[Author: Noreen Fishman]

This month saw Google roll out the “December 2022 link spam update”. This is an update to the spam detection system and affects the ability to find purchased links and detect domains used primarily to pass links to other sites. Here’s what law firms need to know about the latest Google link spam update. 

Just What is the December 2022 Link Spam Update?

This update is an upgrade to Google’s spam detection system. As mentioned, it impacts the ability to find purchased links and detect domains used primarily to pass links to other sites. It leverages Google’s AI-based spam-prevention system, called SpamBrain, to nullify unnatural links. Along with detecting spam directly, Google stated that SpamBrain will now identify sites buying links and sites used for building outgoing links. 

How Will The December 2022 Link Spam Update Affect My Site? 

Google experts have said that rankings may change as the update will neutralize unnatural links, removing any signals passed to the linking domain. It also affects search results in all languages, potentially creating a widespread impact. How much your site is affected will depend on exactly how you acquire links and how you link out to other pages. 

The fact is that Google has strict guidelines against obtaining links primarily to boost search rankings, as well as guidelines about qualifying links passed to other websites. This means you will need to keep an eye on your link activity. For example, when embedding an affiliate link within a body of text, you need to qualify that link with a rel=sponsored tag. If you don’t 

tag affiliate links appropriately, it could result in your site getting hit by the link spam update. Furthermore, it will be important to tag links in guest posts with rel=nofollow, or that could get you in trouble with Google as well. 

Takeaway: 

The current update from Google is a rather minor one, but still important. Links are crucial for building trust and authority, which is what most ranking factors are based on now. It’s important to get a refresher on linking best practices in light of the December 2022 link spam update. Make it a point to follow Google’s suggestions regarding incoming and outgoing links, and you shouldn’t run into any issues with the December 2022 link spam update.