Most websites attract some spammy backlinks over time: links from scraper sites, foreign gambling pages or link farms. Sometimes they are random; sometimes they come from a hack or a deliberate attack. For a Zimbabwean business, the good news is that Google ignores most spammy links automatically. The key is knowing when to worry and what to do.
How to find your backlinks
Open Google Search Console and go to Links. Review “Top linking sites” and “Top linking text”. Free and paid SEO tools can show more detail.
Signs of a problem
- Large numbers of links from unrelated foreign sites, especially gambling, adult or pharmaceutical sites.
- Link text full of spam keywords unrelated to your business.
- A sudden spike in links you did not build.
- Your site appearing in Google for strange search terms, such as gambling brand names.
- A manual action notice in Search Console for “unnatural links”.
What to do
1. Check your own site for a hack first
Spammy links pointing at strange URLs on your domain often mean attackers have injected spam pages or hidden content. Run a malware scan, check for unknown files and admin users, and review Search Console’s Security Issues report. Fix the hack before anything else.
2. Do not panic about random spam
Google’s systems are designed to ignore most low-quality links. Simply having them rarely causes a penalty.
3. Remove links you control
If you or a previous agency bought links or joined link schemes, ask for those links to be removed.
4. Use the disavow tool only when necessary
If you have a manual action for unnatural links, or you know of a large paid-link history, you can submit a disavow file in Search Console. Use it carefully; disavowing good links can hurt you.
5. Build good links
The best defence is a strong profile of relevant links from Zimbabwean partners, associations, directories and media.
Prevention
- Keep WordPress, themes and plugins updated and from official sources.
- Use strong passwords and two-factor authentication.
- Monitor Search Console monthly.
- Never buy cheap link packages.
Need help with this in Zimbabwe?
Web Entangled has been helping Zimbabwean businesses grow online since 2002. Explore our SEO and website security services, or request a free quotation and we will get back to you with a clear, itemised proposal.
