Domain Spam Score and Toxic Links

Quick Summary

What it is: Domain spam score is a metric that indicates the likelihood a domain has spam indicators in its backlink profile or content.
How it works: Spam score is calculated based on factors like toxic backlinks, low-quality referring domains, and spam patterns in the backlink profile.
Why it matters: High spam scores can indicate domains at risk of penalties or with low-quality backlink profiles that won't provide SEO value.
Acceptable levels: Spam scores below 5% are generally safe, while scores above 30% are high risk.
How to reduce: Clean up toxic backlinks, disavow spam links, and build quality backlinks to improve spam score over time.

What is Domain Spam Score?

Domain spam score is a metric that measures the likelihood a domain has spam indicators in its backlink profile, content, or usage patterns. Understanding spam score helps you identify potentially problematic domains before purchase.

Spam score is calculated by analyzing various factors including toxic backlinks, low-quality referring domains , and patterns that indicate spam activity. A high spam score doesn't necessarily mean a domain is penalized, but it does indicate higher risk. At Brutal Domains, we check spam scores as part of our vetting process, ensuring all listed domains have acceptable spam scores.

How Spam Score Works

Spam score is calculated based on multiple factors:

Toxic backlinks: Links from spam or penalized domains
Low-quality referring domains : Domains with low Domain Rating or spam indicators
Link patterns: Unnatural link acquisition patterns
Content quality: Spam or low-quality content history
Domain characteristics: Factors like domain age, TLD, and registration patterns

Understanding Spam Score Levels

Spam scores are typically expressed as percentages:

Spam Score	Risk Level	Action
0-5%	Low risk	Generally safe, minimal spam indicators
6-15%	Moderate risk	Some spam indicators, review backlink profile carefully
16-30%	High risk	Significant spam indicators, thorough vetting required
31%+	Very high risk	Extensive spam indicators, likely not worth purchasing

Factors That Increase Spam Score

These factors contribute to higher spam scores:

Toxic backlinks: Links from penalized or spam domains
Link farms: Links from link farm or PBN networks
Over-optimization: Excessive exact-match anchor text
Low-quality referring domains : Majority of links from low-DR or spam domains
Spam content history: Previous use for spam or low-quality content
Unnatural patterns: Sudden spikes in backlink acquisition

How to Check Domain Spam Score

Several tools provide spam score analysis:

Moz Spam Score: Free spam score metric (0-17 scale)
Ahrefs: Provides spam indicators and toxic backlink analysis
SEMrush: Domain health score and backlink quality analysis
Specialized tools: Tools specifically designed for spam score checking

How to Reduce Spam Score

If you own a domain with high spam score:

Identify toxic links: Use tools to identify spam or toxic backlinks
Remove links: Contact webmasters to remove toxic links when possible
Disavow file: Submit disavow file to Google for links you can't remove
Build quality links: Acquire quality authority links to offset spam links
Improve backlink profile : Focus on quality over quantity

Spam Score vs Domain Penalties

It's important to understand the difference:

Spam score: Predictive metric indicating risk, not a penalty itself
Penalties: Actual sanctions from search engines
Relationship: High spam score increases risk of penalties, but doesn't guarantee them
Action: Always check for actual penalties separately from spam score

Spam Score in Domain Vetting

When vetting domains for purchase:

Check spam score: Always review spam score before purchase
Review backlink profile : Analyze actual backlink quality, not just score
Consider context: Spam score is one factor among many
Set thresholds: Establish acceptable spam score limits for your purchases

Tip: When evaluating domains, prioritize spam scores below 15% for safer purchases. Always review the actual backlink profile quality, not just the spam score number. At Brutal Domains, we check spam scores as part of our comprehensive vetting process , ensuring all listed domains have acceptable spam scores and quality referring domains .