Google wants to provide the most relevant and useful search results to their users. As a result, they actively fight spammy websites to ensure they cannot manipulate search rankings and are automatically demoted where possible.
However, many innocent webmasters are unaware that their websites contain elements that Google could consider spammy. It is important to know how Google views spam sites to ensure your site always follows the Google Webmaster Guidelines.
How Google Fights Spam Sites
Google is continually fighting spammy websites with its algorithm and manual review. Sites found to contain spammy content or other types of spam can be hit with an algorithm update, like Penguin or Panda, or they can be reviewed manually and given a penalty.
Is Your Site Spammy?
In their Webmaster Guidelines, Google makes it very clear what type of on-site elements could be considered spammy. They have even drawn up this list of spam types they detect and take action on:
If you can identify a spam type currently part of your website, you should be taking action now to clean it up. Cleaning up your site could boost your rankings and traffic. Read: What to Do After Manual Penalty. If you haven’t been hit yet, you could save time, energy and possibly money by acting now and safeguarding your site against future penalties.
