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The world of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is full of many terms and indicators which can sometimes be confusing for beginners and sometimes even for experienced professionals. One of these terms is “spam score”. Here’s how.
Spam score definition
This is an indicator developed mainly by Moz, a company specializing in SEO tools. It aims to predict the likelihood of a site being penalized or banned from Google search results due to questionable SEO practices.
How is the spam score calculated?
The score is based on a series of 17 indicators (or “flags”) that Moz has identified as being commonly associated with penalized or banned websites. If a site has any of these flags, its score increases. The more flags a site has, the higher its score.
Some examples of indicators :
- The low number of pages on a site
- Lack of contact data
- Excessive keyword stuffing
- A large number of low-quality external links.
Why is it important to monitor this indicator?
A high spam score is not necessarily synonymous with sanctions by search engines. However, it is a useful indicator for identifying potential problems that could jeopardize a site’s visibility.
What’s more, if you’re considering getting backlinks from a site, it’s a good idea to check its SEO indicators. On the other hand, a link from a site with a high spam score can potentially harm your own SEO.
How to reduce a high spam score
If you discover that your site has a high spam score, it’s important to take steps to improve it:
- Analyze the indicators: identify the reasons why your site has been tagged.
- Improve your content: make sure your content is original, relevant and not over-optimized (blackhat SEO).
- Review your backlinks: remove or disavow low-quality links pointing to your site.
- Update your contact information: make sure your contact information is clear, visible, accessible and up-to-date.
- Avoid dubious SEO practices: stay up to date with Google’s guidelines and avoid “Black Hat” techniques.
The spam score is a very useful tool for assessing the quality of a site from an SEO point of view. Although it is not the only indicator to be taken into account, it is often included in SEO audits. In fact, it can help identify potential areas for improvement, and thus avoid certain search engine penalties.
Monitoring and working to reduce your spam score is essential to preserving the SEO health of your site.
