SEO Myth or Reality: Toxic Backlinks [Part 2]

As I explained to you in a more general article on the netlinking, the backlinks are one of the main factors for obtaining good positioning on the results pages of different search engines. Many SEO experts or even specialized tools, such as Semrush, identify backlinks as toxiques.

But what does it really mean in Google's eyes?

Reminder of the usefulness of backlinks

Google considers external links, also called inbound links, like votes. These votes help to assess the popularity of your website, similar to MVP player selections in eSports. As your popularity increases, you rise in search rankings (SERPs). However, the search engine does not only take into account the popularity criterion. It also gives importance to the trustworthiness of the site providing the backlink. In theory, the more backlinks you accumulate, the more popular and authoritative your site becomes.

Let's tackle now the question of backlink toxicity, which is supposed to have detrimental effects on your SEO.

 

What is a toxic link?

Un toxic backlink is, by definition, an unnatural external link, in violation of Google guidelines. Unwanted links can result in penalties for your SEO, being referred to as spam links. Typically, a toxic link comes from a site known to practice link spam. Additionally, there are rumors that some sites may be labeled as link sellers according to Google. 

 

A little history to understand the name of toxic links

Let's dive a little into the history of Google with the introduction of “Google Penguin”, integrated into the algorithm in 2012. In times gone by, it was relatively easy to employ unscrupulous methods to achieve a higher position in search results. L'goal of Google Penguin was to sanction sites adopting these practices deemed unacceptable. The algorithm closely monitored netlinking and link exchange. It imposed sanctions in the event of suspected SEO fraud. QWhether proven or not, it led to a significant drop in the ranking. However, clever SEO strategists have found a solution by exploiting this situation.

What would happen if we sent toxic backlinks to our competitors?

Google has become aware of this problem and has allowed users to disavow external links identified as toxic. To find out how Google categorizes these links today, read this article to the end!

 

The criteria for a toxic backlink according to Semrush

Some tools can quickly identify these potentially harmful links through backlink audits. However, this method remains theoretical, because the tools can sometimes misinterpret the link profile. Here are some criteria used by these tools to detect a potentially toxic backlink:

  • Domain names : is this domain known for selling links, adding external links on each article…?
  • The nature of the site : if it's a forum, there is a greater chance that the link will be categorized as toxic because it has low impact.
  • Indexing of the site issuing the toxic backlink : is the site often removed from search engines?
  • Traffic and number of keywords.
  • Similar IP addresses : sites with the same IP address can come from PBN (Private Blog Network), that is to say blog networks which exchange links with each other.
  • Thematic proximity of the sending page to the receiving page François Bard's pictorial epiphany Does this site link to a site with the same theme or not? 
  • The location of the backlink on the page : a backlink often needs to be in the body text. However, it is possible to acquire in the comments. These have a high chance of being categorized as “spammy”.
  • Backlink anchoring : if a site returns too many hyperlinks with an exact anchor to the targeted query, the latter can be considered toxic.
  • The quality of the content of the page (spinning text, duplication, etc.).
  • The language of the site that provides you with the backlink : is the site in Romanian while yours is in French?
  • The anchor text must be in the semantic universe of the targeted site : it is better to avoid “click here” as well as images.
  • The number of external dofollow/nofollow links.

 

But in reality, is a backlink really toxic?

I suppose you understand that the term “toxic backlink” causes apprehension among SEOs, whether novices or experts.

However, are they really that harmful?

The answer is no. Although these tools classify them as toxic, they are not Google. In fact, they are only based on theoretical criteria (of course, tests have been carried out by these tools to best detect a toxic link).

You might object that I'm just another SEO consultant, and you'd be right. However, I will rely on a more credible source, namely John Mueller (in 2022 on Reddit), a Google employee. Selon's, Tools claiming to identify toxic links should be ignored, at least when it comes to backlink analysis. Indeed, Google does not have an internal concept of toxic links, nor a toxic domain for that matter.

Furthermore, he states that Google now ignores penalizing links. Thus, there is no no reason to worry about your SEO and “negative SEO”.

 

Little tips from experiences with “toxic” backlinks

If an SEO consultant talks to you about disavowing links considered toxic, I advise you to be very hesitant. Based on personal experiences, but also feedback from other friends in the field of natural referencing, there is a high probability that your site will lose positioning in the results pages..

 

 

 

Esteban Irschfeld, SEO Consultant at UX-Republic