educational

How Link Denial Affects Search Engine Rankings

Search engine algorithms are complicated creatures that ingest and analyze amazing amounts of information in an attempt to ensure that the best and most relevant websites rise to the top of the search site’s rankings.

While the quality, quantity, presentation, relevance and type of a web page’s content play a major role, other factors such as server speed and page load time, plus the number and source of inbound links from relevant sites, which is seen as a measure of popularity — and hence, quality and on-topic relevance, are among the most used ranking signals.

It behooves all adult website operators to examine the sources of their traffic and eliminate any flows stemming from questionable sources.

But what happens when a site’s inbound links are coming from “bad neighborhoods,” such as known illicit sites, or commercial link sources (as paid-for links are devalued by some search engines), or are otherwise of poor quality or irrelevant nonexpert sources? Or what happens when you trade links or over-optimize your link’s anchor text?

Instead of a boost, you get a hit — and you can thank Google’s Penguin update for making the situation worse for marketers, especially those heavily invested in past tactics.

On the surface, this seems like fair play: rogue website operators are penalized for taking shortcuts or for using outright fraud; while legitimate, relevant sites are rewarded.

But what happens when this “fair play” is used for a deliberate, malicious assault against a competitor, by purposefully linking to a site from those “bad neighborhoods” — or when you regret the overenthusiasm of your prior search marketing efforts?

Enter Google’s new “Disavow Links” option in its popular suite of Webmaster Tools.

According to the company, while website owners that have been notified of a manual spam action based on “unnatural links” pointing to their site will find this tool helpful in addressing the issue, for operators that have not received such a notification, Google says that this tool “generally isn’t something you need to worry about.”

Webmaster Tools notifies users about “unnatural links” including paid links, those that result from link exchanges, or other schemes that violate Google quality guidelines.

Google Webmaster Trends Analyst Jonathan Simon explains that by looking at the links between pages, the company is able to get a sense of which pages are reputable and important, and thus more likely to be relevant to its users.

“This is the basis of PageRank, which is one of more than 200 signals we rely on to determine rankings,” Simon says. “Since PageRank is so well-known, it’s also a target for spammers, and we fight link spam constantly with algorithms and by taking manual action.”

Google recommends that webmasters contact any sites containing bad links to theirs and ask for removal of those links, “Because it addresses the problem at the root.”

“By removing the bad links directly, you’re helping to prevent Google (and other search engines) from taking action again in the future,” Simon explains. “You’re also helping to protect your site’s image, since people will no longer find spammy links pointing to your site on the web and jump to conclusions about your website or business.”

The new Disavow tool comes into play when poorly linked sites are unresponsive to your link removal requests; and only requires that a webmaster upload a plain text file containing the links they want to disavow, with one URL per line.

Comments in the file will be ignored by Google when prefaced with a pound sign (#), while the “domain:” keyword (i.e. “domain: pamdomain.com “) indicates that all links should be disavowed from a particular site. Page-level URLs can also be specified to avoid blocking a domain.

“One great place to start looking for bad links is the ‘Links to Your Site’ feature in Webmaster Tools,” Simon concluded. “But be sure you don’t upload the entire list of links to your site — you don’t want to disavow all your links!”

It is important to note that Google does not remove the actual link from a bad site — it only ignores it when determining the impact of a site’s inbound links on its rankings.

As with all things Google, not everyone is a fan of the Disavow tool, with critics that cite the possibility of abuse via sophisticated link-poising schemes where illicit operators seek to harm their competitors through malicious linking strategies, and other threats.

It behooves all adult website operators to examine the sources of their traffic and eliminate any flows stemming from questionable sources — and then disavow links from those that persist. Sure, there may be a drop in overall traffic volume, but you could receive more of that oh-so high quality Google traffic as a result.

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More Articles

profile

WIA Profile: Lexi Morin

Lexi Morin’s journey into the adult industry began with a Craigslist ad and a leap of faith. In 2011, fresh-faced and ambitious, she was scrolling through job ads on Craigslist when she stumbled upon a listing for an assistant makeup artist.

Women In Adult ·
profile

Still Rocking: The Hun Celebrates 30 Years in the Game

In the ever-changing landscape of adult entertainment, The Hun’s Yellow Pages stands out for its endurance. As one of the internet’s original fixtures, literally nearly as old as the web itself, The Hun has functioned as a living archive for online adult content, quietly maintaining its relevance with an interface that feels more nostalgic than flashy.

Jackie Backman ·
opinion

Digital Desires: AI's Emerging Role in Adult Entertainment

The adult industry has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to embracing new technology. From the early days of dial-up internet and grainy video clips to today’s polished social media platforms and streaming services, our industry has never been afraid to innovate. But now, artificial intelligence (AI) is shaking things up in ways that are exciting but also daunting.

Steve Lightspeed ·
opinion

More Than Money: Why Donating Time Matters for Nonprofits

The adult industry faces constant legal battles, societal stigma and workplace challenges. Fortunately, a number of nonprofit organizations work tirelessly to protect the rights and well-being of adult performers, producers and industry workers. When folks in the industry think about supporting these groups, donating money is naturally the first solution that comes to mind.

Corey D. Silverstein ·
opinion

Consent Guardrails: How to Protect Your Content Platform

The adult industry takes a strong and definite stance against the creation or publication of nonconsensual materials. Adult industry creators, producers, processors, banks and hosts all share a vested interest in ensuring that the recording and publication of sexually explicit content is supported by informed consent.

Lawrence G. Walters ·
opinion

Payment Systems: Facilitator vs. Gateway Explained

Understanding and selecting the right payment platform can be confusing for anyone. Recently, Segpay launched its payment gateway. Since then, we’ve received numerous questions about the difference between a payment facilitator and a payment gateway. Most merchants want to know which type of platform best meets their business needs.

Cathy Beardsley ·
opinion

Reinventing Intimacy: A Look at AI's Implications for Adult Platforms

The adult industry has long revolved around delivering pleasure and entertainment, but now it’s moving into new territory: intimacy, connection and emotional fulfillment. And AI companions are at the forefront of that shift.

Daniel Keating ·
profile

WIA: Sara Edwards on Evolving Clip Culture and Creator Empowerment

Though she works behind the scenes, Sara Edwards has had a front-row seat to the evolution of adult content creation. Having been immersed in the sector since 1995, she has a unique perspective on the industry.

Jackie Backman ·
profile

Segpay Marks 20 Years of High-Risk Triumphs

Payment processors are behind-the-scenes players in the world of ecommerce, yet their role is critical. Ensuring secure, seamless transactions while navigating a rapidly changing regulatory landscape requires both technological expertise and business acumen.

Jackie Backman ·
opinion

The SCREEN Test: How to Prepare for Federal Age Verification

For those who are counting, there are now 20 enacted state laws in the United States requiring age verification for viewing online adult content, plus numerous proposed laws in the works. This ongoing barrage has been exhausting for many in the adult industry — and it may be about to escalate in the form of a potential new AV law, this time at the federal level.

Corey D. Silverstein ·
Show More