleanup process. First, compile a comprehensive list of your backlinks using multiple tools to ensure nothing is missed. Analyze each link and categorize them as natural, questionable, or clearly unnatural. For unnatural links, attempt removal by contacting webmasters with polite, specific requests—document these efforts for Google. For links you can't remove, create a disavow file listing domains or URLs you want Google to ignore when assessing your site. Submit this file through Google Search Console. If you received a manual action, file a reconsideration request detailing your cleanup efforts, including documentation of removal attempts and your disavow file. Be transparent about past SEO practices and your commitment to following guidelines going forward. After submitting, expect to wait several weeks for a response. If rejected, review feedback, continue cleanup efforts, and resubmit when ready.