How to prevent SEO spam and protect your website

Ours web support service in Barcelona, we are receiving many incidents of websites infected with malicious code that has been injected into their website. In this article we are going to explain how they inject malicious code into your website and what ways you can avoid it.

This code is used to make spam-SEO, which is a technique of «Black Hat SEO«, and which is also used by some websites to improve their positioning in search engines in a misleading way. It is often used to generate unwanted traffic and/or to generate revenue through unsolicited advertising. Although it may be effective in the short term, the use of spam-SEO can have serious long-term consequences for a website's reputation and performance.

How can you protect your website from malicious code?

There are several ways that attackers can inject malicious code on a website to spam-SEO. Some of the most common ways include:

1. 1. Exploitation of vulnerabilities:

Attackers look for vulnerabilities in a website's system or plugins and exploit them to inject malicious code. This can include SQL injection attacks or vulnerabilities in a website's scripts.

1. 2. Phishing:

Attackers can send fraudulent emails to website administrators that trick them into providing login information or installing malware.

1. 3. Brute force attacks:

Attackers use automated tools to guess administrator passwords and access a website.

1. 4. Malware Use:

Attackers can use malware to infect a computer and access a website through it.

Once attackers have injected malicious code into a website, they can use it to make spam-SEO, such as generating automated links, creating automated content or redirecting traffic to malicious websites. It is important to take security measures to protect your website from these attacks, such as keeping your systems and plugins up to date, using strong passwords, and using security software. If your website has been infected with malicious code, it is important to clean it as soon as possible to avoid damage to your reputation and performance.

How to detect if your website has malicious code and is doing SEO spam?

Some of the most common ways include:

1. Use malware scanning tools:

The tool Sucuri SiteCheck that allows you to scan your website for malware. You can access it through their websites and type your url.

2. Review the source code of your website:

You can access the source code of your website through the browser and look for suspicious code or malicious scripts.

3. Review access logs:

You can review your server access logs to look for suspicious activity, such as failed login attempts or automated redirects.

4. Use performance analysis tools:

Tools like Google Analytics help you detect a sudden increase in unwanted traffic or a decrease in site performance.

5. Use malware scanning tools:

Some of the malware scanning tools are VirusTotal and Malwarebytes.

Keep in mind that even if your website is not infected with malware, it may be being used to distribute malware to other websites. It is important that you regularly review your website and take steps to protect it from future attacks.

How can you protect your website from these deceptive tactics?

Here are some tips:

1. Use legitimate SEO techniques:

Make sure you follow search engine guidelines and use ethical SEO techniques. This includes creating quality content, optimizing your metadata, and building quality links.

2. Check your input links:

Use tools to review inbound links to your website and look for suspicious patterns. If you detect suspicious or irrelevant links, use Google's "disavow" option to disavow them.

3. Use Google Authentication:

Google Authentication allows you to verify your website and receive alerts of potential SEO-spam threats.

4. Use a security plugin:

Install a security plugin on your website to help detect and block automated attacks.

5. Be careful with ads:

Make sure you don't fall for ads that promise a sudden improvement in your website's ranking. It is better to invest in a long-term SEO strategy instead of falling for empty promises.

In addition to these tips, it is important for users to avoid clicking on suspicious links and ensure that they do not provide personal information to unknown or suspicious websites. It is also important to be aware of the latest tactics of spam-SEO and be prepared to react quickly if your website falls victim to an attack.

In summary, the spam-SEO It is a deceptive technique used by some websites to artificially improve their search engine rankings. Although they may be effective in the short term, using these tactics can have serious long-term consequences for a website's reputation and performance. It is important to take steps to prevent SEO spam, such as using legitimate SEO techniques, reviewing your inbound links, using Google authentication, using a security plugin, and being wary of misleading ads. It is equally important that users avoid clicking on suspicious links and ensure that they do not provide personal information to unknown or suspicious websites. With these tips, you can protect your website from scam tactics. spam-SEO and ensure good performance and reputation.