You may have the best website in the world, but if it’s full of spam, nobody is going to want to visit it. So, what exactly is spam? In the context of the internet, spam refers to any content that is irrelevant or abusive.
This can include things like pop-up ads, fake comments, and user-generated content that is intended to promote a product or service. Websites can also be flagged as spam if they contain links to malicious software or if they are designed to trick users into disclosing personal information.
If your website has been flagged as spam, there are a few things you can do to fix the problem. By taking some essential steps, you can help ensure that your website is safe and trustworthy.
In the following segments, we not only show how you can keep your website safe but also get back the trust of your client.
Why Does A Website Gets Flagged As Spam?
There are many reasons why a website might get flagged as spam. However, there are a few common reasons that tend to be the most likely culprits. Now, let’s take a look at some of the most common reasons for websites being flagged as spam, and what you can do to avoid having your own website marked as spam.
One of the most common reasons why websites get flagged as spam is because they are using too many keywords in their content. When search engines see a website that is using too many keywords, they will flag it as being spam.
This is because they want to ensure that users are only seeing relevant results when they perform a search. If you are using too many keywords on your website, it’s important to tone it down a bit so that you don’t get flagged as spam.
Another common reason why websites get flagged as spam is that they are using outdated or broken links. When search engines see these kinds of links, they will again flag the website as being spam.
This is because they want to ensure that users are only seeing relevant and up-to-date results. If you have any broken links on your website, it’s important to fix them as soon as possible.
Finally, another common reason why websites get flagged as spam is that they are engaging in activities that are often associated with spamming. This includes things like buying links, participating in link farms, and so forth.
If you are engaging in any of these activities, it’s important to stop as soon as possible. Not only will this help to avoid having your website flagged as spam, but it will also help to improve your overall website ranking.
What To If Your Website Is Flagged As Spam??
If you believe your website has been incorrectly flagged as spam, there are a few things you can do to try and rectify the situation.
First, check to see if there is a message in your Google Webmaster Tools account. If so, Google will usually provide some information about why your site was flagged and what you can do to fix it.
If you don’t see a message in Webmaster Tools, try searching Google for your site’s URL. If you see a message that says “This site may be hacked,” it’s likely that your site was flagged because of malicious content. You’ll need to clean up your site and remove any malicious code before submitting a reconsideration request.
If you don’t see any messages in Webmaster Tools or next to your site’s listing in Google, it’s still possible that your site was flagged as spam. In this case, you can submit a reconsideration request directly to Google. Include as much detail as possible about why you believe your site does not violate Google’s guidelines and be sure to include a link to your site’s sitemap.
If your website is still flagged as spam after following these steps, it’s likely that there is something on your site that is in violation of Google’s guidelines. In this case, you’ll need to take some time to review your site and make sure that all of your content is in line with Google’s policies. Once you’ve made the necessary changes, you can submit another reconsideration request.
If your site is still flagged as spam after multiple reconsideration requests, it’s possible that your site is permanently banned from Google. In this case, you’ll need to build a new website from scratch and start from scratch with a new domain name and hosting account.
How Can You Keep Your Website Safe From Spam?
Spam is a constant threat to any website or blog. It can come in the form of comments on your posts, contact form submissions, or even fake registrations.
If left unchecked, spam can quickly take over your website and ruin your reputation. In this article, we’ll show you how to keep your website safe from spam with a few simple steps.
Step 1: Use a spam filter
The first step in keeping your website safe from spam is to use a spam filter. There are many different types of spam filters available, but we recommend using Akismet. It’s a free plugin that does an excellent job of stopping spam comments and contact form submissions.
Step 2: Moderate comments and contact form submissions
Another good way to keep your website safe from spam is to moderate all comments and contact form submissions. This means that you’ll need to manually approve each one before it’s published on your site.
While this does require some extra work, it’s the best way to ensure that only quality content is published on your site.
Step 3: Use CAPTCHA
CAPTCHA stands for “Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart.” It’s a system that’s designed to stop bots from spamming websites.
There are many different types of CAPTCHA, but we recommend using the reCAPTCHA system. It’s a free service that’s provided by Google.
Step 4: Keep your software up to date
One of the most important things you can do to keep your website safe from spam is to keep your software up to date. This includes your content management system (CMS), plugins, and themes.
New versions of the software are released regularly and often include security fixes that can help protect your site from spam. So, make sure you’re always running the latest version of everything.
Step-5: Use a security plugin
Another great way to keep your website safe from spam is to use a security plugin. There are many different security plugins available, but we recommend using Wordfence. It’s a free plugin that offers a variety of features that can help protect your site.
Step 6: Ban spammy IP addresses
If you’re constantly getting spam from a particular IP address, you can ban it from your site. This will prevent the IP address from being able to access your site.
There are many different ways to ban an IP address, but we recommend using a plugin like Wordfence. It will automatically ban IP addresses that are known to be used for spamming.
Step 7: Use a honeypot
A honeypot is a system that’s designed to trap spammers. It works by adding a hidden field to your forms that spammers will fill out. This allows you to easily identify and block them.
There are many different honeypot plugins available, but we recommend using the Honeypot for the WordPress plugin. It’s a free plugin that’s easy to use and comes with a variety of features.
Step 8: Block bad bots
Bad bots are computer programs that are designed to spam websites. They can be very difficult to stop, but there are some things you can do to reduce the amount of spam they’re able to generate.
One way to block bad bots is to use a plugin like Wordfence. It will automatically block known bad bots from accessing your site.
Step 9: Use a CDN
A CDN is a content delivery network. It’s a system of servers that are designed to deliver content to users faster.
Using a CDN can help reduce the amount of spam your site receives because it makes it more difficult for spammers to target your site. There are many different CDN providers, but we recommend using Cloudflare. It’s a free service that offers a variety of features that can help protect your site.
Step 10: Keep an eye on your logs
Your website’s log files can be a great way to track down and stop spammers. They contain information about every request that’s made to your site.
So, if you see something suspicious in your logs, you can take action to block it. There are many different ways to view and analyze your log files, but we recommend using a plugin like WP Logs Viewer. It’s a free plugin that makes it easy to view and analyze your log files.
What Are The Tools That Can Keep Your Website Spam-Free?
There are many tools that can keep your website spam-free. Here are some of the most popular ones:
reCAPTCHA
reCAPTCHA is a free service that helps protect your website from spam and abuse. It uses an advanced risk analysis engine and adaptive CAPTCHAs to keep automated software from engaging in abusive activities on your site.
Akismet
Akismet is a free service that helps keep your website spam-free by filtering comments and contact form submissions. It uses an advanced algorithm to detect and filter out spammy comments and submissions.
HubSpot
HubSpot’s Form Builder is a free tool that helps you build forms that are spam-free. It includes features like form field validation and CAPTCHA protection to help keep your forms spam-free.
Jetpack
Jetpack’s Protect Module is a free service that helps protect your website from spam and malicious attacks. It includes features like brute force protection and malware scanning to help keep your site safe.
SpamBurner
SpamBurner is a paid service that helps you keep your website spam-free. It uses a combination of blacklist checking, whitelist checking, and heuristic analysis to detect and filter out spammy comments and submissions.
SpamEater Pro
SpamEater Pro is a paid service that helps you keep your website spam-free. It uses a combination of blacklist checking, whitelist checking, and heuristic analysis to detect and filter out spammy comments and submissions.
SpamSentry
SpamSentry is a paid service that helps you keep your website spam-free. It uses a combination of blacklist checking, whitelist checking, and heuristic analysis to detect and filter out spammy comments and submissions.
Anti-Spam
Anti-Spam by CleanTalk is a paid service that helps you keep your website spam-free. It uses a combination of blacklist checking, whitelist checking, and heuristic analysis to detect and filter out spammy comments and submissions.
Spam Bully
Spam Bully is a paid service that helps you keep your website spam-free. It uses a combination of blacklist checking, whitelist checking, and heuristic analysis to detect and filter out spammy comments and submissions.
Defensio
Defensio is a paid service that helps you keep your website spam-free. It uses a combination of blacklist checking, whitelist checking, and heuristic analysis to detect and filter out spammy comments and submissions.
These are just some of the tools that can help you keep your website spam-free. Choose the ones that best fit your needs and budget.
Final Considerations
So, what can you do to keep your website safe from spam? The first step is to be vigilant about the content you post. Make sure that all of your content is original and high-quality. Avoid posting links to low-quality websites or using black hat SEO techniques.
You should also use anti-spam tools like SpamBurner to help protect your website from spammy links and comments. Finally, stay informed about the latest spam threats and take steps to protect your website against them.
