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Facing a similar issue. one of my website (https://couponspend.com/) was being managed by a developer. Recently, I decided to start operations at my end. Now, this website is showing a spam score of 66 with a lot of backlink count. We haven't even started activities. We were only working on Designing. But it is not showing any backlink data on testing with any tool. Any help will be appreciated.

A sudden increase in spam score from 1% to 31% overnight could be attributed to various factors, such as an

• Influx of spammy backlinks

• Content changes that mimic spam characteristics

• list itemA potential hacking incident leading to malicious content
  Conduct a thorough backlink analysis, review recent site changes, and perform security checks to identify and address the specific issues causing the spike in spam score.

Also if you want your whole website audit for free. You can visit at SBA Services one of the best Digital Marketing Agency and get your audit done to know what can you improve your site.
Thanks

Hi everyone, myself Emmanuel Katto from Uganda. I am also facing this error, can anyone help how to resolve this issue?

@rohit-c said in Spam Score Of Site Increased from 1 to 31% overnight:

Hello There,
Few days back, Spam Score of two of my sites drastically increased from 1% to 31% for one site and from 1% to 36% for another site overnight.
Here are the two websites

https://simpalm.com/
ducknowl.com

Site background for 2-3 months

ABC link exchange campaign was started for both the sites.
Links where built on high quality sites with DA40 above and most of them are Saas sites
No reciprocal link exchange was done
Same new pages are created on the site for on page SEO
Both the sites are hosted on GoDaddy

Can someone please tell me what is the reason of this Sudden increase in spam score of both the sites and at same time?

Hello,

There could be several reasons for the sudden spike in spam score. Here are some possibilities and factors to consider:

• Link Exchange Campaign: Even if links were built on high DA sites, it's essential to ensure that these links are contextually relevant and not seen as manipulative by search engines. Quantity, velocity, and quality all play a role. Rapid acquisition of a large number of links, even from high DA sites, can sometimes be flagged as suspicious.

• Quality of Sites: DA (Domain Authority) is just one metric. While DA40+ indicates some authority, it's not a guaranteed stamp of quality. Some high DA sites may still be flagged or penalized by search engines.

• New Pages for On-page SEO: Ensure that the content on these pages is unique, valuable, and not over-optimized. Sometimes, over-optimization or content that seems "spammy" can impact the overall spam score.

**

• Site Hosting:** Shared hosting environments, especially if overcrowded or containing other spammy websites, can sometimes impact a site's perceived trustworthiness. However, GoDaddy is a reputable host, so this is less likely, unless you're on a shared server with other problematic websites.

• Common Footprints*****: Since both sites experienced the increase simultaneously, you should look for common elements, tactics, or strategies employed across both sites. This includes identical backlink profiles, similar on-page SEO strategies, or shared server issues.

External Tools Accuracy: The tool you're using to measure the spam score might have updated its algorithm, leading to a change in score. It's essential to understand that the spam score is not a direct Google metric but often from third-party tools. These tools sometimes update their algorithms or might have false positives.

Technical Issues: Ensure that there are no technical problems like cloaking, hidden text, or malicious software unintentionally installed on your sites. Regularly monitor and scan your site for malware.

Manual or Algorithmic Penalties: Check Google Search Console for any manual actions. Also, keep in mind that Google and other search engines regularly update their algorithms, which could lead to sudden changes in perceived site quality.

Review Backlinks: Periodically review your backlink profile to ensure that you haven't become the target of negative SEO, where someone deliberately tries to harm your site's rankings by creating low-quality links to your site.

To get a clear picture:

• Review the new backlinks you've gained.

• Audit the new content/pages you've created.

• Check Google Search Console for any alerts or messages.

• Re-evaluate the link-building strategy to ensure it aligns with best practices.
  if you have still confusion then visit : https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mDl4DHCsautGDpVhZtUV8GXyli641MLK7bKvd6kBMb0/edit?usp=sharing

Hello,
Spam score is the ranking factor of MOZ. When you get links from a spammy websites than your websites spam score will increase. To decrease the spam score of your website you should identify the spammy links and disavow that links.

@rohit-c have you recently applied DMCA Protected integration. I went onto your site and I see you have DMCA. Clicking on that link shows your site is NOT VERIFIED. And this shows up as spam as content copyright is not accepted. This could be a possible overnight issue. There are other reasons but try the other's comments and this.

Spam score is the term of MOZ. When you get links from a high spam score websites than your website's spam score will increase. The best method to decrease the spam score of a website is that identify the spamy links and create a list than Disavow that links.

I recently faced the same issue one of a website ILT20 2024. I applied the same process mentioned above. It works for me

Here are some potential factors to consider:

Link Quality: Even though you mentioned that the links were built on high-quality sites, it's possible that Google's algorithm identified some of them as low-quality or spammy. It's crucial to ensure that the websites you're exchanging links with are reputable and relevant to your content.

Link Velocity: If a large number of links were built in a short period of time, this might raise red flags for search engines. A natural link-building pattern is usually gradual over time.

Algorithm Updates: Google frequently updates its search algorithms. An update might have caused a change in how it assesses link quality.

Content Quality: Ensure that the content on your websites is high-quality, relevant, and not stuffed with keywords. Low-quality content can negatively impact your site's credibility.

User Experience: Factors like site speed, mobile-friendliness, and overall user experience can influence how search engines view your site.

Hosting and Server Issues: While you mentioned both sites are hosted on GoDaddy, it's possible that server issues or downtime could affect your site's performance.

Negative SEO: In some cases, competitors or malicious actors may engage in negative SEO tactics to harm a website's rankings.

Disavow Links: If you believe that certain backlinks are causing the issue, you can consider using Google's disavow tool to tell Google to ignore those links.

Given the complexity of SEO, it's often a combination of factors that can lead to changes in spam score. To address this issue, you may want to:

Review and potentially disavow any low-quality or irrelevant backlinks.
Continue to focus on creating high-quality, valuable content.
Monitor the performance of your websites over time.
CEO - honorable dismissal

Spam Score is not a Google metric, and Google does not use it in its algorithm. However, it can be a useful tool for website owners to identify potential spam issues and take steps to fix them. Also it is possible for a website to have a high Spam Score and not be penalized by Google, or vice versa.

.
Possible Reasons

There are a few possible reasons for the sudden increase in spam scores of your two websites:

• Low-quality backlinks: The link exchange campaign you started may have resulted in backlinks from low-quality websites. These websites may be involved in spammy activities, which can hurt your own website's reputation.

• Link spam: It's also possible that your websites have been targeted by link spammers. These spammers may have created backlinks to your websites from irrelevant websites or websites that are known to be spammy.

• Content issues: It's also possible that there are content issues on your websites that are causing the spam scores to increase. These issues could include things like keyword stuffing, hidden text, or excessive self-promotion.

.
How to determine exact cause

To determine the exact cause of the increase in spam scores, you'll need to audit your websites and backlinks. You can use a tool like Google Search Console to identify any low-quality backlinks or link spam. You should also review your website content to make sure that it is high-quality and relevant to your target audience.

.
How to fix the issue

Once you have identified the cause of the increase in spam scores, you can take steps to fix the issue. If you find any low-quality backlinks, you can disavow them using Google Search Console. If there are content issues on your websites, you can fix them and then resubmit your websites to Google for reindexing.

.
Warm Regards
Rahul Gupta
Suvidit Academy
Digital Marketing Course and Training

Check the profiles of the recently added links. What are their Spam Scores? I believe you will find the answer.

Make a List of the websites with the highest spam scores, and then disavow them.

A sudden increase in spam score for two websites, especially after an ABC link exchange campaign, can be concerning and may indicate potential issues with the backlinks or other factors affecting the websites' credibility. Here are some possible reasons for the increase in spam score:
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Low-Quality Backlinks: Even if you mentioned that the links were built on high-quality sites with DA40 and above, it's possible that some of these sites have questionable link profiles themselves or may have become spammy over time. Check the quality of the backlinks closely to identify any potential issues.
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Unnatural Link Patterns: If search engines detect unnatural link patterns or a sudden influx of backlinks, it can raise red flags. Make sure the links acquired during the link exchange campaign appear natural and not manipulative.

Irrelevant or Unrelated Links: If the links obtained are not relevant to the content or industry of your websites, it can negatively impact your spam score. Ensure that the links you've acquired are contextually relevant to your websites.
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Algorithm Changes: Search engines like Google frequently update their algorithms. An algorithm update may have affected the way they evaluate and calculate spam scores, causing an increase in spam score for your websites.

Previous SEO Practices: If there were any questionable SEO practices or backlinks from spammy sources in the past, these could have caught up with your websites, even if you've improved your SEO efforts recently.

To address this issue and reduce the spam score:

Review Your Backlink Profile: Analyze the backlinks pointing to your websites, especially the ones acquired during the link exchange campaign. Identify and disavow any low-quality or irrelevant links.

Monitor Future Link Building: Be cautious about the links you acquire in the future. Ensure they come from reputable and relevant sources.

Improve Content Quality: Focus on creating high-quality, relevant, and valuable content on your websites to attract natural backlinks.

Regularly Audit Your Websites: Perform regular audits to ensure your websites comply with search engine guidelines and best practices.

Submit a Reconsideration Request: If you believe your websites have been wrongly flagged as spammy, you can submit a reconsideration request to search engines explaining the steps you've taken to rectify the issue.

It's essential to remember that addressing an increased spam score may take time, and it's crucial to follow ethical SEO practices to maintain a healthy online presence. Consider consulting with an SEO expert for a more in-depth analysis and tailored recommendations for your specific situation.

Hello,

The sudden increase in the Spam Score for both of your websites, is concerning. Several factors could contribute to this unexpected spike in the Spam Score despite your adherence to high-quality link-building and on-page SEO strategies. Potential reasons for the increase could range from algorithmic changes to potential issues with the linking websites or the hosting platform.

1. Algorithmic Changes:
Search engine algorithms are constantly evolving, and updates can sometimes impact Spam Scores. It's important to stay informed about recent algorithmic changes and their potential effects on website metrics.

2. Link Quality and Diversity:
Despite the high DA of the linking sites, the sudden influx of links from a specific type of site, such as SaaS sites, might trigger spam signals. Diversifying the types of linking sites and ensuring their reputability is key.

3. Link Velocity:
The rapid acquisition of backlinks within a short time can raise spam suspicions. A sudden link surge, even from high-quality sites, may be viewed suspiciously by search engines.

4. Hosting Platform Influence:
Being hosted on GoDaddy may inadvertently share server space with spammy or flagged sites, affecting your site's Spam Score. Consider exploring if any such associations exist.

5. Link Exchange Campaign:
Even if the link exchange was one-way (without reciprocity), the sheer volume and speed at which links were built might have triggered spam signals.

To address this issue, consider reviewing and diversifying your link-building strategy, evaluating the linking sites, and monitoring the hosting environment. Additionally, closely follow industry updates to adapt to any algorithmic changes that might affect your website's Spam Score.

Best regards.
Prateek Karnadhar
CEO
ClearHolidays