Skip to content
    Moz logo Menu open Menu close
    • Products
      • Moz Pro
      • Moz Pro Home
      • Moz Local
      • Moz Local Home
      • STAT
      • Moz API
      • Moz API Home
      • Compare SEO Products
      • Moz Data
    • Free SEO Tools
      • Domain Analysis
      • Keyword Explorer
      • Link Explorer
      • Competitive Research
      • MozBar
      • More Free SEO Tools
    • Learn SEO
      • Beginner's Guide to SEO
      • SEO Learning Center
      • Moz Academy
      • MozCon
      • Webinars, Whitepapers, & Guides
    • Blog
    • Why Moz
      • Digital Marketers
      • Agency Solutions
      • Enterprise Solutions
      • Small Business Solutions
      • The Moz Story
      • New Releases
    • Log in
    • Log out
    • Products
      • Moz Pro

        Your all-in-one suite of SEO essentials.

      • Moz Local

        Raise your local SEO visibility with complete local SEO management.

      • STAT

        SERP tracking and analytics for enterprise SEO experts.

      • Moz API

        Power your SEO with our index of over 44 trillion links.

      • Compare SEO Products

        See which Moz SEO solution best meets your business needs.

      • Moz Data

        Power your SEO strategy & AI models with custom data solutions.

      Track AI Overviews in Keyword Research
      Moz Pro

      Track AI Overviews in Keyword Research

      Try it free!
    • Free SEO Tools
      • Domain Analysis

        Get top competitive SEO metrics like DA, top pages and more.

      • Keyword Explorer

        Find traffic-driving keywords with our 1.25 billion+ keyword index.

      • Link Explorer

        Explore over 40 trillion links for powerful backlink data.

      • Competitive Research

        Uncover valuable insights on your organic search competitors.

      • MozBar

        See top SEO metrics for free as you browse the web.

      • More Free SEO Tools

        Explore all the free SEO tools Moz has to offer.

      NEW Keyword Suggestions by Topic
      Moz Pro

      NEW Keyword Suggestions by Topic

      Learn more
    • Learn SEO
      • Beginner's Guide to SEO

        The #1 most popular introduction to SEO, trusted by millions.

      • SEO Learning Center

        Broaden your knowledge with SEO resources for all skill levels.

      • On-Demand Webinars

        Learn modern SEO best practices from industry experts.

      • How-To Guides

        Step-by-step guides to search success from the authority on SEO.

      • Moz Academy

        Upskill and get certified with on-demand courses & certifications.

      • MozCon

        Save on Early Bird tickets and join us in London or New York City

      Unlock flexible pricing & new endpoints
      Moz API

      Unlock flexible pricing & new endpoints

      Find your plan
    • Blog
    • Why Moz
      • Digital Marketers

        Simplify SEO tasks to save time and grow your traffic.

      • Small Business Solutions

        Uncover insights to make smarter marketing decisions in less time.

      • Agency Solutions

        Earn & keep valuable clients with unparalleled data & insights.

      • Enterprise Solutions

        Gain a competitive edge in the ever-changing world of search.

      • The Moz Story

        Moz was the first & remains the most trusted SEO company.

      • New Releases

        Get the scoop on the latest and greatest from Moz.

      Surface actionable competitive intel
      New Feature

      Surface actionable competitive intel

      Learn More
    • Log in
      • Moz Pro
      • Moz Local
      • Moz Local Dashboard
      • Moz API
      • Moz API Dashboard
      • Moz Academy
    • Avatar
      • Moz Home
      • Notifications
      • Account & Billing
      • Manage Users
      • Community Profile
      • My Q&A
      • My Videos
      • Log Out

    The Moz Q&A Forum

    • Forum
    • Questions
    • Users
    • Ask the Community

    Welcome to the Q&A Forum

    Browse the forum for helpful insights and fresh discussions about all things SEO.

    1. Home
    2. SEO Tactics
    3. Link Building
    4. How to identify spammy website before making backlinks on them

    Moz Q&A is closed.

    After more than 13 years, and tens of thousands of questions, Moz Q&A closed on 12th December 2024. Whilst we’re not completely removing the content - many posts will still be possible to view - we have locked both new posts and new replies. More details here.

    How to identify spammy website before making backlinks on them

    Link Building
    4
    5
    1941
    Loading More Posts
    • Oldest to Newest
    • Newest to Oldest
    • Most Votes
    Reply
    • Reply as question
    Log in to reply
    This topic has been deleted. Only users with question management privileges can see it.
    • Shervin
      Shervin last edited by

      Hi, I search in google but didnt find a proper answer for this! maybe search an incorrect keyword!

      The question is, How can I find out a website that I'm going to make a backlink on is a spammy website?

      For example I did this guest bloging on this good website: Best Sure-Shot Organic Pest Control Approaches Every Gardener Should Know | Balcony Garden Web

      But it seems to be spammy because I use SEO POWERSUIT software that shows this backlink is 20% risk of google penalty!

      Is it right!? So how can we rest assured for making a quality backlink? I can not think any other way 😞

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • Andy.Drinkwater
        Andy.Drinkwater last edited by

        You can't use how a site looks or feels to you to get an indication of if it is safe or not...

        You need to be checking, aside from the MOZ spam score, through something like SEMrush, what their traffic is like. Have they had any penalties that might be affecting them?

        Use The Wayback Machine as well to check the history of the site. This can tell you if it was ever a site you would rather not be associated with or if it has been recently purchased because it has good history and links. Expired domains can surface very frequently and people will charge for gues blogging and lins etc.

        You should also check who else links to the site. Are there reputable sites that link to it for a good reason?

        Just a few more tips to keep an eye on.

        -Andy

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 3
        • Mustansar
          Mustansar last edited by

          Hi I would say to check few things if you're not sure is the site is spam or not. Mostly, the site impression, feel and looks say it as soon as you land on any site. However, there are possiblity you still remain unsure. I personally use the Google Chrome Plugin to see if the hostname are not suspicious or some wired name. I have MOZ bar plugin again to give domain overview, it also provide me DA and PA, which helps me to understand overall where is that domain stand.

          Off course, these all primary elements helps to determin the site we are going to post content or aiming to get back link is not going to harm us anyway.

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
          • JordanLowry
            JordanLowry last edited by

            Also check out the Moz trust ranking too so you can make quick judgement calls.

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
            • JordanLowry
              JordanLowry last edited by

              Use Moz's opensite explorer or the Moz tool bar to check the website's spam score quickly.

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
              • 1 / 1
              • First post
                Last post

              Got a burning SEO question?

              Subscribe to Moz Pro to gain full access to Q&A, answer questions, and ask your own.


              Start my free trial


              Browse Questions

              Explore more categories

              • Moz Tools

                Chat with the community about the Moz tools.

              • SEO Tactics

                Discuss the SEO process with fellow marketers

              • Community

                Discuss industry events, jobs, and news!

              • Digital Marketing

                Chat about tactics outside of SEO

              • Research & Trends

                Dive into research and trends in the search industry.

              • Support

                Connect on product support and feature requests.

              • See all categories

              Related Questions

              • Faizali.786

                How i can Reduce Spam score of my website

                link building spam score spam backlinks

                Hi everyone, I'm reaching out to the community for some advice on improving my website's spam score. I've been using the Moz Spam Score Checker and my website, sngplbill.pk, currently has a score of 7%. While this isn't exceptionally high, I'd like to take steps to bring it down as low as possible, ideally under 1%. One factor I've identified that might be contributing to this score is a number of backlinks pointing to my site has a much higher spam score (over 80%). (screenshot attached)sngplbillscore I'm wondering if the community has any recommendations for how to address this situation. Here are some specific questions I have: Does disavowing the backlinks from spamy site seem like the best course of action?
                Are there any other potential reasons why my website might have a spam score, even with these backlinks?
                What general strategies can I implement to improve my website's overall SEO health and reduce its spam score?
                Any insights or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

                Link Building | | Faizali.786
                0
              • mowafi

                How can i create backlinks from google redirect?

                backlinks link building domain authority

                I found some sites that make backlinks like this. How can I get it too?
                https://maps.google.com/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.ad/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.ae/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.af/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.ag/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.ai/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.al/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.am/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.co.ao/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.ar/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.as/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.at/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.au/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.az/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.ba/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.bd/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.be/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.bf/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.bg/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.bh/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.bi/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.bj/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.bn/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.bo/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.br/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.bs/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.bt/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.co.bw/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.by/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.bz/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.ca/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.cd/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.cf/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.cg/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.ch/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.ci/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.co.ck/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.cl/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.cm/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.cn/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.co/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.co.cr/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.cu/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.cv/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.cy/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.cz/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.de/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.dj/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.dk/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.dm/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.do/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.dz/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.ec/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.ee/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.eg/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.es/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.et/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.fi/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.fj/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.fm/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.fr/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.ga/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.ge/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.gg/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.gh/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.gi/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.gl/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.gm/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.gr/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.gt/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.gy/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.hk/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.hn/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.hr/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.ht/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.hu/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.co.id/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://toolbarqueries.google.de/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://toolbarqueries.google.de/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://toolbarqueries.google.de/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://toolbarqueries.google.de/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://toolbarqueries.google.de/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://www.youtube.com/redirect?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.de/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://clients1.google.co.uk/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.fr/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://clients1.google.it/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.ca/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.nl/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.ru/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://clients1.google.pl/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.cz/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://clients1.google.co.in/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.co.id/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.com.tw/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.co.th/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.com.mx/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://clients1.google.com.ua/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.com.ar/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://images.google.com/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.be/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.se/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://clients1.google.pt/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.ro/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.gr/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.hu/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://clients1.google.com.tr/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://clients1.google.at/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://images.google.com.co/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.ch/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://clients1.google.fi/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.dk/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://clients1.google.cl/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://images.google.com.pe/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://clients1.google.com.vn/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.com.sg/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.no/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://clients1.google.co.il/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.ie/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.co.kr/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com

                Link Building | | mowafi
                3
              • MultiAdE

                Footer backlink for/to Web Design Agency

                seo tactics backlinks link building seo seo expert

                I read some old (10+ years) information on whether footer backlinks from the websites that design agencies build are seen as spammy and potentially cause a negative effect. We have over 150 websites that we have built over the last few years, all with sitewide footer backlinks back to our homepage (designed and managed by COMPANY NAME). Semrush flags some of the links as potential spammy links. What are the current thoughts on this type of footer backlink? Are we better to have 1 dofollow backlink and the rest of the website nofollow from each domain?

                Link Building | | MultiAdE
                1
              • JIMBO16

                Back link from site with DA of 72 to a website domain. Clicking on the link redirects to our website not the attended one.

                Hi,
                I've ran a back link check and discovered a good back link to a site which then gets redirected back to my company's website. I have a feeling that an old SEO agency has purchased a small website which has a decent link back from a relevant organisation with a high Domain authority and then redirects the domain to our website to get the link juice. What are your thought on this? Is this really bad practise and possibly damaging? Thanks, Jim

                Link Building | | JIMBO16
                0
              • JamesG075

                Is there a difference between .com backlinks and .co.uk?

                (We are a UK based business) I am currently looking for sites for guest posting opportunities and I am not sure whether I should prioritize .co.uk sites or go for .com sites. Does it matter? Is more weight given to .co.uk sites if you are based in the UK?

                Link Building | | JamesG075
                0
              • faisalnlm

                Is there a relation between number of backlink and SERP?

                I want to calculate that how many backlinks i need, in order to get in higher SERPs? is there a way to calculate? One is obvious that check number of backlinks of websites that are ranking in top 5 positions. But i guess it is not true any more... So please help

                Link Building | | faisalnlm
                0
              • lnietob

                Where I can find a backlink community exchange?

                I know is difficult but it's worth to try. I am looking for a community eager to exchange links. I am in the venue rent for weeding and conferences in London   and I would be delighted to find other people to exchange the links. At the moment my page is PR4 I have seen communities for games where they exchange anything, why don't link exchange!!!!

                Link Building | | lnietob
                0
              • shaz_lhr

                Should we BackLink to Guest Post ?

                Hi, I have been actively doing guest blogging for last few weeks . But the page authority , moz Rank and moz Trust of my guest posts appear 0 as those posts have their own pages on blogs  with snippets of posts on home page.  I wanted to ask if i should backlink to my guest posts to increase the authority, mR and mT of pages. Those posts are already appearing as backlinks in webmaster tools but if i backlink to my posts to increase mR and mT, then will it also increase the juice passed by backlinks in those posts to landing pages on my site ? Thanks,

                Link Building | | shaz_lhr
                0

              Get started with Moz Pro!

              Unlock the power of advanced SEO tools and data-driven insights.

              Start my free trial
              Products
              • Moz Pro
              • Moz Local
              • Moz API
              • Moz Data
              • STAT
              • Product Updates
              Moz Solutions
              • SMB Solutions
              • Agency Solutions
              • Enterprise Solutions
              • Digital Marketers
              Free SEO Tools
              • Domain Authority Checker
              • Link Explorer
              • Keyword Explorer
              • Competitive Research
              • Brand Authority Checker
              • Local Citation Checker
              • MozBar Extension
              • MozCast
              Resources
              • Blog
              • SEO Learning Center
              • Help Hub
              • Beginner's Guide to SEO
              • How-to Guides
              • Moz Academy
              • API Docs
              About Moz
              • About
              • Team
              • Careers
              • Contact
              Why Moz
              • Case Studies
              • Testimonials
              Get Involved
              • Become an Affiliate
              • MozCon
              • Webinars
              • Practical Marketer Series
              • MozPod
              Connect with us

              Contact the Help team

              Join our newsletter
              Moz logo
              © 2021 - 2025 SEOMoz, Inc., a Ziff Davis company. All rights reserved. Moz is a registered trademark of SEOMoz, Inc.
              • Accessibility
              • Terms of Use
              • Privacy

              Looks like your connection to Moz was lost, please wait while we try to reconnect.