Backlinks play a big role in helping people find your Shopify store online. When other websites link to your store, it can improve your rankings on search engines like Google. But not all backlinks are helpful; some are actually “bad links” that can harm your store’s SEO.
Bad links come from low-quality or spammy sites that don’t add value. They can drag down your store’s rankings, making it harder for customers to find you. This is why it’s important to identify and remove bad links, so your store stays visible and successful. In this guide, we’ll show you how to spot these harmful links and keep your Shopify store optimized for search engines.
What Are Bad Links?
Bad links are hyperlinks that can negatively impact your Shopify store’s SEO and user experience. Unlike “good links” that connect to trustworthy, relevant, and high-quality content, bad links come from unreliable sources, spammy sites, or broken URLs. Bad links are harmful because they can mislead visitors, potentially drive traffic away, or even lower your store’s ranking on search engines.
Differences Between Good and Bad Links
Good links help guide users to relevant and useful information that matches their search intent. These links come from quality websites, like well-respected blogs or industry-related pages. Bad links, on the other hand, are often spammy or low-quality links that come from unrelated sites, link exchanges, or sites with excessive ads and low trust scores.
Why Bad Links Are Harmful for SEO
Bad links can make search engines view your store as less trustworthy, which could drop your rankings. Since search engines prioritize high-quality content, having too many bad links can lead to penalties or a reduced chance of your store showing up on the first page of results.
By identifying and removing bad links, you protect your store’s reputation, improve user experience, and strengthen your SEO. Remember, quality links build trust, while bad links do the opposite.
Signs of Bad Links
Bad links can harm your Shopify store’s SEO and make it harder for customers to find you online. Here are some clear signs of bad links to look out for:
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Irrelevant Links
If a link doesn’t match the content or purpose of your store, it’s likely a bad link. For example, if you sell skincare products but link to unrelated sites, this can confuse visitors and affect your SEO.
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Low Domain Authority
Links from websites with low domain authority are usually poor-quality links. These are sites that search engines see as untrustworthy or lacking influence, which can hurt your store’s ranking.
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Broken Links
These are links that lead to error pages or “404 Not Found” messages. Broken links not only frustrate users but also signal to search engines that your site might be outdated or poorly managed.
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Link Spam
When your store has too many links from spammy sites or excessive link exchanges, it’s a sign of low-quality links. Search engines may see this as a trick to boost rankings and could penalize your store.
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Poor Anchor Text
If the anchor text (the clickable text in a hyperlink) seems unnatural or stuffed with keywords, it’s likely a bad link. Good links should use descriptive, relevant text that feels natural in your content.
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High Bounce Rate from Linked Pages
When users quickly leave a linked page, it may indicate the link is irrelevant or low-quality. High bounce rates from bad links can signal to search engines that the content isn’t useful.
By checking for these signs of bad links, you can improve link quality, boost your search engine rankings, and create a better experience for your visitors.
Tools for Identifying Bad Links
Using tools can make it easier to identify bad links and keep your Shopify store’s SEO in good shape. Here are some simple tools you can use to spot bad links:
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Google Search Console
Google Search Console is a free tool that helps you check your link profile. To find bad links, go to the “Links” section, where you’ll see all sites linking to your store. Look for any unusual or spammy links, and use the “Disavow Links” tool if needed to ask Google to ignore these links.
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Ahrefs
Ahrefs is an SEO tool that provides detailed backlink analysis. You can see where your links come from and identify low-quality links by looking at each site’s domain authority. Ahrefs also has a “broken link checker” to help you find any broken or inactive links on your store.
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Moz Link Explorer
Moz Link Explorer lets you review your link profile and see how links might be affecting your SEO. It shows metrics like spam score and domain authority, making it easy to spot low-quality or spammy links.
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SEMrush
SEMrush is a popular SEO tool with a “Backlink Audit” feature that analyzes the quality of links to your store. It flags links with low authority or high spam risk, helping you know which links might be harmful.
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Broken Link Checker
This free browser extension quickly scans your site for broken links. It’s an easy way to check for any links that lead to error pages or inactive sites, which can harm your user experience and SEO.
Using these tools, you can identify bad links, improve your link quality, and keep your Shopify store SEO-friendly. Regular audits help ensure only good-quality links connect to your site, which helps your store rank better in search results.
Conducting a Backlink Audit
A backlink audit helps you find bad links that might be hurting your Shopify store’s SEO. Follow these steps to conduct a simple and effective backlink audit:
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Gather Your Backlink Data
Start by using tools like Google Search Console, Ahrefs, or SEMrush to gather all links pointing to your store. In these tools, check your “backlink profile” to see a full list of sites linking to you.
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Identify Low-Quality Links
Look through your backlink list to find low-quality or spammy links. These include links from irrelevant sites, low-domain authority pages, or any sites with high spam scores. Mark these links for review.
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Check for Broken Links
Use a broken link checker (available in tools like Ahrefs or as a browser extension) to identify any links leading to “404 Not Found” pages. Broken links should be removed or updated to improve your site’s user experience.
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Analyze Anchor Text
Review the anchor text (the clickable words in each link) to ensure it looks natural and relevant. If you see excessive keywords or irrelevant text, it might be a sign of low-quality or manipulative links. Flag these for further action.
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Assess Link Relevance and Authority
Check if the links come from websites related to your niche and if they have a good reputation (high domain authority). Links from unrelated or low-authority sites may be hurting your SEO. Keep a list of these links.
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Prioritize Links for Action
Once you’ve identified bad links, prioritize them based on their spam score, irrelevance, or broken status. High-risk links with spammy or broken sources should be dealt with first.
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Take Action on Bad Links
Use Google’s “Disavow Links” tool to ignore spammy links. For broken links, try to update or remove them. Reach out to webmasters if you need to request link removals.
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Monitor Regularly
Make backlink audits a regular habit. This helps you keep your link profile healthy and prevents new bad links from impacting your SEO.
By following these steps, you can keep your backlink profile clean, strengthen your SEO, and make it easier for customers to find your Shopify store.
Ongoing Monitoring
Ongoing monitoring of your Shopify store’s backlinks is essential for keeping your SEO strong. Bad links can show up at any time, so staying proactive is the best way to catch and fix them early. Here’s why and how to stay on top of your backlinks:
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Regular Audits
Conduct backlink audits every few months. Regular checks help you spot any new bad links before they affect your store’s search engine results. This keeps your link profile clean and improves user experience on your site.
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Set Up Alerts for New Backlinks
Use tools like Google Search Console or Ahrefs to set up alerts for new backlinks. When a new link is detected, check if it’s from a quality site or if it might be harmful. This quick action helps maintain high link quality over time.
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Watch for Sudden Changes in Rankings
If you notice a sudden drop in rankings, bad links could be a reason. Use your monitoring tools to check recent backlinks and see if there’s a new low-quality link causing the issue.
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Track Link Quality Over Time
Some links may start as good-quality but turn bad if the linking site loses authority or becomes spammy. Regular monitoring helps you spot these changes and act before they hurt your SEO.
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Use Google’s Disavow Tool as Needed
If you find persistent spammy links that you can’t remove, use Google’s Disavow Links tool. This tells Google to ignore those bad links and keeps your store’s SEO safe.
By making ongoing monitoring a habit, you protect your store from bad links, maintain good search engine rankings, and ensure a positive experience for visitors.
Conclusion
Successful SEO for any Shopify store depends on identifying and managing bad links effectively. Links from spammy or irrelevant websites can damage your rankings and make it more difficult for customers to locate you, making their journey harder than necessary. By regularly performing backlink audits, monitoring new links, and using tools like Google’s Disavow Links feature you can protect both the reputation of your store as well as enhance search results.
Consider ongoing monitoring as the key to keeping your store user-friendly and trustworthy. Take steps now to audit your links and keep Shopify performing at its peak!
Unsure How to Spot Harmful Links?
Ready to protect your Shopify store’s SEO and boost your rankings? Let iWebPower help you with expert backlink management and SEO solutions. Contact us today to start a backlink audit and take control of your store’s online visibility! Get Started with iWebPower Now!
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