Do you want to reduce website spam score? Learn what is website spam score, what level is considered safe, and how to clean things up and build website authority and trust again, if it’s spam score is rising.
First let’s discuss what is spam score and how much spam score is considered safe.
What is Website Spam Score
Website Spam Score is a metric developed by Moz that estimates how likely a website is to be penalized or deindexed by search engines — especially Google — based on certain red flags.
What Does Spam Score Measure?
Spam Score analyzes a domain for various spam signals or patterns commonly found in penalized or low-quality websites. These signals are called spam flags. Moz checks for things like:
- Low-quality or spammy backlinks
- Keyword-stuffed anchor text
- Thin or duplicate content
- Excessive exact-match domains
- Overuse of ads or affiliate links
- Lack of contact info or privacy policy
- Poor on-site structure
How Is Spam Score Calculated?
Moz uses 27 spam flags. The more flags your site triggers, the higher your spam score. The score is shown as a percentage:
- 1–4 flags means Low risk (0%–30%)
- 5–7 flags means Medium risk (31%–60%)
- 8+ flags means High risk (61%–100%)
Note: Spam Score does not come from Google — it’s an SEO tool created by Moz to help identify possible SEO issues. Google doesn’t disclose its algorithm for penalties, but many of Moz’s signals are based on known patterns.
A high Spam Score doesn’t always mean your site is penalized, but it’s a warning sign that something could trigger search engine distrust. Lowering it can protect your SEO rankings and improve site credibility.
Moz Spam Score Guidelines
An acceptable spam score for a website generally depends on the scale and nature of the site, but here’s a good rule of thumb based on Moz’s Spam Score.
0% – 30% (Low Spam Score)
This is safe zone. Most websites fall here. You’re good as long as you’re not seeing traffic drops or ranking issues.
31% – 60% (Medium Spam Score)
This is caution zone. You should investigate and clean up potential issues (like toxic backlinks or thin content), especially if your SEO performance is declining.
61% – 100% (High Spam Score)
This is high risk spam score range. Strong chance of penalties or being flagged by Google. Immediate action is needed. Start auditing your backlinks, content quality, and technical SEO.
Ideal Spam Score Range
Try to keep your site’s spam score under 30%. Even if your spam score is higher, it doesn’t always mean a penalty — but it does mean you should audit and fix potential issues before it escalates.
Keep this in mind. If you accept guest posts on your website, keep spam score below 10%. SEO experts deal with only those websites that have spam score of 1% and not more than that.
How to Decrease Spam Score of a Website
Reducing your site’s spam score is crucial to maintain trust with search engines and avoid ranking penalties. Let’s explore practical steps you can take to lower your spam score and build a more credible online presence.
Remove Toxic Backlinks
Start by cleaning up the external links that might be harming your website’s reputation. Backlinks from shady or irrelevant sources can severely impact your spam score. Use tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz Link Explorer to identify harmful backlinks. Focus on links that come from:
- PBNs (Private Blog Networks)
- Spammy blog comments
- Hacked or compromised sites
- Irrelevant niches (adult, gambling, pharma, etc.)
Once identified, disavow only the truly harmful links using Google’s Disavow Tool — and do it with caution.
Audit & Improve On-Site SEO
A well-optimized site helps reduce spam signals and improves user trust. Avoid over-optimizing your anchor texts. Exact-match keywords used excessively can raise red flags. Instead follow this:
- Keep content original (never scraped or spun)
- Update content regularly
- Write in a natural, human tone
Google rewards relevance, clarity, and authenticity and penalizes the opposite.
Clean Up Technical SEO Issues
Fixing technical issues shows Google your site is trustworthy and well maintained.
- Fix all broken links (404 errors)
- Enable HTTPS with a valid SSL certificate
- Ensure mobile-friendliness and fast page speed
- Remove low-value pages (thin or duplicate content)
Avoid Linking to Spammy Sites
Be cautious about who you link to — your credibility is influenced by your outbound links as well.
- Avoid shady affiliate schemes
- Use nofollow on sponsored links and ads
- Follow Google’s linking guidelines
Boost Authority with High-Quality Backlinks
Build backlinks that add real value and authority to your domain.
- Industry-specific blogs
- Local news websites
- Reputable business directories
Prioritize do-follow links from high-traffic, real websites — not link farms.
Improve Site Structure & Internal Linking
Your internal linking structure affects how both users and search engines navigate your site. Make sure your website uses:
- Clear navigation
- Structured, clean URLs
- Logical internal linking between related pages
Register with Google Search Console
Stay connected with Google to monitor any issues and fix those issues as they are reported. It will show Google that you’re working to improve.
- Monitor security issues and manual penalties
- Catch crawl errors as soon as they appear in Google Search Console
- Submit updated sitemap in Google Search Console for proper indexing or your website pages
Avoid Overusing Affiliate or Sponsored Content
Too much sponsored content can trigger spam alerts — find the right balance. Only use affiliate links from those products that you genuinely admire and use. That will keep affiliate links low.
- Limit sponsored posts
- Focus on editorial content that adds value
- Use affiliate links with informative and helpful content
Monitor Regularly
Make it a habit to review your site’s health — it’s not a one-time fix.
- Check your spam score monthly using Moz
- Conduct regular backlink audits (especially if SEO is outsourced)
- Keep an eye out for any sudden changes or drops in traffic
Final Thoughts
Cleaning up your website’s spam score takes time and consistency, but the long-term SEO and trust benefits are worth it. Stay proactive, stay clean, and build a site both users and search engines trust.