Skip to content
BACKLINKS 0/6Play level 1 to collect your first backlinkSTICKERS 0/14 collected from the method page toysPLAYER 1: YOU
THE METHOD: SPAM

How to spot spammy link sites before you buy a backlink

To spot a spammy link site, check who it links out to across the whole domain and its subdomains, then compare its authority with its real organic search traffic and keyword base. Spammy sites link out to casino, adult or pill pages, or have authority with no audience behind it, so a single DR check won’t catch them. Scout, our backlink bot, runs that screen on every new site before anyone contacts it.

Email your briefHow we know

I read the whole site. Subdomains too. Especially subdomains.

WHAT TO AIM FOR

Signs a link site is spammy

A backlink puts your brand next to everyone else the site links to. These are the patterns to watch for.

  • A blog that looks fine, with a footer or a subdomain linking out to casino sites.
  • Authority that looks strong, with almost no organic search traffic behind it.
  • Traffic that rests on a handful of keywords or the homepage alone.
  • A site that sells backlinks to anyone, gambling and adult sites included.
  • A throwaway domain ending, picked because it was cheap.
  • A past partner whose site has changed since you last worked together.
TRY IT YOURSELF

A clean homepage can hide a spammy subdomain

Check a site’s outgoing backlinks the quick way, then include its subdomains and see what turns up.

TRY IT

Spot the spammy outgoing backlink

ILLUSTRATION

A site’s outgoing backlinks, read the way a quick manual check reads them. Include its subdomains, then flag every spammy one.

Outgoing backlinks from wellnessweekly.example
  • wellnessweekly.example links to A hospital’s patient guide
  • wellnessweekly.example links to A nutrition study
  • wellnessweekly.example links to A sleep-tracker app review
  • Not checked yet: a subdomain row
  • Not checked yet: a subdomain row
  • Not checked yet: a subdomain row
  • Not checked yet: a subdomain row

Main domain only: 3 outgoing backlinks, all clean. Looks safe. Is it?

Whole site, subdomains includedEmail your brief
See the answer

Three spammy outgoing backlinks hide on subdomains: blog.wellnessweekly.example links to a casino bonus page and an online pill shop, and deals.wellnessweekly.example links to a betting-tips page. The main domain alone looks clean. That’s why the check covers the whole site and its subdomains.

Illustrative example, not real output or real sites.

DO IT YOURSELF

How to spot spammy link sites yourself, in five checks

This is the screen a careful link builder runs by hand. It takes a few minutes a site, and it has to be repeated for every site on a shortlist.

No outside check can prove who owns a group of sites, so we don’t claim to identify private blog networks. We screen for the patterns they leave instead. Spam screening sits beside the domain rating check and the check that a site’s traffic is real in The LabsMedia Method. Agencies use it to keep every client’s brand off bad sites.

  1. Step 1: Check who the site links out to, across the whole domain

    Open the site’s outgoing backlinks in an SEO tool, include every subdomain, and look for casino, betting, adult or pill pages. One clean article proves nothing; a blog subdomain can hide the rest.

  2. Step 2: Compare its authority with its organic search traffic

    High authority with little organic search traffic is the classic sign of a site built to sell backlinks. Check traffic by country, not just the total.

  3. Step 3: Look at the keyword base behind the traffic

    A real audience finds a site through many keywords. Traffic that rests on a handful of terms, or on the homepage alone, is a warning.

  4. Step 4: Read the domain and the site itself

    Warning signs include a throwaway domain ending, topics that jump from software to supplements, and a “write for us” page open to anything.

  5. Step 5: Screen past partners again before you buy again

    Sites change owners and start selling. A clean result last year says little about the site today.

HOW WE KNOW

How Scout screens every site for spam

Who the site links to, several independent layers on top, and past partners held to the same standard. Every check reads independent SEO data.

1. Who the site links to

  • WHAT WE DOWe check who a site links out to across the whole site and its subdomains, not just one page.
    WHY IT HELPSA manual check usually looks at one article or the homepage.
    WHAT YOU GETSites that sell to spammers are caught before your brand sits next to them.
  • WHAT WE DOGambling, adult and similar spam categories are screened out on every brief.
    WHY IT HELPSThe same standard on every site, whoever runs the check.
    WHAT YOU GETThe same safety on every brief, every time.
  • WHAT WE DOIf the check itself breaks, the run stops. It never marks the remaining sites clean.
    WHY IT HELPSAn empty report can look exactly like a clean one.
    WHAT YOU GETNo site is waved through because a tool glitched.

2. Several independent layers

  • WHAT WE DORisky domain endings are blocked outright on new sites, and matched precisely.
    WHY IT HELPSPrecise matching keeps good sites in and risky endings out.
    WHAT YOU GETConsistent protection without over-blocking.
  • WHAT WE DOSites with authority but no real audience or keyword base are screened out by overlapping checks.
    WHY IT HELPSA single DR check is exactly what these sites are built to pass.
    WHAT YOU GETLess risk of paying for a site that exists only to sell backlinks.

3. Past partners, and every no

  • WHAT WE DOPast partners are screened again before they’re pitched for a new brief.
    WHY IT HELPSSites change over time, so last year’s result is a starting point.
    WHAT YOU GETLoyalty never overrides safety.
  • WHAT WE DOA partner we couldn’t check is flagged for a person, never passed as clean.
    WHY IT HELPS“Vetted” means most when it says what was checked.
    WHAT YOU GETA vetted label you can trust.
  • WHAT WE DOA flagged partner leaves the working list, so it can’t be pitched again. Every exclusion keeps its reason.
    WHY IT HELPSA list the system applies itself works the same way every time.
    WHAT YOU GETNo slip puts you back in touch with a bad site, and every no can be explained.
DEPTH, NOT A RECIPE

Screened before first contact

The shape of the check, without the recipe.

  • Whole site
    outgoing backlinks checked, subdomains included
  • Several
    independent layers, not one gut check
  • Before
    anyone contacts a new site, it’s screened
  • Every
    exclusion keeps its written reason
THE RUNNING EXAMPLE

Healthcare attracts backlink sellers

Supplement, CBD and casino sellers cluster around health topics. Here’s how the screen reads three candidate sites.

EXAMPLE: A MEDICAL SAAS BRIEFILLUSTRATION

Healthcare and medical blogs, DR 50–70, with the US as one of their top traffic countries.

A wellness blogGood authority, but a subdomain links out to CBD and casino pages. Excluded, with the reason recorded.
SET ASIDE
A health news site on a throwaway domain endingBlocked by its domain ending before any other check.
SET ASIDE
A clinic-technology blogClean outgoing backlinks across the whole site, and organic search traffic spread over many keywords.
SHORTLISTED

Illustrative example, not real output or real sites.

FAQ

Spammy link sites: questions buyers ask

What is a spammy link site?

A spammy link site is one that exists mainly to sell backlinks. It links out to anyone who pays, often including casino, adult or pill pages, and its authority is not matched by real organic search traffic. A backlink from it puts your brand in that company and passes little value, because search engines learn to discount sites like it.

How can I check a website’s outgoing backlinks?

Use an SEO tool’s outgoing backlinks report for the domain, and set it to include every subdomain, not just the address you were given. Filter the results for spam words such as casino, betting and adult. A single article or the homepage is not enough, because sellers often hide paid placements in a footer or on a blog subdomain.

Is a high DR site always safe for a backlink?

No. A high domain rating shows that the site has backlinks, not that people read it. Sites built to sell backlinks are designed to pass a DR check. Compare the rating with organic search traffic in your market and with how many keywords bring that traffic in. Authority with no audience behind it is a warning sign.

Does LabsMedia catch private blog networks?

No outside check can prove who owns a group of sites, so LabsMedia doesn’t claim to. Scout screens for the pattern those networks leave: authority with little organic search traffic or keyword base, and outgoing backlinks to spam categories. Several overlapping checks make that pattern hard to pass, and a site that fails is set aside with its reason recorded.

Do you screen past partners again before re-using them?

Yes. A partner we have worked with before is screened again before it’s pitched for a new brief, because sites change owners and start selling. A partner that fails leaves the working list and can’t be pitched again, and a partner we couldn’t check is flagged for a backlink specialist rather than passed as clean.

PRESS START

Only screened sites, on every brief

Tell us your site and the kind of sites you want backlinks from. We reply with a short form, and Scout screens every candidate before first contact. Email your brief.

Screened for spam, subdomains included
Email your briefPrefer a call? Talk to a backlink specialistMeet Scout, our backlink botAll the ways to reach us
support@labsmedia.com