Main competitor has thousands of bad backlinks

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BritishMike
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I keep hearing that backlink building is dead, but one of my main competitors for a niche site has 25,000 links and is ranking at number 1 for a competitive niche keyword because of this.

It's totally unnatural too. I have around 50 naturally manually built back links and I'm adding fresh content articles every 2 days. Their links are from a load of crappy websites all over the world. They also did it all in one go - one day, thousands of links popped up.

Any idea how I compete with this?
#backlinks #bad #competitor #main #thousands
  • Profile picture of the author MikeFriedman
    MikeFriedman
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    Just because you are building links manually, does not necessarily make them any better. Unless they are being built on Google platforms, Google has no way to know if they were built manually or through automation.

    If your competitor is really building spammy links, just wait it out. It will catch up to them eventually. You can file a spam report with Google too if you want, but I doubt they read many of those.
  • Profile picture of the author mkv23
    mkv23
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    Yes, many websites with lots of spam backlinks are still performing well. May be they have some of the Very Good backlinks too.

    Adding fresh content doesn't increase website weight. G sees each page as an individual, so you need to get backlinks to added articles too, to make them perform well.
    • Profile picture of the author paulgl
      paulgl
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      How many spammy backlinks do you think these sites have?

      amazon, ebay, wikipedia, craigslist,...you could add lots more...

      Total of what you perceive to be spammy links has nothing to do
      with anything.

      People want to put google into some micro-box. It does not work
      that way. Google does not work on negative SERPs. It does not
      pick a winner by choosing the least bad loser.

      Paul
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      If you were disappointed in your results today, lower your standards tomorrow.

    • Profile picture of the author krswlr
      krswlr
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      Just keep building and maintain a good backlink profile. My competitors has about 500k links from 4k domains and ranking high for some good phrases. Seen a lots of spam under their hood and they're still ranking well.
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  • Profile picture of the author mizesean
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    • Profile picture of the author MikeFriedman
      MikeFriedman
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      Originally Posted by mizesean View Post

      I would want to have a little more detail before commenting - like how many pages of genuine, great content do you have on your site, how long have you been doing it, etc.

      BTW - if they did it in one day - my guess is they will go away in a day as well -

      Focus on the long term -

      but anyhow, that is generic -

      post how much content you have on your site, maybe even the link if you can and the keyword - I can give you some ideas -

      I'll hold this post open for 24 hours to keep an eye for your response -

      Sean

      The amount of content on the site has little to nothing to do with their rankings.
    • Profile picture of the author MallofStyle
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      • Profile picture of the author mizesean
        mizesean
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        Originally Posted by MallofStyle View Post

        I guess all webmasters have questions like this -

        - competitors having unnatual links
        - how long do I need to wait
        etc etc

        I have been working on my site for the past one and a half year. Since last 5 months, there has been regular content updates on my site in terms if new posts or new products.

        I have been building links genuinely. But yes, initially I did have some spammy links (which actually got me traffic a year back).
        Ever since I have been doing everything right and slow and naturally, the metrics has improved. More traffic, more impressions, more keywords and more sales. The site trust, citation and authority has also improved.

        However that 'more' still does not justify the time & effort I am putting in. What can i do to really get ranked higher and get more traffic ?
        My 2 cents: focus on the people and building a network of humans who WANT to read the content on your site. Write for a live audience, then let happen what will in the search engines.

        Instead of building for the search engines, build for a live audience.

        Sean
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        • Profile picture of the author yukon
          yukon
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          Originally Posted by mizesean View Post

          My 2 cents: focus on the people and building a network of humans who WANT to read the content on your site. Write for a live audience, then let happen what will in the search engines.

          Instead of building for the search engines, build for a live audience.

          Sean
          That's like mowing the yard at 3 AM, odds are it won't work out & you'll have to mow the whole yard again at daylight.

          If you care about ranking in the SERPs, do it right the first time instead of crossing your fingers hoping it works out.
      • Profile picture of the author danielcollins
        danielcollins
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        Originally Posted by MallofStyle View Post

        I guess all webmasters have questions like this -

        - competitors having unnatual links
        - how long do I need to wait
        etc etc

        I have been working on my site for the past one and a half year. Since last 5 months, there has been regular content updates on my site in terms if new posts or new products.

        I have been building links genuinely. But yes, initially I did have some spammy links (which actually got me traffic a year back).
        Ever since I have been doing everything right and slow and naturally, the metrics has improved. More traffic, more impressions, more keywords and more sales. The site trust, citation and authority has also improved.
        aim putting in. What can i do to really get ranked higher and get more traffic ?
        Are you using social media? Because google is giving more importance to social signals. If you are engaged with other users on social media platform and interact with them regularly, you will get more social signals. As much social sognals, you will get more traffic and good ranking position.
  • Profile picture of the author mizesean
    mizesean
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    Ok, I get the confusion here. Folks are so focused on serps and seo and links. But serps and links and seo and google don't BUY. Humans buy.

    The companies who are focusing on the humans with content the humans read - instead of the serps - are the ones getting traffic.

    A few examples:
    '
    sethgodin dot com
    huffingtonpost dot com
    forbes dot com
    inc dot com
    contentmarketinginstitute dot com
    perrymarshall dot com

    and on and on and on

    sure, they may do SOME link building

    but their FOCUS is quality content for the humans to read

    anyhow, I know that this message isn't popular here, I just jumped in here for fun, I saw the post, but I'm not gonna keep trying to convince . . . .

    I just see it a different way, I guess I'm just different in the way I see these things, and that's okay, I guess, we all build our businesses differently!!

    Cheers,

    Sean
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    • Profile picture of the author yukon
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      Originally Posted by mizesean View Post

      Ok, I get the confusion here. Folks are so focused on serps and seo and links. But serps and links and seo and google don't BUY. Humans buy.
      Your idea was to basically avoid SEO which is a waste of time If you expect to rank for a keyword.

      Nobody is saying to not have quality content/pages, that's needed for retaining traffic. The whole idea of ignoring SEO & at the same time expecting to rank is silly.
    • Profile picture of the author CharlesL
      CharlesL
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      Originally Posted by mizesean View Post

      Ok, I get the confusion here. Folks are so focused on serps and seo and links. But serps and links and seo and google don't BUY. Humans buy.
      But Google RANKS. And what Google ranks, people will read.

      You take a different approach, and that's fine, but ultimately ranking isn't about publishing the best content - it's about having the best links - and the two don't always go hand in hand.
  • Profile picture of the author mizesean
    mizesean
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    That's still not what I was saying, who knows, maybe I phrased it wrong, I've written maybe 30 emails today, coached for 2 hours, written several new pages on a site . . . so maybe typing too fast.

    My contention is that the #1 focus should be quality content promoted to interested individuals, any seo is behind the scenes, secondary, blah, blah, blah.

    Anyhow, no worries, I don't have a dog in the fight!!

    Take care,

    Sean
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  • Profile picture of the author mizesean
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    I guess I'm just more interested in the real people and the real traffic than I am the google rankings. But for those in the google rankings game, so be it!

    Anyhow, I guess we agree to disagree!!

    Take care,

    Sean
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    • Profile picture of the author yukon
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      Originally Posted by mizesean View Post

      I guess I'm just more interested in the real people and the real traffic than I am the google rankings. But for those in the google rankings game, so be it!

      Anyhow, I guess we agree to disagree!!

      Take care,

      Sean
      Looks like your trying to separate SEO from traffic when the whole point of SEO is to increase traffic.
    • Profile picture of the author MikeFriedman
      MikeFriedman
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      Originally Posted by mizesean View Post

      I guess I'm just more interested in the real people and the real traffic than I am the google rankings. But for those in the google rankings game, so be it!

      Anyhow, I guess we agree to disagree!!

      Take care,

      Sean
      Who do you think uses Google? Real people don't use search engines?

      Build and pray only works for an extremely small minority.
  • Profile picture of the author mizesean
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    yeah, I am really in a different boat than the seo'ers -

    I probably shouldn't have dipped my feet into this post

    yes, the whole point of seo is to increase traffic

    but my guess is that only about 1% of people who do seo actually get traffic

    the ones that DO are doing seo in CONJUNCTION with great content.

    I was simply trying to bring up the point that seo without great content is a losing battle, as so many folks are seeing now -

    Sean
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    • Profile picture of the author MikeFriedman
      MikeFriedman
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      Originally Posted by mizesean View Post

      yeah, I am really in a different boat than the seo'ers -

      I probably shouldn't have dipped my feet into this post

      yes, the whole point of seo is to increase traffic

      but my guess is that only about 1% of people who do seo actually get traffic

      the ones that DO are doing seo in CONJUNCTION with great content.

      I was simply trying to bring up the point that seo without great content is a losing battle, as so many folks are seeing now -

      Sean
      Not true at all. There is plenty of crappy contnet ranking really well.
  • Profile picture of the author mizesean
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    Ok, guys, I give up the fight -

    Sean
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  • Profile picture of the author BrianMI
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    The more I read about SEO in the new age post 2013 algo updates, the more I have this sneaky suspicion that Google has managed to get some type of quantum leap forward on identifying what really SHOULD rank for a keyword and what should not.

    I'm starting to believe that the engineers are laughing over there while reading through this forum and are talking to each other about how really far behind the 8-ball we are on this stuff. I wouldn't be surprised if things have evolved over there so much that google really "KNOWS" what people want. They KNOW if the content on your site rocks or if it doesn't, regardless of how many backlinks you have. They KNOW how if your backlink profile is fake or not.

    For example, on the last point, Google is tracking half the world now because so many people either use their browser or are signed in to gmail while going about their business. All of a sudden tons of backlinks point start showing up pointing back to your site, which SHOULD be a signal that it's great content. Of course, Google checks within himself and says, "Wait a minute...if this is so great how come none of the people I track all day are actually showing up on this page in any way-shape-or-form? Something fishy here."
    • Profile picture of the author GyuMan82
      GyuMan82
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      Originally Posted by BrianMI View Post

      The more I read about SEO in the new age post 2013 algo updates, the more I have this sneaky suspicion that Google has managed to get some type of quantum leap forward on identifying what really SHOULD rank for a keyword and what should not.

      I'm starting to believe that the engineers are laughing over there while reading through this forum and are talking to each other about how really far behind the 8-ball we are on this stuff. I wouldn't be surprised if things have evolved over there so much that google really "KNOWS" what people want. They KNOW if the content on your site rocks or if it doesn't, regardless of how many backlinks you have. They KNOW how if your backlink profile is fake or not.

      For example, on the last point, Google is tracking half the world now because so many people either use their browser or are signed in to gmail while going about their business. All of a sudden tons of backlinks point start showing up pointing back to your site, which SHOULD be a signal that it's great content. Of course, Google checks within himself and says, "Wait a minute...if this is so great how come none of the people I track all day are actually showing up on this page in any way-shape-or-form? Something fishy here."
      That's funny i have the exact opposite conclusion.

      The more I see these updates the less I believe Google engineers know what they are doing. lol
    • Profile picture of the author mizesean
      mizesean
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      Originally Posted by BrianMI View Post

      The more I read about SEO in the new age post 2013 algo updates, the more I have this sneaky suspicion that Google has managed to get some type of quantum leap forward on identifying what really SHOULD rank for a keyword and what should not.

      I'm starting to believe that the engineers are laughing over there while reading through this forum and are talking to each other about how really far behind the 8-ball we are on this stuff. I wouldn't be surprised if things have evolved over there so much that google really "KNOWS" what people want. They KNOW if the content on your site rocks or if it doesn't, regardless of how many backlinks you have. They KNOW how if your backlink profile is fake or not.

      For example, on the last point, Google is tracking half the world now because so many people either use their browser or are signed in to gmail while going about their business. All of a sudden tons of backlinks point start showing up pointing back to your site, which SHOULD be a signal that it's great content. Of course, Google checks within himself and says, "Wait a minute...if this is so great how come none of the people I track all day are actually showing up on this page in any way-shape-or-form? Something fishy here."
      I certainly agree with that last paragraph - google is looking for the best content, period, everything in the algorithm is simply their current attempt to discover that. The long term key to search engine success, I believe, is the very best content.
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  • Profile picture of the author affilorama-portal
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    There are a lot of factors why your competitor site has not been penalized by Google. Several important factors include website age, PR, onsite optimization status, and also reputation. You mentioned you found a lot of spammy links to it. However, since the sites have already built a lot of backlinks, it may also be possible that the site have more of good backlinks coming from high ranking sites. It depends on the ratio of its quality links VS unnatural links.

    So how can you compete with this kind of site? I suggest you focus on building more links for low competition keywords. Try to gather as much low competition keywords as possible then start building links to it.

    However, do not stop optimizing and building links for your high competition keywords. These still matter a lot since they can bring in a lot of traffic to your site. But just to make sure that you can get enough traffic and compete with other sites ranking for the main, high competing keywords, you need to target a lot of low competition kws. I hope that makes sense

    Since Google keyword tool is not around anymore, you may use other keyword research software like Affilorama Premium (which is powered by SEM Rush) to get more keyword suggestions.

    Good luck!
  • Profile picture of the author online only
    online only
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    I doubt the site has 25k backlinks, really...

    If you checked it through ahrefs, you need to check "referral domains". Many people mix that up.

    For example, one site has 300 links from referral domains, however the total amount of backlinks is "45,000". See, it might actually have legit links on 300 different domains, just some of the links are sitewide which are making this huge spike in the amount of backlinks.
  • Profile picture of the author Moneymaker2012
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    No one can get away with spammy backlinks, you keep building quality links and keep adding quality content to your site, It's just a matter of time google detects the links of that site.

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