{"id":162897,"date":"2023-07-18T00:08:04","date_gmt":"2023-07-18T05:08:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/?p=162897"},"modified":"2024-09-17T06:07:09","modified_gmt":"2024-09-17T11:07:09","slug":"bad-links","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/bad-links\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Types of Bad Links to&nbsp;Avoid"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"intro-txt\">Have you ever wondered why your website isn\u2019t ranking despite having quality content? Well, it could be because of the links you\u2019ve been building.<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In the world of SEO, links are a crucial ranking factor. With that comes a temptation for many website owners and marketers to resort to manipulative tactics to acquire links, which can lead to link&nbsp;spam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This harmful practice can result in penalties from search engines, losing you both traffic and revenue. To avoid being penalized by search engines, it\u2019s crucial to be familiar with the various types of bad links that fall under the umbrella of link&nbsp;spam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this article, we\u2019ll provide you with the lowdown on link spam and eight types of bad links you should avoid at all&nbsp;costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"intro-tok\" id=\"intro_tok\" style=\"display:none;\"><div class=\"intro-title\">Contents<\/div><a href=\"#\" class=\"expand-dots\"><span><\/span><span><\/span><span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"What are bad links?\" data-section=\"what-are-bad-links\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What are bad&nbsp;links?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Bad links are those that violate Google\u2019s spam policies. In Google\u2019s words, if the links are intended to manipulate rankings in Google Search results, they may be considered link&nbsp;spam.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bad links mainly fall into two categories: (1) spammy, waste-of-time links and (2) those that are potentially dangerous to your&nbsp;site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Why are bad links a problem?\" data-section=\"why-are-bad-links-a-problem\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why are bad links a problem?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Bad links can trigger a Google penalty, which means a significant drop in rankings and organic traffic. Your site may even be <a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/docs\/essentials\/spam-policies\">removed from the search results altogether<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Sites that violate our policies may rank lower in results or not appear in results at&nbsp;all.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>But even if Google doesn\u2019t penalize you, bad links are often a waste of time and money because many have no positive impact on rankings or traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When to take action<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Google has consistently said it\u2019s very good at identifying and discounting spam links algorithmically. Therefore, you do not need to worry about finding and removing every single bad&nbsp;link.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Google\u2019s disavow tool allows you to discount links to avoid link-based penalties. But this tool can be incredibly damaging to your site, especially if you do not know what you are&nbsp;doing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"610\" height=\"165\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image6-6.png\" alt=\"Warning from Google's disavow tool\" class=\"wp-image-162905\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>You shouldn\u2019t disavow links haphazardly because you risk disavowing links that are actually helping you to rank. Just because you think a link is spammy doesn\u2019t mean Google does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With that in mind, there are only two instances where you should worry about bad&nbsp;links:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If you have received a <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/glossary\/manual-action\">manual action<\/a> against your site for unnatural links.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you know (or strongly suspect) a site has previously participated in shady link building.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Recently purchased a site or taken over the SEO of a site for a new client? If you know (or strongly suspect) those previously responsible actively participated in shady link building\u2014such as PBNs\u2014then it\u2019s time to clean&nbsp;house.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Types of bad links\" data-section=\"types-of-bad-links\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Types of bad&nbsp;links<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>So what types of links are considered link&nbsp;spam?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"812\" height=\"140\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image10-2.jpg\" alt=\"Link spam definition\" class=\"wp-image-162906\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image10-2.jpg 812w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image10-2-680x117.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image10-2-768x132.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 812px) 100vw, 812px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>From Google\u2019s definition of link spam, it could be argued that any link you land from link building is effectively link spam. After all, you are actively looking to acquire backlinks to improve your rankings in the search engine results pages (SERPs).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So doesn\u2019t that mean you are trying to manipulate rankings? 65% of SEOs&nbsp;agree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/JoshuaCHardwick\/status\/1672221600857325568\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>But this is probably not what Google means. In fact, Google legend John Mueller has even previously praised <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/high-quality-backlinks\/\">quality link building<\/a> acquisition methods like <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/digital-pr\/\">digital PR<\/a>, stating they are just as crucial as tech&nbsp;SEO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/JohnMu\/status\/1352967238442229762\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The examples Google gives of link spam are all things that most of us would consider crafty tactics that make the web a worse place. So these are basically what Google doesn\u2019t want to see and those that you should avoid.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s look at some examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"2929\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/bad-links.png\" alt=\"Types of bad links\" class=\"wp-image-162908\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/bad-links.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/bad-links-232x425.png 232w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/bad-links-768x1406.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/bad-links-839x1536.png 839w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/bad-links-1119x2048.png 1119w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. PBNs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/glossary\/private-blog-network\">Private blog networks (PBNs)<\/a> are made up of many websites you own linked together to manipulate search engine rankings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1446\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image20-5.png\" alt=\"How PBNs work\" class=\"wp-image-162910\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image20-5.png 1536w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image20-5-451x425.png 451w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image20-5-768x723.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>These link networks can be massive and mean building multiple topically relevant sites solely to link to one another. They\u2019re designed to give the impression that links have been \u201cearned\u201d to create trust signals artificially.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why should you avoid these types of&nbsp;links?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>If Google doesn\u2019t catch you, then yes, PBNs can work and move the needle. The problem is that it\u2019s hard to build an \u201cundetectable\u201d PBN unless you\u2019re an experienced spammer.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A truly sophisticated PBN needs to look and act like a real website, with genuine content and regular posting. It also needs to have different ownership, domain, and hosting providers to avoid being detected.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Quite honestly, if you are going to put that much work in, you may as well spend that time and effort on quality link building instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to check if you have&nbsp;any<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>PBNs can be difficult to detect. However, if you suspect a website you just took over previously used PBNs to build links, then there\u2019ll likely be some key giveaways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One big one is websites that are all hosted on the same network, meaning they are all coming from the same IP address.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\">Site Explorer<\/a>, you can find if multiple sites are linking to you from the same IP address with the <strong>Referring IPs<\/strong> report.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1310\" height=\"546\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image19.jpg\" alt=\"Links by referring IP, via Ahrefs' Site Explorer\" class=\"wp-image-162912\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image19.jpg 1310w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image19-680x283.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image19-768x320.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1310px) 100vw, 1310px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s important to say that just because multiple sites are on the same IP alone doesn\u2019t confirm that sites are part of a PBN. They can be using the same hosting service (the examples above are all using Cloudflare).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, if the websites also have&nbsp;these:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Little to no organic traffic&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Little content\/no keywords<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Links to each&nbsp;other<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Spammy appearance and\/or default themes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Then they can be key indicators of a&nbsp;PBN.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Paid&nbsp;links<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Paid links are where you \u201cbuy or sell links for ranking purposes.\u201d It\u2019s important to mention that this doesn\u2019t just include buying links for money. Exchanging links for goods or services or even buying a bloke a pint in return for a link all qualify as paid&nbsp;links.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, not all paid links are a problem as long as they have the right attributes. <a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/docs\/essentials\/spam-policies\">Google even states<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Google does understand that buying and selling links is a normal part of the economy of the web for advertising and sponsorship purposes.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>However, any link that falls under those examples should have either a \u201cnofollow\u201d or \u201csponsored\u201d attribute.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why should you avoid these types of&nbsp;links?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>If you buy links from a site or one of the many \u201cdear sir club\u201d link builders, you\u2019re going to get very little value from those&nbsp;links.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"379\" height=\"148\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image2-1.jpg\" alt=\"Offer message about link building services\" class=\"wp-image-162914\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The reason is they will sell these to anyone. This makes the site an absolute spam fest and completely dilutes any link equity you could acquire. It also means these links are worthless at best and, at worst, could land you with a penalty.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to check if you have&nbsp;any<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>From my experience, it\u2019s often easy to identify these links based on the anchor text. Most paid links will use exact match anchors and, on top of that, they are usually from low-quality sites with poor content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Using <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\">Site Explorer<\/a>, you can see all of the links to your site, including the anchor text.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"866\" height=\"303\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image16-3.jpg\" alt=\"Example of an anchor text, via Ahrefs' Site Explorer\" class=\"wp-image-162916\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image16-3.jpg 866w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image16-3-680x238.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image16-3-768x269.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 866px) 100vw, 866px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, not every link with an exact match anchor will be a paid link. But you can get an idea of the quality from the URL of the linking site and the domain traffic. If these aren\u2019t looking good, you can click through and check out the page directly.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You don\u2019t necessarily need to worry about removing these but, rather, avoid acquiring paid links in the first&nbsp;place.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Hacked links<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Hacked links involve someone gaining access to a site and inserting content into existing pages. This means that search engines can see it. But as this is done within an existing page, it is often harder for website owners to detect.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why should you avoid these types of&nbsp;links?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Hacked links are completely unethical. Yet unfortunately, they still exist. These don\u2019t fall specifically under link spam but<a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/docs\/essentials\/spam-policies?hl=en#hacked-content\"> under Google\u2019s general spam policies<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"802\" height=\"482\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image18.jpg\" alt=\"Google's hacked content policy\" class=\"wp-image-162918\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image18.jpg 802w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image18-680x409.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image18-768x462.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 802px) 100vw, 802px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have links pointing to your site that were placed by hacking, the owner of the hacked website can report your site to Google and to your domain and hosting provider, resulting in your site being taken&nbsp;down.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hacking is also illegal in many countries, including the U.S. (under the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/jm\/jm-9-48000-computer-fraud\">Computer Fraud and Abuse Act<\/a>) and in the U.K. (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/consultations\/review-of-the-computer-misuse-act-1990\/review-of-the-computer-misuse-act-1990-consultation-and-response-to-call-for-information-accessible#:~:text=The%20Computer%20Misuse%20Act%201990%20(CMA)%20is%20the%20main%20legislation,damaging%20or%20destroying%20of%20these.\">Computer Misuse Act 1990<\/a>).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Adding hacked links could be considered \u201chacking for notoriety\u201d in order to appear as an authority on a particular topic which, in most cases, is illegal.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to check if you have&nbsp;any<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>There are instances of website owners paying link building agencies for <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/guest-blogging\/\">guest posting<\/a> services only to find the links they\u2019ve acquired are indeed hacked after the hacked website has reported them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately, there aren\u2019t many ways to ensure that a link to your site was placed knowingly by the referring site. The best course of action is to be proactive and ensure that you either take charge of all link building activities yourself or use a reputable link building provider.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Hidden links<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Hidden links are another thing that falls under<a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/docs\/essentials\/spam-policies?hl=en#hidden-text-and-links\"> Google\u2019s general spam policies<\/a> and is, again, totally unethical.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These types of links can be done in many different ways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Using white text on a white background<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hiding text behind an&nbsp;image<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Using CSS to position text off-screen<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Setting the font size or opacity to&nbsp;0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hiding a link by only linking one small character (for example, a hyphen in the middle of a paragraph)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why should you avoid these types of&nbsp;links?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Like hacked links, these can be done without either the website owner or the linking site having any knowledge of these link placements but can land both sites with a Google penalty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately, I have personally worked with clients who have had this happen to them. In this instance, a <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/hire-link-building-agency\/\">link building agency<\/a> they have previously worked with has had access to their site and placed hidden links to all their other clients\u2019 websites, using them like a&nbsp;PBN.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1120\" height=\"504\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image5-5.jpg\" alt=\"Hidden links example\" class=\"wp-image-162919\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image5-5.jpg 1120w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image5-5-680x306.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image5-5-768x346.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1120px) 100vw, 1120px\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An example of multiple hidden links placed in the footer of a website.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to check if you have&nbsp;any<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>These links can be difficult to detect unless you already have a suspicion that they&nbsp;exist.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ve found that one of the best ways to identify these links is by looking at the anchors and surrounding text.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Usually, the link will have a very specific anchor, e.g., \u201cwe buy houses\u201d for a realtor site. However, this will be surrounded by other random specific anchors and usually from a referring page that has no relevance to your&nbsp;own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here is an example from the <strong>Backlinks<\/strong> report in <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\">Site Explorer<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"930\" height=\"105\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image15-3.jpg\" alt=\"Hidden link found using Ahrefs' Site Explorer\" class=\"wp-image-162922\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image15-3.jpg 930w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image15-3-680x77.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image15-3-768x87.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 930px) 100vw, 930px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The above image shows a link with the anchor \u201cwe buy houses easley.\u201d However, this is clearly surrounded by other keywords, which are also most likely anchor texts to other sites (policy solver, kw white label seo,&nbsp;etc.).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These links also come from a website about Japanese shoguns with no topical relevance.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is enough to cause suspicion, so we should click through to the website and check if we can clearly see the&nbsp;links.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this case, no external links are visible on the page. However, with Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo-toolbar\">SEO Toolbar<\/a>, you can see there are more than 50 similar outgoing links hidden on the&nbsp;page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"680\" height=\"511\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image14-4.jpg\" alt=\"Outgoing links found using Ahrefs' SEO Toolbar\" class=\"wp-image-162924\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image14-4.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image14-4-566x425.jpg 566w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Link exchanges<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Link exchanges or reciprocal linking is when two sites agree to exchange links with each other. Although link exchanges generally aren\u2019t against Google\u2019s guidelines, \u201cexcessive link exchanges\u201d and \u201cpartner pages exclusively for the sake of cross-linking\u201d are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why should you avoid these types of&nbsp;links?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Reciprocal link building happens naturally on the web all of the time (<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/reciprocal-links\/\">study<\/a>). After all, it makes sense that you talk about other sites in your niche, and they talk about&nbsp;you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"785\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image4-8.png\" alt=\"Bar graph showing how common reciprocal links are\" class=\"wp-image-162926\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image4-8.png 900w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image4-8-487x425.png 487w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image4-8-768x670.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Linking out is also a great way to get the attention of other high-quality sites in your niche. If they return the favor by linking back in the future, then that\u2019s definitely going to help your&nbsp;site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But if you are going around contacting hundreds of sites and asking to exchange links, then that\u2019s eventually going to cause you some&nbsp;harm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Therefore, there is a fine line with this one. You must tread carefully not to be perceived as participating in any link exchange schemes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to check if you have&nbsp;any<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>You can see if you have multiple domains that have both outgoing and incoming links from your domain with the help of <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\">Site Explorer<\/a> and Google Sheets.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Site Explorer, head over to <em>Backlinks profile &gt; Referring domains<\/em> and export all of the data. Then head over to <em>Outgoing links &gt; Outgoing links<\/em> <em>report<\/em> and, again, export the&nbsp;data.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1021\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image3-9.png\" alt=\"Referring domains report, via Ahrefs' Site Explorer\" class=\"wp-image-162928\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image3-9.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image3-9-680x347.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image3-9-768x392.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image3-9-1536x785.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Add all of the exported data into a Google Sheet and look for duplicate domains. You can use a Google add-on like <a href=\"https:\/\/workspace.google.com\/marketplace\/app\/remove_duplicates\/347814268012\">Remove Duplicates<\/a>. This will highlight any duplicate domains so you can see which domains you have links both to and&nbsp;from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Note that the key here is excessive link exchanges. Having a handful of reciprocal links isn\u2019t going to send out red flags. However, if you have 30 or 40 (or more) reciprocal links to a single site, you may need to look at dialing those&nbsp;down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. Automated link building<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Automated link building is where you use tools to build links at scale to your website with the touch of a button.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Usually, these are in the form of tiered links. This means that you build links directly to your site (Tier 1) and then build additional links to the sites linking to yours (Tier 2, Tier 3,&nbsp;etc.).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1421\" height=\"1536\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image9-10.png\" alt=\"Flowchart showing how tiered link building works\" class=\"wp-image-162930\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image9-10.png 1421w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image9-10-393x425.png 393w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image9-10-768x830.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1421px) 100vw, 1421px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Mostly, these automated programs build spammy links from poor-quality web 2.0 blog sites (yes, they\u2019re really still a thing) and pile on some social signals for good measure.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why should you avoid these types of&nbsp;links?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Not only will the links these tools build do absolutely nothing for your site, but they are also clearly defined under Google\u2019s link spam policy. If detected, these will likely land you with a penalty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Often, these types of links are offered as very cheap <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/link-building-services\/\">link building services<\/a> on platforms like Fiverr, usually advertised as things like \u201cfoundation links.\u201d You should avoid these services at all costs, as they are even more risky when you are not in control of the automation process.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"436\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image7-2.jpg\" alt=\"Example of &quot;foundation links&quot; service\" class=\"wp-image-162932\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image7-2.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image7-2-680x193.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image7-2-768x218.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to check if you have&nbsp;any<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>These are often easy to spot as, usually, there are a mass of different referring domains linking to your site all with the same (or very similar) titles and anchor text.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"359\" height=\"593\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image13-2.jpg\" alt=\"Automated link building example\" class=\"wp-image-162934\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image13-2.jpg 359w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image13-2-257x425.jpg 257w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 359px) 100vw, 359px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Again, these aren\u2019t really something to worry about removing. These spammy links are easily identified and ignored by Google. They are simply better to avoid in the first place, as they won\u2019t do anything for your&nbsp;site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7. Forum and comment spam<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Forum spamming is another link building tactic where someone posts their website\u2019s link in forums. Comment spam is where a person (or bot) leaves an irrelevant comment on a website with a&nbsp;link.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why should you avoid these types of&nbsp;links?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>There are two ways to spam forums. First, you can simply create multiple profiles and put your link in there. Secondly, you can place links in actual forum posts, either in the signature or in the body of the&nbsp;post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The only way links should be used in forums is if they advise someone of something as part of a discussion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"787\" height=\"133\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image8-6.png\" alt=\"Links in a forum comment\" class=\"wp-image-162937\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image8-6.png 787w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image8-6-680x115.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image8-6-768x130.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 787px) 100vw, 787px\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An example of how links should be used in forums.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If you run a WordPress blog, you\u2019re probably already familiar with comment spam:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"796\" height=\"116\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image12-1.jpg\" alt=\"Example of comment spam\" class=\"wp-image-162936\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image12-1.jpg 796w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image12-1-680x99.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image12-1-768x112.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 796px) 100vw, 796px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Comment spam blasts rely on the fact&nbsp;that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Many sites allow comments to be posted without moderation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Others just simply let spam comments slip through the&nbsp;net.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>And that happens a&nbsp;lot\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"727\" height=\"609\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image1-3.jpg\" alt=\"Same comment spam found on multiple websites\" class=\"wp-image-162941\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image1-3.jpg 727w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image1-3-507x425.jpg 507w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 727px) 100vw, 727px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Multiple sites with the same comment leave a pretty clear footprint of suspicious links for Google to pick up on and happily penalize.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Both forum and comment spam violate Google\u2019s quality guidelines and can lead to a penalty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to check if you have&nbsp;any<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>In honesty, I wouldn\u2019t even waste time checking these. If you have links from comment spam, Google will likely automatically discount them. It\u2019s more important to avoid acquiring them in the first&nbsp;place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">8. Low-quality directories<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Creating profiles on high-quality directory sites like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.crunchbase.com\/\">Crunchbase<\/a> is a great way to build an online presence for your business. However, when you start building these at scale on low-quality sites, it becomes spammy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why should you avoid these types of&nbsp;links?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s easy to fall into a trap with this one, especially for new business owners. Of course, you want to get your name out there, but this is all about quality over quantity. That\u2019s why it is especially important to avoid link building services that do this at&nbsp;scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1023\" height=\"455\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image17-5.jpg\" alt=\"Example of &quot;spam directories&quot; service\" class=\"wp-image-162943\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image17-5.jpg 1023w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image17-5-680x302.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image17-5-768x342.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1023px) 100vw, 1023px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This kind of low-quality, bulk-directory submission hasn\u2019t worked for at least 15 years. These days, a forum blast such as this is likely to get your site penalized.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So stick to well-known directory sites and avoid low-quality ones that will do nothing for your business and simply waste your&nbsp;time.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to check if you have&nbsp;any<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>You can usually spot directory links pretty quickly in Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/backlink-checker\">free backlink checker<\/a>, as the title of the referring page will most likely include your business name.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Again, I wouldn\u2019t worry too much about checking to see if you have these; simply avoid them in the first&nbsp;place.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A healthy backlink profile with high-quality links is an incredibly important aspect of SEO. Ensuring you use white-hat link building techniques and avoid actively acquiring bad links is key to preventing you from being penalized by Google.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But it\u2019s also important not to be too reactive when dealing with link spam. Basically, if you\u2019ve already received a manual action, then you need to perform a link audit and use the disavow tool to remove any suspect links. But if you haven\u2019t, it\u2019s better to be proactive and try to avoid bad backlinks in the first&nbsp;place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to learn how to build awesome links the right way, check out our <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/academy\/link-building-course\">advanced link building course<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Got questions? Ping me <a href=\"https:\/\/www.twitter.com\/seowithjenny\/\">on Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the world of SEO, links are a crucial ranking factor. With that comes a temptation for many website owners and marketers to resort to manipulative tactics to acquire links, which can lead to link&nbsp;spam. This harmful practice can result<span class=\"ellipsis\">\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more\">Read more \u203a<\/div>\n<p><!-- end of .read-more --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":179,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[76],"tags":[],"coauthors":[438],"class_list":["post-162897","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-link-building","odd"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>8 Types of Bad Links to Avoid<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Bad links violate Google\u2019s spam policies, are time-wasters, and can even be dangerous to your site. Learn how to spot and avoid them.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/bad-links\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"8 Types of Bad Links to Avoid\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Steer clear of them.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/bad-links\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SEO Blog by Ahrefs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Ahrefs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-07-18T05:08:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-09-17T11:07:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image6-6.png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jenny Abouobaia\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Steer clear of them.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@seowithjenny\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ahrefs\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/bad-links\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/bad-links\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Jenny Abouobaia\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/57bb28187ee8ce2da7814cc3aa8a07c4\"},\"headline\":\"8 Types of Bad Links to&nbsp;Avoid\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-07-18T05:08:04+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-09-17T11:07:09+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/bad-links\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":3112,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/bad-links\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/07\\\/8-types-of-bad-links-to-by-jenny-abouobaia-link-building-1.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Link Building\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/bad-links\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/bad-links\\\/\",\"name\":\"8 Types of Bad Links to Avoid\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/bad-links\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/bad-links\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/07\\\/image6-6.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-07-18T05:08:04+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-09-17T11:07:09+00:00\",\"description\":\"Bad links violate Google\u2019s spam policies, are time-wasters, and can even be dangerous to your site. 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