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SEO hacking: A lucrative business

SEO hackers boost Domain Rating from 0-80 in weeks: A look at the seedy side of link-building and reasons to stay away.

SEO hacking has become a lucrative business for certain actors who exploit vulnerabilities and questionable methods to manipulate SEO and quickly increase the Ahrefs Domain Rating (DR) of websites. They particularly exploit WordPress, Joomla and Drupal sites and this phenomenon has been around for many years. However, with rising link prices, the market for cheap alternatives has blossomed. This article will explore how SEO hackers manage to increase DR from 0 to 80 in a few weeks, why it's a bad idea to use these methods and advice to avoid buying these types of links.

SEO hackers use a variety of techniques to manipulate search engine algorithms and achieve quick results in the form of higher DR and rankings in search results. These methods include, but are not limited to:

  • Hacking websites and placing links without the owners' consent
  • Creating networks of low-quality and spammy websites to generate backlinks
  • Using automated bots to create fake user profiles and posts with links

These methods can deliver fast results, but they also have a number of drawbacks and potential consequences.

Example: DR of 80 and increased visibility in a few weeks

Here is an example of a site that uses seo hacks to achieve high DR using links placed without the website owner's consent. The site is called contadordepalavras.online and targets the Portuguese and Brazilian markets. 

If you have Ahrefs you can see the development and the details here

It works - but for how long?

You can see that they get some nice rankings and traffic, but probably this is short-sighted and they risk getting out of the index and being sued by the website owners. 

Google and Ahrefs are being cheated:

The below shows that both Google and Ahrefs are being cheated. Ahrefs assigns the site a high rating (UR and DR), which is Ahrefs' quality score. This score is often used by link brokers to justify a high link price. Google gives the site a good visibility. 

Good development in organic traffic:

Rankings in the top 10:

It all looks rosy, but it's short-lived and not without consequences.

Reasons to stay away from cheap/spam links

  1. Low quality backlinks: Links generated through SEO hacking are typically of poor quality and come from irrelevant or spammy websites. This can damage your website's reputation and SEO results, as Google and other search engines penalize websites that use such methods.
  2. Legal implications: SEO hacking can lead to legal issues as it involves accessing and modifying the content of other people's websites without their permission. This can lead to lawsuits and damage the company's reputation.
  3. Short-term success: While SEO hacking can yield quick results, these results are often short-term and can lead to long-term damage to your website's reputation and SEO results. Search engines are constantly evolving and getting better at detecting and penalizing this kind of manipulation.

10 sites that tried to cheat Google but failed

Here are examples of sites that tried to cheat Google and failed: https://ahrefs.com/blog/websites-that-tried-to-fool-google/

Advice to avoid buying these types of links

  1. Be skeptical of quick results: stay away from services that promise rapid improvements in DR and search results. Authentic and sustainable SEO requires time and effort.
  2. Thoroughly research link services: Before buying links, thoroughly research the provider to make sure they use ethical and sustainable link-building methods.

Focus on quality content and organic growth:

Instead of seeking quick SEO fixes, focus on creating valuable and relevant content that naturally attracts links and attention from your audience and other websites in your industry.

  1. Use reliable SEO tools and resources: Use reputable SEO tools and resources to monitor and improve your website's SEO. These tools can help you identify and fix potential issues before they damage your website's reputation and search results.
  2. Network with others in your industry: Engage with other businesses and websites in your industry to build authentic and long-lasting partnerships that can lead to natural and quality backlinks.

We recommend that you download our free SEO book, you can learn more about techniques and methods to achieve good and sustainable results.

Conclusion

SEO hacking is a harmful practice that has proven to be a lucrative business for some players in the digital world. It's important to stay far away from such methods and instead focus on ethical and sustainable SEO and link-building. By following the above advice and focusing on quality content, organic growth and authentic partnerships, you can achieve long-term success and stability for your website and online presence without putting yourself at risk of legal issues and damaging consequences for your reputation and search engine rankings.

Want to know more about alternative and sustainable SEO methods? Then we recommend you read our SEO book or get in touch with our SEO team via this form

Ian Rosenfeldt</trp-post-container
Ian Rosenfeldt</trp-post-container
Founder, COO & Chief AI Strategist
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