Negative SEO protection
Think you're under a negative SEO attack?
We find out what's really happening, clean up anything that's hurting you, and set up monitoring. We don't sell negative SEO, and we'll tell you honestly if the drop has another cause.
- Root-cause investigation
- Link clean-up
- Content and review action
- Ongoing monitoring
- Spam link spike checked
- Scraped copies found
- Fake reviews reported
- Security issues cleared
- Monitoring switched on
Free, no obligation
Get a free Negative SEO Protection & Recovery plan
A senior strategist reviews your website, Google profile and ads, then sends you a written plan within two business days. It's yours to keep, whether you hire us or not.
Platforms we work in every day
- Google Ads
- Google Business Profile
- Search Console
- GA4
- Meta Ads
- Microsoft Ads
- Shopify
- WordPress
Sound familiar?
Why your Negative SEO Protection & Recovery isn't working
Sudden ranking drop
Traffic fell overnight and you don't know if it was an attack, an update or something on your own site.
Thousands of spam links
Toxic-looking backlinks from casinos, adult sites or foreign directories appeared out of nowhere.
Content copied elsewhere
Scraper sites republish your pages, sometimes ranking above you.
Fake reviews or reports
A wave of one-star reviews or false spam reports against your Google profile.
What we do about it
Negative SEO Protection & Recovery built around paying customers
Root-cause investigation
We check Search Console, backlinks, server logs and update timing to find the real cause.
Link clean-up
Spam links reviewed, and a disavow file used only where it's genuinely needed.
Content and review action
DMCA takedowns for scraped content, and policy reports for fake reviews.
Ongoing monitoring
Alerts for sudden link spikes, indexing changes and security issues.
What is negative SEO?
Negative SEO means deliberate attempts to hurt a competitor's search rankings. Common negative SEO techniques include pointing thousands of spam backlinks at a site, copying its content across many sites, sending fake reviews, filing false reports, or trying to hack the site to add spam or noindex tags.
Does negative SEO work? Much less often than people fear. Google has said its systems ignore most spam links. In practice, the more dangerous attacks are the ones that touch your site itself, like hacks, or your Google Business Profile, like fake reviews and edits.
Is it negative SEO, or something else?
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Drop on the same day as a Google update | Algorithm update | Google Search Status Dashboard and your content quality |
| Pages suddenly deindexed | Noindex tag, robots.txt or a hack | Search Console page indexing and security issues |
| Spike in spam backlinks | Possible attack, often harmless | Whether rankings actually moved |
| Your content on other sites | Scraping | Which version Google ranks |
| Wave of one-star reviews | Review attack | Review dates, profiles and patterns |
Most traffic drops we investigate turn out to be updates, technical changes or lost redirects. We'll tell you which, and fix that instead. See technical SEO.
How to protect your website from negative SEO
- Watch Search Console for manual actions, security issues and indexing changes
- Keep your CMS, plugins and passwords up to date, with two-factor login
- Track new backlinks monthly so you spot unusual spikes early
- Set up Google Alerts for your brand and key content
- Reply to and report fake reviews quickly
- Keep a clean link profile yourself, see our link building approach
The outcome
From first click to paying customer
Found
Google, Maps, AI, Meta
Clicked
Right person, right offer
Lead
Call, form or booking
Customer
Tracked to revenue
AI Overview
Top-rated option nearby is Your Business, known for same-day service and 200+ five-star reviews…
Your Business
4.9 (212)
Competitor A
4.3 (61)
Competitor B
4.1 (38)
Usually ignored
Google says its systems are designed to ignore most spammy links, so many 'attacks' do no harm, but some situations do need action.
Source: Google Search Central: link spamWhy choose DigiEthic
Built to fix what agencies get wrong.
Every point below answers a real complaint business owners have about marketing agencies, from industry research, ombudsman reports and public reviews.
Senior-led, not junior-run
The strategist you meet on your first call is the one who runs your account. No handoff to an intern after the sales call.
SEO, AI search & ads under one roof
Google, Maps, AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Google Ads and Meta, one team, one strategy, one report. No finger-pointing between agencies.
Flat fees, no hidden extras
One clear monthly price. Reporting and dashboards are included, never billed as add-ons, never a cut of your ad spend.
Your accounts, your data
Ad accounts, Google Business Profile, website, content and tracking stay in your name. Leave any time and take everything.
Tracked to revenue
We fix tracking before we spend. Calls, forms, bookings and sales are measured so you see cost per customer, not just clicks.
You'll always know what we did
Weekly update, monthly plain-English report, live dashboard, and replies within one business day.
Side by side
DigiEthic vs. a typical agency
| Feature | Typical agency | DigiEthic |
|---|---|---|
| Contract | 6–12 month lock-in | Month-to-month |
| Who runs your account | Junior after the sale | Senior strategist |
| Pricing | % of ad spend + add-ons | Flat fee, all-inclusive |
| Account ownership | Agency-owned | 100% yours |
| Reporting | Clicks, impressions, rankings | Leads, sales, cost per customer |
| AI search (Overviews, ChatGPT) | Not covered | Included in SEO |
| Plan before you pay | Vague proposal | Written 90-day plan |
How it works
From first call to more customers in four steps
Strategy consultation
A 30-minute call to understand your goals, review your accounts and spot where you're losing money and leads.
Fix the foundations
Tracking, wasted spend, technical issues and landing pages. Quick wins first.
Launch & test
New campaigns, content and creative, tested every week against what each customer costs you.
Scale what works
Move budget to proven winners and report the results in plain English, every month.
Free guides
Guides from our team
Zero risk to talk
Working with us is easy to start and easy to stop.
- Month-to-monthStay because it's working, not because a contract says so.
- You own everythingAd accounts, website, content and data stay in your name.
- Reports in leads and salesA live dashboard, plus a monthly note written by a person.
- Free plan firstSee our 90-day plan before you pay anything. Keep it either way.
Questions
Straight answers
What is a negative SEO attack?
It's a deliberate attempt to lower a site's rankings, usually with spam backlinks, scraped content, fake reviews or hacking. Most link-based attacks are ignored by Google, but hacks and review attacks need fast action.
How do I know if I'm a victim of negative SEO?
Look for a sudden spike in spammy backlinks, copies of your content elsewhere, a burst of fake reviews or security warnings in Search Console. Then check whether rankings actually dropped at the same time. If they didn't, the attack probably isn't working.
How do I report negative SEO?
Report spam sites and scraped content through Google's spam report and DMCA forms, report fake reviews from your Google Business Profile, and contact your host if your site was hacked. We handle these reports for you.
Should I disavow spam links?
Only when there's a real problem, such as a manual action or clear evidence that links are hurting you. Disavowing good links by mistake can do more harm than the spam itself.
Do you offer negative SEO services against competitors?
No. Attacking other sites is unethical and against Google's guidelines. We only protect sites and help them recover.
Is negative SEO illegal?
Some tactics can be, like hacking, fake reviews and copyright infringement, depending on where you are. Others, like buying spam links, mainly break search engine rules. Speak to a lawyer if you want to take legal action.
Book a consultation
Let's talk about growing your business.
Book a free 30-minute strategy call with a senior strategist. On the call, we'll cover:
- Your goals, budget and what's working today
- Where your marketing budget is being wasted
- The fastest ways to get more leads from what you already spend
- What a realistic 90-day plan looks like, with no pressure to sign