Spam Score Explained
Why It Matters for Top Search Engine Rankings?
What Is SPAM Score In SEO?
Spam Score is an SEO metric that evaluates the likelihood of a website being penalized by search engines due to spammy practices. Originally developed by Moz, this metric assigns a score ranging from 1% to 100%, where a lower score indicates a trustworthy site, and a higher score suggests potential risks of penalties.
Table of Contents
The Spam Score is calculated based on multiple factors, such as low-quality backlinks, keyword stuffing, and thin or duplicate content. Different SEO tools, such as Moz and Semrush, have their own methods for determining this score, using machine learning to analyze websites that have been penalized in the past.
While Google does not officially use third-party Spam Scores in its ranking algorithms, maintaining a low Spam Score is considered a best practice to ensure website credibility and avoid search engine penalties. Regular monitoring and optimizing for high-quality content and links can help maintain a healthy SEO profile of your website.
How Spam Score Of Domain is Calculated?
The Spam Score is calculated based on multiple factors, such as low-quality backlinks, keyword stuffing, and thin or duplicate content. Different SEO tools, such as Moz and Semrush, have their own methods for determining this score, using machine learning to analyze websites that have been penalized in the past.
When you purchase a domain for your business or any other purpose, the default Spam Score will be 1%, which is the lowest and considered a good Spam Score.
Recently, we purchased a new domain, which, as you can see, has a default Spam Score of 1%.
Ideally, when you check your website’s Spam Score, it will fall into one of the following three categories:
- Low Spam Score (1% - 30%) : Considered safe and trustworthy.
- Moderate Spam Score (31% - 60%) : Requires attention to avoid potential penalties.
- High Spam Score (61% - 100%) : Indicates a high risk of being flagged as spam, requiring
Now, How the SPAM Score is Calculated?
MOZ Spam Score Calculation Matrix
The MOZ Spam Score evaluates 27 link-based flags to assess the likelihood of a domain being spammy. Below is the matrix based on inferred factors from SEO community analysis and referred from MOZ documentation.
| Red Flag | Flag Category | SPAM Signals |
| 1 | Link Profile Quality | Links from spammy TLDs (.xyz, .info, .biz, etc.) |
| 2 | Over-optimized anchor text (exact-match dominance) | |
| 3 | High % of links from low-authority domains | |
| 4 | Links from parked/expired domains | |
| 5 | Links from irrelevant niches/content | |
| 6 | Links from sites with malware/phishing history | |
| 7 | Excessive 301 redirects in backlinks | |
| 8 | Domain & Technical Signals | Young domain age (<6–12 months) |
| 9 | Hidden/fake WhoIs data | |
| 10 | Suspicious registrar (e.g., known for spammy domains) | |
| 11 | Punycode/special characters in domain | |
| 12 | Domain matches a keyword (e.g., “cheapviagra.tld”) | |
| 13 | Content & UX Issues | Thin/duplicate content on linking pages |
| 14 | Keyword stuffing in content or meta tags | |
| 15 | Intrusive ads/pop-ups on linking pages | |
| 16 | Aggressive monetization (e.g., too many affiliate links) | |
| 17 | Link Distribution | Unnatural link velocity (sudden spikes) |
| 18 | Overly reciprocal links (e.g., “link swaps”) | |
| 19 | High % of links from a single IP/C-class network |
Source: MOZ Spam Score
Note: Moz does not provide in-depth insights into all 27 factors to prevent manipulation. This matrix is based on insights from the SEO community and Moz articles.
Internet Top-level Domains (TLD) SPAM
Most Spam-Associated TLDs (Based on Research & SEO Reports): Several studies from security firms, Google, and SEO research organizations (like Spamhaus and Moz) have identified TLDs that are commonly abused by spammers:
List of TLD with High Spam Rates | |
| Domain | Reason |
| .info | Frequently used for low-quality sites and spam emails. |
| .biz | Often linked with affiliate scams and spam sites. |
| .xyz | Popular among spammers due to cheap registration. |
| .top | Frequently associated with phishing and scam operations. |
| .win | Used for fraudulent sweepstakes and giveaways. |
| .club | Misused in fake social networking and adult content spam. |
| .loan | Abused in financial scams and loan fraud sites. |
| .work | Used for fake job postings and spammy marketing sites. |
| .cf, .ga, .tk, .ml | Free ccTLDs from Freenom, often abused for spam/malware. |
While certain TLDs have a higher association with spam, Google and search engines do not penalize based solely on TLD choice. However, using a trusted TLD (like .com or .org) can enhance credibility and avoid being flagged by security filters. If you must use a less common TLD, ensure your website follows best practices to maintain trust and avoid being marked as spam.
How to Check Your Website's Spam Score for Free?
Checking your website’s spam score is essential for maintaining a good reputation in search engine rankings and avoiding penalties. Here’s how you can do it for free:
Several online tools allow you to check your website’s spam score for free. At CodeRenowned’s initial stage, we relied on free tools and trusted Website SEO Checker to check spam score.
Click on the above link and follow the steps as per image to get your website SPAM score.
How to Reduce Your Website SPAM Score?
Identify Toxic Backlinks Using SEMrush – Step-by-Step Guide
SEMrush provides a Backlink Audit Tool that helps you identify toxic backlinks and download them for further action. Follow this detailed navigation to analyze and export spam links:
Step 1: Log In to SEMrush
- Go to SEMrush and click on “Log In.”
- Enter your email and password (or sign up for a free trial if you don’t have an account).
Step 2: Access the Backlink Audit Tool
- From the SEMrush dashboard, locate the “SEO” section on the left sidebar.
- Click on “Link Building” → “Backlink Audit.”
- If you haven’t set up an audit before, enter your website domain and click “Start Audit.”
Step 3: Download the List of Toxic Backlinks
- In the Toxic Backlink List, select all links or choose specific ones.
- Click on the “Export” button (top-right corner).
- Select “CSV” or “Excel (.xlsx)” to download the spam links.
- Save the file for Google Disavow submission or manual removal requests.
How to Disavow Harmful Backlinks Using Google's Disavow Tool – Step-by-Step Guide
Disavowing harmful backlinks is crucial to protect your website from spammy, low-quality, or toxic links that can hurt your SEO rankings. Follow this detailed step-by-step guide to disavow toxic backlinks using Google’s Disavow Tool.
Step 1: Prepare Your Toxic Backlink List
- If you haven’t already, use SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Google Search Console to analyze your backlinks.
- Export the toxic backlinks in a .CSV or .XLSX format.
- Open the file and review the links carefully before proceeding.
- Save the list of harmful URLs and domains that need to be disavowed.
Step 2: Create a Disavow File
Google requires a specific format for the disavow file. Follow these steps:
- Open Notepad (Windows) or TextEdit (Mac) to create a plain text file.
- Format the file correctly:
To disavow a specific page, enter:
https://example.com/spam-page
https://spammywebsite.com/bad-link
To disavow an entire domain, use:
domain:spamdomain.com
domain:unwantedlinks.com
Save the file as disavow.txt.
Step 3: Access Google’s Disavow Tool
- Go to Google’s Disavow Tool:
- Sign in with your Google Account that has access to Google Search Console.
- Select the correct property (your website domain) from the dropdown list.
Step 4: Upload the Disavow File
- Click the “Upload Disavow File” button.
- Select the
disavow.txtfile you created. - Click “Submit” to upload.
- Google will process the request, which may take a few weeks to reflect in rankings.
Step 5: Verify Submission & Monitor Performance
- Check your disavowed links in the Disavow Tool to ensure the file was uploaded correctly.
- Monitor your Google Search Console reports to see if spammy backlinks impact your SEO.
- Regularly review your backlink profile and update the disavow file when necessary.
Conclusion:
Maintaining a low Spam Score is crucial for ensuring your website’s credibility and protecting it from search engine penalties. While Google does not directly use third-party Spam Scores in its ranking algorithm, factors contributing to a high score—such as low-quality backlinks, keyword stuffing, and thin content—can negatively impact your SEO performance.
By regularly monitoring your Spam Score using tools like Moz, SEMrush, or Website SEO Checker, you can identify potential risks early. Additionally, taking proactive steps like removing toxic backlinks, using Google’s Disavow Tool, and ensuring high-quality, relevant content can help keep your website in good standing.
A well-maintained and optimized website not only improves search rankings but also enhances user trust and engagement. Stay vigilant, follow best SEO practices, and continuously refine your backlink profile to keep your website spam-free and authoritative in the digital landscape.
