Problem · Links and reputation
We have toxic backlinks, or a negative SEO attack. Most spam is ignored. Some isn’t.
Thousands of spammy links appeared, or an audit flagged your profile as “toxic”. Google ignores most spam links, but a history of paid links or a manual action needs real cleanup.
Is this you?Signs we usually see
- A sudden spike in links from unrelated sites
- An audit tool shows a high “toxic” score
- You bought links in the past
- Rankings fell around the same time
01 / Quick checks
Three checks you can run today
Each takes minutes. Together they tell you whether this page is about your problem.
- Check Manual actionsSearch Console: is there an unnatural links action? If not, panic less.
- Export your linksSearch Console Links report plus one link tool. Sort by date.
- Look for patternsSame anchors, same networks, foreign-language spam.
Backlink risk evidence register
Start with any verified manual action and a sample of actual links before interpreting a third-party toxicity score.
| Situation to check | Proposed scope | Boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Check Manual actions | Search Console: is there an unnatural links action? If not, panic less. An unnatural-links action and ordinary unsolicited spam links call for different evidence and remediation. | A score from a link tool does not establish a Google penalty and does not justify blanket disavowal. |
| Export your links | Search Console Links report plus one link tool. Sort by date. | Keep an unchanged comparison sample so this check can distinguish the proposed cause from unrelated variation. |
| Spam links you didn’t build | Common, and usually ignored by Google. | Treat this as a hypothesis until the affected URL or account evidence supports it. |
| Ready to commission a fix | Retain original exports and the reason for each removal or disavow decision, with approval before submission. | [CONFIRM: access, scope, owner, fee and review date before work begins.] |
Backlink risk evidence register
Illustrative blank specification. This is a diagnostic structure, not a client result.
- Affected population
- Start with any verified manual action and a sample of actual links before interpreting a third-party toxicity score.
- Decisive observation
- An unnatural-links action and ordinary unsolicited spam links call for different evidence and remediation.
- Alternative explanation
- A score from a link tool does not establish a Google penalty and does not justify blanket disavowal.
- Acceptance evidence
- Retain original exports and the reason for each removal or disavow decision, with approval before submission.
- Supporting check
- Same anchors, same networks, foreign-language spam.
- Approval
- [CONFIRM: accountable owner and authorised next step.]
What the first handover should make clear
- Start with any verified manual action and a sample of actual links before interpreting a third-party toxicity score.
- An unnatural-links action and ordinary unsolicited spam links call for different evidence and remediation.
- Retain original exports and the reason for each removal or disavow decision, with approval before submission.
- The original observations, unresolved questions and any client access needed for the next scope.
02 / Likely causes
What usually causes it
In the order we usually check them. Most cases have more than one.
- Spam links you didn’t buildCommon, and usually ignored by Google.
- Old paid or exchanged linksA history of link schemes can still count against you.
- Over-optimised anchorsToo many exact-match anchors from low-quality sites.
- Hacked sites linking to youLinks inserted on compromised sites.
- A deliberate attackRare, but it happens, usually alongside other attacks.
03 / What we do
How we fix it
Four steps, in order. You see the evidence and the plan before anything changes on your site.
- Step 01AuditLinks classified by risk with evidence, not a tool score alone.
- Step 02DecideRemove, disavow or ignore, link by link or domain by domain.
- Step 03Clean upRemoval requests and a documented disavow file where needed.
- Step 04MonitorNew links watched monthly.
04 / Services
Services that fix it
Starting prices in USD. TopClick is not VAT-registered. Scope and price in writing before work starts.
TopClick is not VAT-registered
Link audit & penalty recovery ↗Toxic links, manual actions and negative-SEO attacks found and cleaned up.From $[X] /projectRequest
Guest posts ↗Articles on real sites in your niche, each with a link to the page that needs it.From $[X] /linkRequest
05 / Questions
Questions about this problem
01Should we disavow everything a tool calls toxic?
No. Disavowing good links can hurt. Google’s guidance is to disavow mainly when you have a manual action or know about paid links.
02Can a competitor really harm us with links?
It’s rare. Google says it is good at ignoring spam links. We check whether anything else explains the drop first.
03Where do we start?
With the free snapshot: we check your site for this problem, confirm the likely cause and send a written first scope with a price.
Start here
Check your site for this
- 1Send your site — we confirm the cause and where we would start
- 2We check search and AI visibility
- 3PDF by email: five website problems and AI visibility, within two business days of receiving your website URL
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