This document discusses various types of web spam and poor search quality, including thin automated content, keyword stuffing, and link schemes. It provides guidance on determining the impact of issues, such as whether technical problems or algorithmic filters are affecting traffic and rankings. The document offers tips for addressing problems, such as conducting link audits to identify and remove problematic links in stages while documenting progress.

2. Search Quality & Web Spam
Series of various algorithms and iterations.

3. Index Bloating
• Thin, automated, repetitive content pages
• Indexable search results and tags
• „SEO‟ keyword pages
Reference:
googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com.au/2011/05/more-guidance-on-
building-high-quality.html

4. Poor UX
• Ad placement
• Navigation, Design & Layout
Reference:
http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/page-
layout-algorithm-improvement.html

5. Over-Optimisation
• Inbound Links: Anchor Text
• On-Page Tricks
• Keyword Stuffing
Reference:
support.google.com/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=35769

6. Link Schemes
• Automated
• Blog Networks
• Spam
• Mass-Scale „Clever‟ Tactics
Reference:
seomoz.org/ugc/why-link-schemes-fail

7. Penalty.
What to do?
- Technical Problems.
- Algorithmic Filters.
- Manual Action.
- Actual Penalties.

8. Traffic /
Rankings
Affected
No Yes
Link WarningNo
Yes
Technical Audit
Technical Issues?No Yes
Fix
Preventative
Link Audit
SitewideNo Yes
Selective
Link Audit
De-indexed YesNo
Link Removal
Determine Affected
Pages & Keywords
Reconsideration RequestDisavow

9. Helpful Tips.
And time savers.

10. Inbound links with rel=“nofollow”
Not part of Google‟s link graph.
Can‟t help. Can‟t harm. Period.

11. Links from de-indexed networks
No longer have the capacity to harm you
Can harm if re-included, which is unlikely.

12. Google Webmaster Tools
It‟s enough to clean links exported from GWT
No need to pay for additional tools. Nice!

13. Don‟t remove all your links
Identify bad links and remove in stages.
Document and communicate frequently.