Glossary
SEO spam
SEO spam is unauthorised content or links injected into a website so that attackers can rank and monetise pages on someone else's domain.
Updated 2 Sept 2026
In detail
SEO spam (also called spamdexing, or a pharma/keyword hack after its most common payloads) is the result of a site compromise rather than a ranking mistake. Once an attacker has write access they publish keyword-stuffed pages, inject outbound links into shared templates, or redirect organic search traffic to an affiliate destination. Because the payload is usually cloaked, owners often learn about it from Google Search Console, a hosting abuse notice or a browser warning rather than from their own pages.
Why it matters
The injected pages inherit the host domain's existing trust, so they can rank quickly — and the same trust is what gets damaged. Google can apply a manual action for pure spam or hacked content, which removes affected URLs from results until the site is cleaned and a reconsideration request is accepted. Recovery is measured in weeks, and rankings for the site's own pages fall in the meantime.
Examples
- Japanese-language pharmacy and counterfeit-goods pages appearing under a legitimate business domain (the Japanese keyword hack).
- Hidden anchor links added to a WordPress footer template, pointing at unrelated gambling or loan sites.
- A 302 redirect that fires only when the referrer is a Google search result, sending visitors to an affiliate offer.