SEO finding
Links were lost, come from risky sources, or lean on one anchor text
SEO Warning Severity: Medium
Part of the audit Backlinks. Finding id: seo.backlinkProfileRisks.
What it costs you
Links from other sites carry a large part of your ranking. Lost links take it away quietly.
What to do
Look at the source before you act.
What it checks
- New and lost links from other sites
- Links from risky websites
- Mix of link texts pointing to you
How to fix it
Ask for the lost link back
- Open [source url] and see whether the page still exists and whether the link is really gone.
- Open [target url]. If it answers with an error or a redirect, fix that first.
- Ask the site owner to put the link back.
How to check: Run this rule again after the next update of the backlink data.
Look at the source before you act
- Open [source url] and see what surrounds the link.
- Do nothing unless you know the link was bought or arranged.
- If it was, ask the site for removal. Use the search engine's disavow tool only when that fails.
How to check: Run this rule again after the next update of the backlink data.
Vary the anchor text of new links
- Read the anchor text. Your brand name or address needs no action.
- For a keyword phrase: when you ask for links, let the other site choose the words.
How to check: Run this rule again after the next update of the backlink data.
A real case
After The New York Times showed Google thousands of paid links pointing to J.C. Penney, the retailer fell from No. 1 to No. 68 for 'living room furniture' within two hours one evening in February 2011.
Thresholds
| Name | Default | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
lost_within_days | 30 | A lost link is reported when it was last seen at most this many days ago. |
max_anchor_share_pct | 30 | Largest share of referring domains, in percent, that may use the same anchor text. |
min_anchor_domains | 10 | An anchor text is checked only when at least this many domains use it. |
How to verify by hand
Open the source page and look for the link.
What this relies on
The backlink index is complete and current enough to trust first seen, last seen and the risk label.