Negative SEO is the practice of adopting numerous strategies to outrank a competitor’s search engine rankings. This can involve modifying links, building content, and other aspects of a website’s online profile in attempt to alter how search engines perceive it and, as a result, reduce its position on the SERPs.
While it may appear to be an immoral technique, when implemented correctly, it may be a valuable tool for organizations seeking a competitive edge against someone infringing upon a copyright, a malicious review left by a competitor or mentally ill customer, or to secure one’s rightful place in organic search results.
Indeed, many businesses have already used negative SEO methods, which is becoming more popular in the SEO market.
Here is one example of a negative SEO case study:
John owns a small business that specializes in selling outdoor equipment such as camping gear, backpacks, and other outdoor gear. After several years of successful growth and steady profits, John started to notice that his sales started to dip and he was not sure why. After a thorough analysis, he suspected that his competitor was leaving fake reviews, buying promotional posts on local websites, and due to the imbalance of information, outranking him in the SERPs. Not only was his competition taking away his customers, John was in danger of losing it all.
John wanted to regain his market share, so he decided to employ negative SEO tactics to fight the fake reviews. He started by creating low-quality backlinks to the review website and manipulated the content to make it appear less attractive to search engine crawlers. He also targeted areas of his competitor’s website that were vulnerable, such as their backlinks, simplistic content, and other aspects of their website. He made his site better in those areas.
After several weeks of employing negative SEO tactics, John noticed an increase in his ranking and an improvement in his market share. He was now positioned above his competitor in the SERPs and his sales went back to where they were before his competitor started to outrank him.
John’s experience is a great example of how negative SEO can be utilized to gain an edge over one’s competitors. By carefully researching and targeting his competitor’s website, John was able to gain the upper hand and reclaim his place in the SERPs. Of course, this case study worked out well for John because he took action quickly, and results may vary, but it is a great example of how negative SEO can be utilized to gain an edge against an unfair rival online.
References for defending against negative SEO:
https://www.searchenginejournal.com/defend-against-negative-seo/114326/
https://ahrefs.com/blog/negative-seo/
https://www.semrush.com/blog/what-is-negative-seo/