Clause 3 of 5 · The shortcutsNo. 03
Spam tactics that cost you: Google’s spam policies
Google’s spam policies name the tactics it treats as manipulating search, from buying links to showing search engines a different page from the one people see, and Google says sites that violate them “may rank lower in results or not appear in results at all.” The cost falls on the site, whoever did the work: Google says “you are responsible for the actions of any companies you hire”.
This clause quotes Google Search Central’s “Spam policies for Google web search”, which Google last updated on 28 August 2026, and puts the Search Console help on manual actions in plain words. Both are listed at the foot of this page.
The definitionWhat Google calls spam
“In the context of Google Search, spam refers to techniques used to deceive users or manipulate our Search systems into featuring content prominently, such as attempting to manipulate Search systems into ranking content highly or attempting to manipulate generative AI responses in Google Search.”
Google Search Central, spam policies
Google says it finds spam “both through automated systems and, as needed, human review that can result in a manual action.” The list is not closed: “Our policies cover common spam practices, but Google may act against any type of spam practices we detect.”
The shortcutsSix tactics, in Google’s words
These are six of the practices on Google’s list that work done on your behalf could bring to your site. Each is quoted with one of the examples Google gives.
| Tactic | Google’s definition | One of Google’s examples |
|---|---|---|
| Cloaking | “presenting different content to users and search engines with the intent to manipulate search rankings and mislead users” | “Inserting text or keywords into a page only when the user agent that is requesting the page is a search engine, not a human visitor” |
| Expired domain abuse | “an expired domain name is purchased and repurposed primarily to manipulate search rankings by hosting content that provides little to no value to users” | “Casino-related content on a former elementary school site” |
| Hidden text or links | “placing content on a page in a way solely to manipulate search engines and not to be easily viewable by human visitors” | “Using white text on a white background” |
| Keyword stuffing | “filling a web page with keywords or numbers in an attempt to manipulate rankings in Google Search results” | “Repeating the same words or phrases so often that it sounds unnatural” |
| Link spam | “the practice of creating links to or from a site primarily for the purpose of manipulating search rankings” | “Exchanging money for links, or posts that contain links” |
| Scaled content abuse | “when many pages are generated for the primary purpose of manipulating search rankings and not helping users” | “Using generative AI tools or other similar tools to generate many pages without adding value for users” |
Scaled content is defined by purpose, not by tool: “This abusive practice is typically focused on creating large amounts of unoriginal content that provides little to no value to users, no matter how it’s created.”
Paid linksWhere Google draws the line
Google does not treat every paid link as spam. “Google does understand that buying and selling links is a normal part of the economy of the web for advertising and sponsorship purposes,” its policies say, and such links are not a violation “as long as they are qualified with a rel="nofollow" or rel="sponsored" attribute value”. What Google lists as link spam includes “Buying or selling links for ranking purposes”, “Using automated programs or services to create links to your site”, “Low-quality directory or bookmark site links” and “Widely distributed links in the footers or templates of various sites”.
Its page on hiring an SEO adds one line that belongs in any first meeting: “You should never have to link to an SEO.”
If Google actsWhat a manual action means, and the way back
Google’s Search Console help explains that it issues a manual action when a human reviewer has decided that pages on a site do not comply with its spam policies, and that while one is in place some or all of the site will not be shown in Google’s results. Most of the issues it reports lead to pages ranking lower or being left out, with nothing visible to searchers to show why. Google says it notifies the site in the Manual actions report and the Search Console message centre, which is one reason who holds the keys to Search Console matters.
The help page sets out the way back. The third step applies only when the manual action is for unnatural links:
Fix every affected page
Google says fixing only some pages will not earn a partial return to its results.
Let Google reach the pages
Affected pages should not sit behind a login or a paywall, or be blocked by robots.txt or a noindex directive.
If the action is for unnatural links, ask for them to come down
Google asks site owners to contact the owners of the linking sites and ask them to remove the links or stop them passing ranking credit. It says adding every backlink to a disavow file without trying to remove them first is not a good-faith effort, and will not be enough on its own.
Ask for a review, then wait
Google says most reconsideration reviews take several days or weeks, and link-related ones can take longer.
For a site reputation abuse manual action, the help page warns that moving the content to a subdomain or subdirectory may be seen as an attempt to get around the spam policy and could lead to broader action. More generally, the spam policies list using new subdomains, subdirectories or sites to keep violating them as policy circumvention.
In writingKnowing what was done in your name
Google’s answer to all of this is to know exactly what an agency intends to do: “it’s best to be sure you know exactly how they intend to ‘help’ you,” and “If an SEO has FTP access to your server, they should be willing to explain all the changes they are making to your site.” A written record of the changes made and the links built or paid for gives you that, and gives a successor somewhere to start. Promises no one can make covers the claims that often come with shortcuts.