Anthony Spam Link Attacks: What To Do When Someone Floods Your Site With Bad Links
First, do not panic. Google says its systems are built to ignore most spammy links, and a sudden flood of junk backlinks rarely tanks a real site on its own. What you should do is check three things in order: whether you have a manual action in Google Search Console, whether your traffic actually dropped, and whether the links look like a pattern you can document. Only then think about a disavow file.
I run a marketing agency, and I audit a lot of sites. When a client emails me "we got attacked, 4,000 new links overnight", the real answer is usually that the site is fine. Sometimes it is not. Here is how to tell which one you are in.
Key points
- Check Search Console's Manual Actions report first. No manual action means Google has not penalized you by hand.
- Compare your clicks before and after. If rankings and traffic held, the links are noise.
- Do not buy a "link removal service". You usually cannot get random spam sites to remove anything.
- The disavow tool is for specific cases, not a daily chore. Use it carefully, with a file you built yourself.
- Keep a log. Dates, screenshots and counts help if you ever need to explain what happened.
What A Spam Link Attack Looks Like
You open your backlink tool and see a spike. Hundreds or thousands of new links in days. Usually they share a few traits:
- Anchor text about gambling, pills, adult content, or random foreign languages
- Pages that are scraped junk, with no real content
- Links from domains you have never heard of, often new or hacked
- The same few anchors repeated over and over
- Sometimes your site appears in a list of "also visit" links on dozens of blog comment pages
Often this is not even aimed at you. Spam networks hit thousands of sites and your name is one of many. Sometimes it is a competitor or an ex employee. You mostly cannot tell, and it does not change what you do.
Step One: Check Search Console For Manual Actions
Open Google Search Console and go to Security and Manual Actions, then Manual actions. If it says no issues detected, Google has not applied a human issued penalty for unnatural links.
If there is an action, read it. It will say what is wrong and give you steps. A manual action about unnatural links to your site is a case where the disavow tool and a reconsideration request are on the table.
No action? That is the best news you will get today.
Step Two: Check Whether Anything Actually Dropped
Compare two windows in the Search Console performance report. Use the 28 days before the spike and the 28 days after. Look at clicks and impressions, and at your top pages and queries.
| What you see | What it likely means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Clicks and rankings flat | Spam is being ignored | Log it, keep working |
| A dip that began before the spike | A different cause, like content or technical | Look at the real problem |
| A drop right after the spike, no manual action | Possible, but unusual | Rule out other causes first, then consider disavow |
| Manual action for unnatural links | A penalty | Clean up and file a request |
People blame links for drops that are really seasonality, a competitor, a site change or a core update. Check the calendar first. Did you redesign last week? Change a plugin? Lose your hosting for a day?
Step Three: Look For Other Kinds Of Attack
Spam backlinks are the common one, but there are others, and they are easier to miss:
- Hacked content. Check Search Console's Security issues report. Search your site with
site:yourdomain.comand look for pharma, casino or other odd pages you did not make. - Fake reviews or review bombing. Not links, but often part of the same campaign. If this is happening, see How To Remove Bad Google Reviews.
- Scraped copies of your site on other domains.
- Fake profile edits. Check your Google Business Profile for suggested edits you did not approve.
If your site was hacked, fix that first. A hacked site hurts far more than spam links pointing at it.
When To Use The Disavow Tool
Google has a Disavow Links tool in Search Console. It tells Google to ignore specific links or whole domains when assessing your site. Google itself says most sites do not need it and that it is an advanced feature. It is for two situations:
- You have a manual action for unnatural links.
- You paid for links in the past, or had an agency do it, and you want to cancel those out.
It is not for "I saw some ugly domains in Ahrefs." Using it that way can backfire if you disavow good links.
If you decide to use it, here is the way I do it:
- Export your links from Search Console, which is Google's own data, and from a third party backlink tool.
- Look at them in a spreadsheet. Group by domain.
- Pick domains that are obviously spam, hacked or part of a link network.
- Write a plain text file. Use
domain:example.comto disavow a whole domain, or a full URL for one page. Add comments with#. - Upload it in the Disavow Links tool, for the correct property.
- Save the file and the date. Do not just overwrite it later. Add to it.
Nothing happens quickly. Google processes the file as it recrawls the links, which can take weeks.
What Not To Do
- Do not email every spam site asking for removal. Most are abandoned or automated.
- Do not pay a service to "clean your backlinks". Many sell a mass disavow and little else.
- Do not disavow your whole link profile out of fear. Your good links help you.
- Do not change your URLs or move your site to escape the links. That makes things worse.
- Do not ignore the real problem. If the spike came with a hack, deal with the hack.
Build A Paper Trail
Keep a simple log. A spreadsheet is fine.
| Date | What you saw | Source | What you did |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 30 | Spike of new referring domains | Search Console links report | Screenshots saved |
| May 1 | No manual action | Manual actions report | Noted |
| May 3 | Traffic flat vs prior month | Performance report | Noted |
| May 4 | Disavow file drafted for 40 domains | Spreadsheet | Waiting |
If a client, a boss or Google ever asks what happened, you have an answer in thirty seconds.
Make Your Site Hard To Hurt
A site with real content, real links from real businesses and a clean technical setup is hard to knock over with junk. The better defense is not a tool, it is a stronger profile. Earn links from local organizations, suppliers and partners. Publish pages that deserve to be found. Our guide on getting every page indexed covers the technical basics that keep your pages healthy.
If you run a local business and want a second set of eyes, book a strategy call. I will look at your Search Console and tell you whether the links matter.
Questions
Can spam backlinks hurt my rankings?
Google says it works to ignore spammy links, and most sites see no effect. A real problem is possible if you have a manual action or if the spam comes with a hack. Check Search Console before assuming the links are the cause.
Should I disavow every bad link I find?
No. Google describes the disavow tool as an advanced feature for specific situations, like a manual action or links you paid for. Disavowing without a reason risks cutting off links that help you.
How do I know if I have a manual action?
Open Google Search Console, go to Security and Manual Actions, and select Manual actions. If it says no issues detected, you do not have one. If you do, it will describe the problem and how to request a review.
How long does it take for Google to process a disavow file?
It is not instant. Google applies the file as it recrawls the linked pages, which can take weeks. Do not expect a quick change, and do not keep re-uploading it.