Sales Loves Marketing

What is Unnatural link?

An unnatural link is a link created mainly to manipulate a site's search rankings rather than because someone chose to recommend the page, such as a paid link that passes ranking credit or a link from a link scheme. Google treats unnatural links as link spam and can demote sites that use them or apply a manual action.

By Sales Loves Marketing teamOriginally written by Joran HofmanUpdated

An unnatural link is a link that exists to push a page up in search results, not because the linking site chose to recommend it. Paid links that pass ranking credit, link swaps and links from networks built for the purpose are the usual examples. Google calls this link spam and acts against it.

Google's spam policies list these as link spam:

  • Buying or selling links for ranking purposes, whether for money, goods, services or a free product in return for a review with a link.
  • Excessive link exchanges ("link to me and I'll link to you") and partner pages that exist only to cross-link.
  • Automated link building with programs or services.
  • Advertorials and native ads with links that pass ranking credit, and links with optimized anchor text in guest posts or press releases on other sites.
  • Low-quality directory or bookmark links.
  • Keyword-rich or hidden links in widgets spread across many sites.
  • Sitewide links in footers or templates of many different sites.
  • Forum comments and signatures stuffed with optimized links.
  • Low-value content created mainly to place links, which includes private blog networks.

Google detects spam through automated systems and, where needed, human review. Sites that break the policies may rank lower or drop out of results. If a reviewer is involved, the site gets a manual action in Search Console, either for unnatural links to the site or for unnatural links from it.

Yes, if you label them. Google accepts that buying links is a normal part of advertising and sponsorship. Add rel="sponsored" to paid links (or rel="nofollow"), and rel="ugc" to links in comments and forum posts. Links with these attributes generally don't pass ranking credit, so they don't break the policy.

  1. Export your links from Search Console's Links report. You can add data from third-party backlink tools such as Ahrefs or Semrush.
  2. Start with recent links and the sites that link most, as Google suggests.
  3. Review them by hand against the examples above. Look for patterns: paid placements, identical anchor text, unrelated sites, networks of similar blogs.
  4. Ask for removal, or ask the site owner to add nofollow or sponsored.
  5. Disavow only if needed. Google says most sites don't need the disavow tool. Use it when you have many spammy links that caused, or are likely to cause, a manual action and you couldn't get them removed.
  6. If you have a manual action, fix what you can, then request a review in Search Console with notes on what you removed.

An example

A software company paid several blogs to publish "reviews" with a followed link using the exact anchor "best project management software". Months later it receives an "Unnatural links to your site" manual action. The team asks the blogs to remove the links or mark them sponsored, disavows the few it can't get changed, and files a reconsideration request listing every step.

Frequently asked questions

What counts as an unnatural link?

Google's spam policies list examples such as buying or selling links that pass ranking credit, excessive link exchanges, automated link building, paid advertorials with followed links, keyword-rich links in widgets, sitewide footer links across many sites, low-quality directory links and forum signatures stuffed with keywords.

Are paid links always unnatural?

No. Google says buying and selling links is a normal part of advertising and sponsorship, as long as the links carry rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow" so they don't pass ranking credit.

Do I need to disavow unnatural links?

Usually not. Google says most sites will not need the disavow tool because it can judge which links to trust. Use it only if you have many spammy or artificial links that caused, or are likely to cause, a manual action, and try to have them removed first.