Unnatural Links: How to Avoid Building Them

Imagine waking up to find your website’s traffic in freefall, not because your content faltered or a competitor outdid you, but due to something lurking in your backlink profile.

For many seasoned SEO professionals, this nightmare scenario has a common culprit: unnatural links.

Backlinks are essential for ranking, yet the wrong kinds can silently sabotage your success.

Google’s algorithms are increasingly adept at detecting manipulative backlinks – the search giant even leverages an AI system called SpamBrain to

“neutralize the impact of unnatural links”

on search rankings.

The stakes are high and the line between a clever link-building tactic and an unnatural link scheme is finer than ever.

Such risk isn’t just theoretical. Unnatural links have triggered manual penalties that drop sites from the SERPs overnight, wiping out months of hard-won gains.

In one case, a site owner who bought a bundle of “high-PR” backlinks saw a sudden rankings plunge and a Google Search Console notice about “Unnatural links” – a costly lesson in shortcutting SEO. It’s an unsettling reality: what might seem like a savvy backlink strategy can backfire horribly if it violates Google’s guidelines. This issue can agitate even the most confident SEO experts; after all, how do you aggressively build links for competitive niches without tripping Google’s spam filters?

In this article, we’ll unravel exactly what qualifies as an unnatural link and why Google works so hard to counteract them. We’ll dissect common link-building pitfalls – from paid links and private blog networks to sneaky “exchange” arrangements – and show you how to steer clear of each.

Using authoritative insights (from Google, industry leaders like Moz and Ahrefs, and case studies of real businesses), we’ll provide a clear roadmap to earn high-quality links without crossing into dangerous territory.

Seasoned SEO professionals will recognize some familiar warnings here, but we’ll go deeper, exploring nuanced scenarios (including examples in e-commerce and SaaS) to ensure your backlink tactics remain effective and penalty-proof.

Let’s dive in to ensure your link-building efforts help your rankings – not hurt them.

Understanding unnatural links and why they matter

Unnatural links are any backlinks created with the primary intent of manipulating search engine rankings rather than genuinely endorsing the content.

In Google’s own words,

“any links intended to manipulate PageRank or a site’s ranking in Google search results may be considered part of a link scheme”

– a direct violation of their webmaster guidelines.

Authoritative SEO sources echo this definition. Ahrefs, for example, defines unnatural links as

"links that weren’t editorially given but artificially placed to boost rankings",

such as paid links or those with overly optimized anchor text.

In short, if a link exists mainly to make your site rank higher (instead of to genuinely recommend your content), it’s likely unnatural and against Google’s rules.

Why does this distinction matter so much?

Because Google’s entire search quality algorithm is built around rewarding natural, editorially-earned links as votes of confidence. Unnatural links attempt to cheat that system. Google has spent decades refining algorithms (and manual review processes) to sniff out and nullify these manipulative signals.

The famous Penguin algorithm update was one such effort, first launched in 2012 specifically to target link spam.

Today, Penguin’s legacy lives on in real-time; Google’s core ranking algorithm (bolstered by machine learning systems like SpamBrain) can automatically discount many spammy links before they influence rankings.

In fact, Google’s AI-powered SpamBrain can detect both sites buying links and sites selling or passing link juice, neutralizing their impact on search results. The take-away for SEO professionals is stark: unnatural links won’t deliver lasting SEO value – best case, Google ignores them; worst case, you earn a penalty.

It’s not just algorithms at play either. Google’s Webspam team can apply manual actions (penalties) when they identify patterns of unnatural linking. These manual penalties are often labeled “Unnatural links” in Search Console and can range from a partial dampening of your site’s authority to outright removal from search results.

Importantly, Google distinguishes between unnatural links to your site (inbound links you’ve built or acquired artificially) and unnatural links from your site (outbound links you’re using to manipulate rankings, such as selling followed links). Both can trigger penalties.

For instance, a site caught selling links or hosting spammy guest posts might get an “unnatural outbound links” manual action, which essentially strips your ability to pass PageRank until cleaned up. On the inbound side, an “impacts links” penalty can make your site virtually invisible on Google until you remove or disavow the bad backlinks.

The impact on your business can be severe – traffic and revenue lost, and a long, tedious recovery process. Google’s own documentation warns that a site’s rankings can plummet due to manipulative links and that recovering trust is an uphill battle.

To quote Google’s Search Advocate John Mueller:

“If the webspam team were to look at [a pattern of link exchanges], they would also say this is not okay… they might apply a manual action… that’s something I would avoid.”

This caution underlines that even if algorithms miss something, a blatant scheme can attract human scrutiny and penalties.

From personal experience auditing websites, cleanup after a link-related penalty is far more difficult than doing SEO right from the start. It can take months of work to audit backlinks, contact webmasters, disavow domains, and then request reconsideration – all while your site languishes in obscurity.

Clearly, preventing unnatural links is much better than curing their effects.

But avoiding unnatural links doesn’t mean you should avoid link building altogether. On the contrary, you do need backlinks to compete in most niches, and proactive link-building is a normal part of SEO.

The key is to do it in a way that earns or at least simulates genuine, editorial votes. In the following sections, we’ll examine which link-building tactics cross the line into “unnatural” territory (with real examples of what to avoid), and how to replace them with sustainable, Google-friendly strategies.

By understanding Google’s perspective and the nuances of various linking methods, you can confidently build a robust backlink profile without stepping on any landmines.

Google’s stance on link schemes

It’s helpful to internalize Google’s philosophy on links. Google’s official spam policies make it plain: link spam is the practice of creating links

“primarily for the purpose of manipulating search rankings.”

They provide clear examples of what counts as link spam to avoid.

Here are a few highlights straight from Google’s guidelines:

• Buying or selling links for ranking, including exchanging money, goods, or services for links.

• Excessive link exchanges (“Link to me and I’ll link to you”), or schemes of partner pages just to cross-link.

• Using automated programs or services to generate links to your site.

• Requiring a link as a condition of signing up, purchasing, or partnering, without nofollow (e.g. forcing clients to link back in a footer).

• Text advertisements or advertorials that pass PageRank (not marked with rel="nofollow" or "sponsored").

• Widely distributed links in footers or templates of other sites (site-wide links with optimized anchor).

• Links embedded in widgets or plugins that are placed on multiple sites, where the link is keyword-rich or not editorial.

• Mass link drops in comments or forums with optimized anchor text (the classic spammy blog comment signature).

Google considers all of the above as attempts to manipulate rankings – in other words, unnatural links.

It’s worth noting that Google’s language sometimes leaves gray area – they mention “excessive” exchanges or guest posting campaigns as problematic.

In practical terms, aligning with Google means building links that would make sense even if search engines didn’t exist – links from reputable, relevant websites that are given because your content or product genuinely deserves to be referenced. Any link scheme aiming to deceive Google’s ranking algorithm is walking on thin ice.

Now, let’s delve into the specific types of unnatural links you need to avoid, and how to recognize them in real-world scenarios.

Common types of unnatural links to avoid

Not all link building is created equal – some tactics are plainly black-hat, while others are more nuanced or widely misunderstood.

In this section, we break down the most common categories of unnatural link-building practices that you should steer clear of. Each of these has been explicitly called out by Google or shown to be problematic through industry experience.

By understanding these, you can evaluate any link opportunity or strategy through a critical lens:

“Is this link truly earned, or am I trying to game the system?”

If it’s the latter, read on to see why it’s not worth it.

Buying links (or selling them) for SEO

Perhaps the most obvious form of unnatural link is a paid link – exchanging money (or gifts, services, discounts, etc.) for a dofollow backlink. Google’s stance on this is unambiguous: paying for links violates their guidelines.

That includes outright purchasing links on other sites, as well as more subtle forms like “sponsoring” an article purely to embed a keyword-rich link. The reason Google forbids this is clear: a paid link isn’t a genuine endorsement of content quality, it’s a purchased vote. Relying on paid links can be tempting, especially in industries where competitors seem to have endless backlinks.

However, the risks far outweigh the short-term gains.

From a penalty standpoint, Google actively penalizes sites that buy links. Offending websites have received manual actions causing their rankings to free-fall.

That said, not all paid relationships are forbidden. The key is transparency and nofollow/sponsored tags. Google permits advertising and sponsored content that include links so long as those links don’t pass SEO value.

For example, if you sponsor a post on a high-quality site for branding purposes, ensure the link back to your site is marked as rel="sponsored" (or at least rel="nofollow"). This tells search engines, “This link is not a natural vote; don’t count it for ranking.”

As an example, marketing expert Erin Balsa highlights sponsored newsletter placements where links are clearly labeled “Sponsored” and use nofollow – these adhere to guidelines while still putting your brand in front of an audience.

In contrast, an undisclosed paid link is deceptive. The takeaway: If you pay for it, label it. And if you’re not willing to nofollow or disclose a link, you probably shouldn’t be paying for that placement in the first place.

It’s also worth mentioning the flip side – selling links.

If you run a site and consider selling dofollow links to others for extra income, remember that Google can penalize that too. There’s a manual action type specifically for “unnatural links from your site” targeting websites that pass link equity in exchange for compensation. No reputable SEO would recommend risking your own site’s standing for a small payout.

Thus, whether buying or selling, trading links for money is an unnatural practice to avoid.

Instead, invest that budget in content creation, digital PR, or other strategies that earn you links (more on those in the later sections).

Excessive link exchanges and reciprocal linking

Exchanging links (“you link to me, I’ll link to you”) might seem like a harmless quid pro quo – after all, if two sites genuinely admire each other’s content, mutual links could happen naturally. But when done as a deliberate tactic, reciprocal linking quickly veers into unnatural territory.

Google’s spam policy explicitly flags

“excessive link exchanges (‘Link to me and I’ll link to you’)”

as a form of link spam to avoid. The key word is “excessive,” but even a pattern of modest link swapping can be detected and devalued.

Why are planned link exchanges problematic?

Firstly, they often lack genuine editorial value. A link given in exchange isn’t truly a recommendation; it’s more of a transaction. As Backlinko’s guide explains, reciprocal links are usually not based on the merit of content but on a deal made between webmasters. This means the linked content might not even be the best resource for users – it was chosen because of an agreement, not on its own merits.

Secondly, search engines can spot reciprocal patterns. If two websites (or a network of sites) are all interlinking with each other disproportionately, it forms a graph pattern that algorithms (and certainly manual reviewers) find suspicious. We’re at a point where Google’s systems are smart enough to differentiate organic two-way links from systematic exchange schemes.

For instance, a cluster of sites all linking back and forth with keyword-rich anchors stands out as unnatural. Google may simply discount those links, or worse, it could contribute to a manual action if the majority of your backlink profile looks scheme-driven.

A more complex variant is the three-way or multi-way exchange (often called ABC linking).

This is where site A links to site B, site B links to site C, and site C links back to A (closing the loop), or other such round-robin arrangements. Some SEO practitioners do this to obscure direct reciprocation. But Google is aware of these tricks as well.

Private blog networks (PBNs) and controlled sites

PBNs are a notorious link scheme in the SEO world.

A PBN is a network of websites (often owned by the same person or organization) created with the sole purpose of generating backlinks to a “money site.” The sites in a PBN usually have no real audience; they’re often resurrected expired domains or thin sites made to look semi-legitimate, but their only goal is to pass link authority.

In simpler terms, a PBN lets you be the puppet master of your own link universe: you control a dozen or more sites and can place links from them to your main site at will, typically embedding rich anchor text to boost specific keywords.

On the surface, a PBN can seem like a fast-track to building lots of links – no outreach needed when you own the sites.

However, Google absolutely considers PBN links to be unnatural and manipulative. It’s a blatant violation of the guidelines because those links are not earned at all; they’re self-made in a deceptive way. As Search Engine Journal describes,

“private blog networks (PBNs) are networks of sites created to artificially inflate the rankings of one specific central website.”

All the sites in the network are under one umbrella of control, feeding link juice around in a closed system. This is essentially a sophisticated form of link farming.

Google has a long history of cracking down on PBNs. Back in the mid-2010s, many public PBN services were hit by Google penalties, and sites using them got burned.

Even if some PBNs still slip under the radar, the risk is enormous. PBN footprints (telltale signs linking the sites together) are often easy for Google to detect: same Google Analytics or AdSense codes, same WHOIS info (for non-privatized domains), similar IPs or hosting, design templates, content patterns, etc.

As one industry article noted, PBNs are

“pretty easy to spot”

for those who know what to look for.

If an SEO auditor or Google webspam analyst looks at your backlink profile and sees many links coming from obscure sites that only exist to link out (often on unrelated topics or lacking real engagement), it screams “link scheme.”

Sites benefiting from PBN links can receive a manual penalty for unnatural links that knocks them out of search results. Alternatively, Google might algorithmically discount those links en masse (especially with continuous improvements to SpamBrain). A link that’s discounted is effectively wasted – it doesn’t count toward your rankings at all. Think of a PBN as building a house of cards; it might rise quickly, but it has no foundation. The moment Google even suspects those links are not genuine, the house collapses.

Another angle: If you run a PBN and link to multiple clients or sites you own, you’re also putting all those sites in the same basket. If one gets penalized, often Google will scrutinize the others, since the connection is evident. There have been cases where entire networks of sites were deindexed by Google in one sweep once uncovered. It’s the SEO equivalent of a RICO case – if you’re caught, all associated properties are guilty by association.

In short, avoid PBNs entirely. While some black-hat SEOs still use them hoping to avoid detection (and [expert quote] a few claim short-term wins), this strategy is on the extreme end of risk. It’s the polar opposite of building a resilient, long-term brand in search. Rather than creating a network of sham sites, invest that effort into real content on your main site or legitimate guest posting on actual publications.

If you already have multiple websites (say, you operate a few blogs in your niche), be cautious in how you interlink them. A few relevant cross-links can be okay, but turning your sites into a tight interlinking cluster starts to resemble a mini-PBN. Make each site stand on its own merit.

Spam in user-generated content (comments, forums, etc.)

Every SEO has seen this: a blog post or forum thread with someone’s comment that says

“Great post! Check out BestCheapWidgets.com for awesome deals”

“forum comments with optimized links in the post or signature”

as an example of link spam.

The reason is obvious: those links are not editorial recommendations; they’re usually self-promotional drops added by the site owner (or an SEO working for them) in areas open to the public.

Tactics under this category include: dropping links in blog comment sections, forum posts and signatures, Q&A sites, guestbooks (if anyone remembers those), wiki pages, or any site where users can add content with minimal moderation.

In the early 2000s, you could sometimes get SEO value from these if done in moderation, but today most high-authority UGC platforms nofollow external links by default (e.g., Reddit, Wikipedia, popular forums). The SEO impact of nofollowed links is nil in terms of PageRank.

Moreover, well-moderated communities will remove overt spam and may even ban users. From a practical standpoint, blasting links via automated bots to millions of blog comments is a pure spam technique – it won’t help rankings and could get your domain flagged.

However, there is nuance: Not all commenting or forum participation is bad.

In fact, being an active, genuine participant in niche communities can indirectly help your SEO (by building relationships or referral traffic). Google doesn’t consider all UGC links spam; they understand that sometimes people naturally mention a resource in context.

For example, if on a marketing forum an SEO expert legitimately answers a question and links to an authoritative article (even their own) that helps, that’s not the kind of spam they target. The key difference is intent and scale. A few organic mentions on relevant community sites won’t trigger a penalty. But if you or someone you hired is systematically leaving a trail of comments like “Nice article, visit my site for more info [cheap-keyword-rich-link]!”, then it’s definitely unnatural.

Most UGC spam efforts also leave a pattern: similar phrasing around the links, linking to the same page from many sites, often low-quality sites (because quality sites filter them out). These patterns are easily identified.

In fact, many SEO tools can flag a high volume of forum/comment links as potentially toxic. And Google’s algorithms likely ignore the majority of these low-value links at this point. A Search Engine Journal piece notes that automated posting via bots is “not exactly valuable” and you’ll just get moderated out.

Even if not removed, such links often carry no weight – they “add no genuine value” and are a known spam signal.

Automated link-building schemes and link “blasts”

In the arms race of SEO, automation has often been misused to create unnatural links at scale. Automated link building refers to using software or networks to generate large numbers of backlinks quickly, with little human oversight.

Examples include: article spinning software that posts variations of an article (with your links) to hundreds of article directories, bots that register accounts and drop links on forums/blogs (as discussed above), auto-submission tools that add your site to thousands of “directories,” or even programs that create entire microsites filled with scraped content and links to your site. If it sounds wildly spammy – it is.

Google explicitly warns against

“using automated programs or services to create links”.

The rationale is straightforward: anything that can be scaled by a bot can flood the web with low-quality, irrelevant content, which Google considers search spam.

Modern algorithms, bolstered by AI, are very good at detecting patterns that indicate non-human link building.

For instance, a sudden spike of 5,000 new backlinks in one week, all from obscure blogspot blogs or random small sites with names like best-seo-directory-4.info, is not going to fly under the radar.

Such an unnatural link spike might even trigger an algorithmic dampening where Google temporarily distrusts your site’s link profile due to the anomaly.

One common form of automated link building in the past was using low-quality directories and article submission sites.

SEO practitioners would submit a site to hundreds of free directories or publish articles in bulk on content farms (with keyword anchors).

Today, these tactics are largely obsolete. A few legitimate directories exist (Yelp, industry-specific ones like G2 for software, etc.), and being listed there is fine. But the vast multitude of generic directories are seen as “low-quality link farms designed to manipulate rankings,” as Backlinko notes.

Being listed on random directories that have no real user audience offers no value and can appear as spam if done in volume.

Similarly, mass article syndication with optimized anchor text was explicitly called out in Google’s 2013 guideline update – they consider articles or press releases with keyword-stuffed links, published widely, as a link scheme.

If you use press releases, the links should probably be nofollow, and you should not expect SEO gains from syndicating an anchor-stuffed release across dozens of sites.

Another modern twist: with the rise of AI-generated content, there’s a temptation to auto-generate lots of blog posts (using GPT-3/4, for example) on separate sites or Web 2.0 platforms, all linking back to your main site. While AI can assist in content, mass-generated content posted for links will suffer the same fate – Google’s SpamBrain is likely catching on to AI spam as well.

The quality of sites linking to you still matters. Hundreds of low-quality pages, even if semantically decent thanks to AI, won’t fool Google if their sole purpose is SEO linkage.

In summary, avoid any “quick fix” tools or services that promise hundreds or thousands of links on autopilot. Real link building is usually a slower, manual process because it requires building trust, creating content, doing outreach, etc.

Widget and badge links

If you create a widget, infographic, or badge that other sites can embed, be careful not to embed keyword-rich, followed links in them.

In the past, companies would offer site counters, maps, or award badges that contained an HTML link back to their site (often with optimized anchor text). Google views this the same as any link scheme, because the site owners adding the widget aren’t deliberately endorsing you – the link is a hidden condition.

If you do provide widgets or badges, Google recommends using a nofollow on the embedded link. The key is transparency; the user adding your widget should be aware of the link and ideally have the choice to remove or nofollow it.

Footer/sidebar wide-site links

Some sites (especially web design agencies or SEO firms) put a footer credit link on clients’ sites, e.g.

“Designed by XYZ Web Solutions”

“widely distributed links in the footers or templates of various sites”

as a spam signal.

If you do use a footer credit, avoid keyword anchors (use your brand name, for instance) or consider nofollowing it. And don’t overdo it – the value of such links is questionable anyway, since they’re not contextual.

Exact-match anchor over-optimization

This isn’t a “tactic” per se, but worth noting. If a large portion of your backlinks have the exact same keyword-rich anchor text (especially a money keyword), it looks unnatural. In a natural scenario, people will link with varied anchors – your brand name, the page title, “click here”, etc.

Forcing exact keywords into anchors (whether via guest posts, exchanges, or other schemes) can trip filters. The Penguin algorithm was famous for penalizing sites with an over-optimized anchor profile (a hallmark of past link spam).

These days, even if not a penalty, too many identical anchors will be discounted.

So, diversify anchors and let them flow naturally; do not insist every link say “best CRM software 2025” pointing to your homepage, for example.

Link requirements in exchanges or sponsorships

If you sponsor an event or organization, it’s fine to get a link as acknowledgment. But don’t insist on a dofollow, optimized anchor link as part of the deal. That crosses into link scheme territory. Google mentioned

“requiring a link as part of a Terms of Service or contract, without a choice of a nofollow”

as an unnatural practice. Keep such sponsorship links natural (branded anchors, and nofollow if it’s essentially advertising).

The unifying theme of all these: transparency and relevance. If a link is truly there to help a user navigate to something relevant and you’re transparent about any exchange, you’re generally safe (with a nofollow if it’s paid). If a link is hidden, forced, or unrelated to the content, it’s likely unnatural.

Having covered what not to do, you might wonder – what does natural link building look like, especially in competitive industries? The good news is that even in fields like e-commerce and SaaS (where the pressure to acquire links is intense), many companies have achieved stellar results without resorting to shady tactics.

In the next section, we’ll explore positive strategies and a few real examples of sites that grew their SEO through compliant, smart link-building practices.

Building links the natural way

By now, it’s clear that chasing quick wins with unnatural links is a dangerous game. The alternative – building links “the right way” – may require more patience and creativity, but it lays a strong foundation for long-term SEO success.

What does natural link building entail for an experienced SEO professional?

It’s not actually a mystery or secret sauce; it’s about sticking to strategies that align with providing value to users and leveraging genuine relationships. Here are key principles and tactics for avoiding unnatural links while still growing your backlink profile:

1. Create link-worthy content and assets

The most fundamental way to earn natural links is to have something on your site worth linking to. This could be in-depth guides, unique research or data, infographics, tools/calculators, or compelling editorial content. When your content genuinely helps or fascinates people in your industry, it naturally attracts references.

For example, if you run an e-commerce site, publishing a detailed study on consumer trends in your niche could earn you links from news outlets or blogs that cite the data. A SaaS company might create a free tool or a comprehensive how-to guide that others find valuable enough to link.

Backlinko’s Brian Dean often emphasizes focusing on content quality: one of his strategies is the “Skyscraper technique,” which is all about creating the best resource on a topic so that people want to link to it. The aim is to shift your mindset from “How can I build links?” to “How can I deserve links?”. When you have standout content, even your manual outreach for links (e.g., pitching journalists or bloggers) stops being a scheme and becomes a legitimate “heads-up” about a resource they might want to share.

2. Leverage digital PR and genuine outreach

Digital PR is essentially using PR tactics to earn links – getting your brand mentioned in the news, doing something buzzworthy, or contributing expert insights that get quoted.

For instance, if your CEO provides an insightful quote in a Forbes article about your industry, that’s an earned link (often with your brand name as anchor). Similarly, building relationships with industry bloggers or editors can open opportunities: guest posting is one, but also being interviewed, participating in expert roundups, or co-creating content.

The crucial part is that any guest article or collaboration should be genuinely high-quality and relevant. Google specifically discourages low-quality guest posting “for links,” but they aren’t against guest posting as a whole – only the spammy kind.

If you publish an authoritative guest article on, say, Moz or Search Engine Journal (to name popular outlets), those editors will ensure the content is useful and any link you include is appropriate. That’s worlds apart from churning out 100 thin guest posts on random sites.

Always disclose if something is sponsored and use appropriate tags. For pure editorial guest posts, stick to one or two relevant links (perhaps one to a useful article on your site) and avoid keyword-stuffed anchors. Think of outreach not as begging for links, but as building partnerships: you might offer a unique piece of content or data to another site in exchange for a mention, which is fair when it benefits their audience too.

3. Diversify your backlink profile naturally

A healthy backlink profile has diversity: a mix of big and small websites linking to you, a mix of anchor texts, links to various pages (not just your homepage), and both follow and nofollow links.

If your link acquisition efforts are focused only on one tactic, you might end up with an unnatural pattern.

For example, exclusive reliance on guest posting might yield all backlinks from blogs, with dofollow article links having similar formats. To avoid this, pursue links from different channels: some from PR, some from resource pages, some local or industry directories (the credible ones), maybe some forum mentions or community contributions where appropriate, etc.

In e-commerce, a natural profile might include links from shopping or review sites, magazine articles, supplier or partner sites, and consumer blogs. In B2B/SaaS, it might include links from tech blogs, business news, SaaS directories like G2/Capterra, and content partnerships.

If you notice a big chunk of your links are coming from one tactic (say, a particular “link insertion” service that places many links in existing articles, often called niche edits), be cautious – over-reliance on any single source can look fishy. Strive for balance; not because you’re trying to “fool” Google’s pattern detection, but because true popularity manifests in diverse ways. When people organically talk about a site, it shows up across various platforms.

4. Use nofollow/sponsored when needed, and don’t fuss over them

Some SEOs worry that nofollow links “don’t count” and thus avoid any opportunities that yield nofollow links. But in a natural link profile, a good percentage of your links will be nofollow – from social media, Wikipedia, many forums, etc. That’s normal.

Also, Google has indicated that nofollow links can indirectly help (discovery, hinting at what’s worth checking), even if they don’t pass PageRank. More importantly, insisting on follow links in situations that should be nofollow (like paid placements) is dangerous. Embrace nofollow and sponsored tags as tools to keep your link building honest.

For example, if you sponsor a conference and they list you on the sponsors page, it’s fine if that link is nofollow. You still get visibility.

If you write a guest editorial and the site policy is to nofollow author bio links, that’s okay too. Chasing only followed links can lead you down dark paths. A balanced mix is healthier and more sustainable.

5. Monitor your backlink profile and clean up if necessary

Even if you never build a single unnatural link, your site might still accumulate some toxic backlinks over time. Scrapers can steal your content and link weirdly, negative SEO attacks (though rare) can blast spam at you, or an old SEO agency you parted ways with might have built questionable links in the past.

For this reason, it’s wise to regularly audit your backlinks (using tools like Ahrefs, Semrush’s Backlink Audit, or Search Console’s link report).

Look for patterns of obviously spammy links. Many such links can be ignored – Google is pretty good at not counting random spam. But if you see a concerted pattern (e.g., 50 forum profiles linking to you with the same anchor, which you know you didn’t create), you might use Google’s Disavow Tool as a cleanup measure. Be cautious and surgical with disavow – it’s mainly for cases where you have a lot of bad links and possibly a penalty.

However, monitoring ensures you aren’t blindsided.

If you ever do get a manual action, a thorough link audit and disavow process is necessary to have it revoked. Staying proactive can prevent that scenario.

For example, I once discovered an old outsourced SEO had left a footprint of directory submission links for a client – we disavowed those domains preemptively to avoid any algorithmic trust issues.

6. Educate and align your team or clients

One often overlooked aspect: ensure everyone involved in your SEO or marketing efforts understands the importance of avoiding unnatural links.

If you’re an in-house SEO, educate your content team, PR team, and executives about why certain “easy win” link schemes are off-limits.

If you work at an agency or as a consultant, set clear expectations with clients: explain that you won’t buy links or use forbidden tactics, and why that’s in their best interest long-term. Sometimes, pressure from higher-ups (“Why don’t we have 1,000 backlinks yet? Our competitor does.”) can push a well-meaning SEO toward risky tactics.

By sharing case studies of penalties or the latest Google updates, you can make the case that the slow-and-steady approach is the only viable one. It helps to highlight success stories of sites that grew with clean link-building.

For instance, The Backlink Company’s case studies show how businesses achieved remarkable SEO results without shady tactics. A Finnish e-commerce store, Laatukoru, saw a 4x increase in organic traffic in 5 months through targeted SEO and link building, focusing on quality content and relevant outreach. In the B2B SaaS space, 180ops went from a Domain Rating of 4 to 40 with a steady, strategic link-building campaign – no gimmicks, just consistent content and outreach efforts over time. These examples prove that you don’t need to cheat to win; you need a smart strategy and persistence.

7. Learn from competitors (but avoid their bad habits)

An expert SEO will always keep an eye on competitors’ backlink profiles. Use tools to see what kind of links the top players in your niche are getting. This can reveal opportunities (perhaps there are industry blogs or resources linking to multiple competitors – you could get a link there too by providing something of value).

However, be discerning: you might notice a competitor has 5,000 blog comment links or is featured on suspicious sites – if they haven’t been penalized yet, it doesn’t mean it’s safe. They might be one algorithm update away from trouble. Focus on emulating only the white-hat links competitors have.

For example, if they’re frequently mentioned on niche news sites, perhaps you should pitch those sites with your own news or insights. If they have guest posts on reputable blogs, you could aim for the same. But if their profile is polluted with obvious link farm links, let them keep that ticking time bomb.

Often, competitors engaging in link schemes eventually get caught in core updates or manual sweeps.

In the long run, the tortoise beats the hare in SEO: steady, guideline-compliant link building will outlast short-lived spam techniques.

By following these practices, you’ll naturally avoid building the kinds of links that get sites into trouble.

Instead, you’ll cultivate backlinks that genuinely boost your authority in Google’s eyes and drive real referral traffic. It’s about playing the long game. A few high-quality, earned links can often outperform dozens of low-quality ones – not just in raw ranking power, but in resilience to algorithm changes. Every Google update in recent years, from Penguin integrations to spam updates, has this common theme: sites with unnatural link patterns lose ground, while those with honest link profiles often see gains.

In closing, remember that backlinks are ultimately a reflection of your site’s value within your community or niche.

If you invest in that value – through content, products, relationships – the links will follow in due time. Avoid the allure of quick fixes that promise to inflate your link count without effort; such unnatural links are a house of cards that can collapse at any moment.