Content revised 20 October 2026.
Negative SEO describes attempts to harm another website’s search performance. It is a possible explanation to investigate, not a conclusion to draw from a traffic chart alone.
Separate an allegation from a confirmed incident
Reports of spam links, copied pages or unauthorised changes can raise concern. They don't all have the same effect or require the same response. Start by recording what happened, which URLs are involved and whether you can verify the event.
Check the ordinary causes as well
A ranking decline may coincide with a technical change, a different search result layout, changing demand or a tracking problem. Inspect affected pages and compare search clicks with analytics visits. Finding one suspicious item doesn't remove the need for that wider diagnosis.
Respond to the actual issue
- An account or website compromise needs a technical security response.
- A misleading reference may need a factual correction request.
- Suspected manipulative links need contextual review.
- A Search Console manual-action notice needs the remediation described by that notice.
Protect the evidence and the business
Keep logs and relevant screenshots privately, preserve backups and limit further unauthorised changes. Avoid accusing a particular competitor without evidence. A responsible investigation explains what is known, what remains uncertain and what will be checked next. It should not turn uncertainty into a promise of guaranteed ranking recovery.
Official guidance: Google’s guidance on link problems.