Definition of Negative SEO

Negative SEO refers to the practice of using unethical and harmful tactics with the intent of harming the search engine rankings of a competitor’s website. This can involve a variety of malicious activities aimed at manipulating search engine algorithms and undermining the targeted site’s online visibility. Negative SEO tactics may include creating and distributing spammy backlinks, engaging in content scraping or duplication, hacking into a website to make detrimental changes, or even launching distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. The goal of negative SEO is to cause a decline in the targeted site’s search engine rankings, leading to potential penalties from search engines. Webmasters and site owners often need to actively monitor and defend against negative SEO attempts to protect their online reputation and maintain a strong presence in search engine results.