What Is Search Engine Spam? The Video Edition

Search engines tell marketers not to spam them. Many search marketers also advise newcomers not to spam. Spamming issues get debated online. But what is search engine spam? What’s it look like? How’s it smell? And why do search engines (not to mention users) hate it? At our recent SMX East search marketing conference, representatives from Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo tackled the topic. Below you can learn more about search spam, as well as reinclusion tips for each search engine.

I’ve divided the formal presentations into three parts posted via YouTube, so that you can watch what each particular search engine had to say. Below these is an “all-in-one” video where the presentations, as well as the long Q&A, all are part of the same video.

Search Engine Spam, Part 1: Overview: What search spam is, search engine guidelines against spam and specific reinclusion tips for Microsoft’s Live Search. Presented by Nathan Buggia of Live Search. Also see these resources:

• SMX East 2008: Webmaster Guidelines: October 2008 post from Live Search on spamming issues.
• I’m not ranking in Live Search, what can I do?: January 2008 post from Live Search on how to tell if a site is blocked for spamming. See also this help page.
• Live Search Webmaster Center: Tools and links to advice directly from Microsoft.

Search Engine Spam, Part 2: On-The-Page Issues: Overview of what “on page” spamming is, such as keyword stuffing, hidden text, and cloaking. It also offers specific reinclusion tips for Google. Presented by Aaron D’Souza of Google. Also see these resources:

• Requesting reconsideration of a site: Google’s help page on getting back in if you’ve been banned.
• Requesting reconsideration using Google Webmaster Tools: Google blog post and video on how to request reinclusion.
• Google Webmaster Central: Tools and links to advice directly from Google.

Search Engine Spam, Part 3: Link Spam & Paid Links: Overview of issues about link spam and paid links. It also offers specific reinclusion tips for Yahoo. Presented by Sean Suchter of Yahoo. See also:

• Yahoo! Search Content Quality Guidelines: What to do — and not to do — directly from Yahoo.
• Yahoo! Search URL Status Review Form: How to submit a review of a page you think might be mistakenly blocked.

SMX East 2008: What Is Spam: The “all-in-one” video of the session, including lengthy Q&A.

Also see past articles we’ve covered on the topic in our Google: SEO, Google: Webmaster Central, Microsoft: Live Search SEO, SEO: Spamming and Yahoo: SEO archives.

About The Author

Danny Sullivan

Danny Sullivan was a journalist and analyst who covered the digital and search marketing space from 1996 through 2017. He was also a cofounder of Third Door Media, which publishes Search Engine Land, Marketing Land, MarTech Today and produces the SMX: Search Marketing Expo and MarTech events. He retired from journalism and Third Door Media in June 2017. You can learn more about him on his personal site & blog He can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.