If you’ve noticed a sudden drop in your website traffic, it could be due to Google’s latest algorithm change. Google recently dropped a new update called ” December 2022 Link Spam Update,” which is impacting traffic to sites across the Internet. In this post, we’ll discuss what the update is and how it’s affecting websites.
The new algorithm is designed to target websites with low-quality content and links
Google’s latest algorithm is intended to weed out websites with low-quality content and links. Link Spam is a force to be reckoned with – websites with bad or duplicate content or a large number of suspicious links will definitely face the consequences as their website rankings drop. This update brings an emphasis on creating quality content and ensuring links are valid: something all websites should strive for. Link Spam is designed to make sure only the best-of-the-best sites occupy the top spots on search engine results pages.
Things you can do to recover lost traffic from the Link Spam Update
While this algorithm change can decrease your search ranking and cause instant drops in traffic, you can take steps to recover and improve your website’s quality for the long term. It starts with understanding how the update works:
- Identify any spammy links you may have coming to your site
- Disavow them through Google Search Console
- Focus on creating helpful content on your website that provides value to users
Positive engagement on your website will serve you far better than quick fixes. With patience and diligence, you can make a full recovery from the Link Spam update and bolster your website’s quality long after the initial traffic slump.
Tools for analyzing your backlinks
To get a better understanding of your website’s links, you can use tools like Ahrefs or Moz. These tools allow you to analyze the backlinks coming to your site and where the issue might lie. The next step is to build a disavow file with the low-quality links discovered in this process and submit the file to Google’s disavow tool.
How do I use the Google Disavow tool?
The Google Disavow tool is a feature of Google Search Console that lets you revise or disavow links from other websites that are pointing to yours. The goal of this feature is to help you disassociate toxic, spammy links to your website to avoid being penalized by Google. To use it, create a text file with URLs for each suspicious link you want to remove, then upload it into the Disavow Tool in Google Search Console. It’s essential to be thorough when creating the list – if any bad links are missed, they could still lower your site’s SEO rankings and cause damage in the future. Additionally, make sure to save your disavow file in a place where you can find it. You will need to append this file in the future with new toxic backlinks periodically. Apex Visibility recommends performing a backlink audit and to disavow bad links every six months.
In Summary
By following these steps and creating content that has value, websites can make a full recovery from the Link Spam update while also boosting their SEO rankings in the long run. Although this algorithm change can be difficult for some sites to adjust to, taking proactive measures now can help protect against further damage from similar updates in the future.
Apex Visibility offers a free website analysis prepared by an SEO expert that includes a backlink audit.
Get your free analysis here.
