This is from a user on Reddit ‘tonycarlo16‘:
I did a lot of backlinks and blog work in September, 15 year old domain and total website redo , it was paying off and I was climbing in SERPs. Got to 20th position in about 3 months for some decent keyword phrases. Then the core updates rolled out in December and now I’m crushed back to 60-90 positions.
How do I know what to do to get out of this ? Get more backlinks? what else can I change.
My pages have plenty of info and popular keyword phrases / on page SEO. I see sites with way less on page info then mine ranking number 1 …..and with domains less than 2 years old….
What can I do ?? Is this google hit on my site permanent? Should I just start a new domain?
This is a question that’s been asked regularly since at least 2012. There’s a major red flag here which makes me fear for the OP, “I did a lot of backlinks”.
Related questions:
Google was formed on the concept of backlinks as a ranking metric. Founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin used their initial innovation to create ‘PageRank‘, an algorithm which assigned importance to web pages based on the quantity and quality of links from other website.
Since then, ‘link building’ as it’s called has had a rich history.
2000–2005: PageRank manipulation & link farms
With Google’s introduction of PageRank, links became a major ranking factor. SEOs quickly realised that more inbound links meant higher rankings, leading to manipulative tactics such as:
- Link Farms – Networks of interlinked sites designed solely to pass PageRank.
- Guestbook Spam – Automated tools were used to post links on guestbooks and forums.
- Reciprocal Linking – Webmasters exchanged links, regardless of relevance, to boost rankings.
During this time, automated link-building tools like Xrumer emerged, allowing mass spamming of links across blogs, forums, and guestbooks.
2005–2011: Paid links, blog networks & mass spam
Google responded to these tactics by devaluing link farms and reciprocal links. However, SEOs adapted with:
- Paid Links – Webmasters sold backlinks on high-authority sites, a practice that Google explicitly banned.
- Private Blog Networks (PBNs) – SEOs built networks of websites to create artificial backlinks.
- Comment Spam – Bots flooded blog comment sections with keyword-rich backlinks.
- Directory Submissions – Thousands of low-quality web directories emerged where anyone could submit a link.
2012–2016: Google strikes back: Penguin & manual penalties
The Google Penguin update (2012) changed everything. It cracked down on unnatural link-building tactics, leading to mass de-indexing of sites that relied on:
- PBNs
- Paid links
- Excessive anchor-text keyword optimisation
- Spammy directory links
Many sites saw rankings collapse overnight. Google introduced manual penalties, where sites found to be engaging in ‘black hat’ link-building could be manually removed from search results.
Many people, myself included, claimed this update (that came without any warning) was unfair on website owners. But, this was Google telling the world of SEO, that it isn’t playing around.
The very act of issuing penalties for ‘unnatural link building’ caused a new wave of negative SEO, where competitors use spammy backlinks to sabotage rivals’ rankings, but this is another story.
2016–2020: AI & machine learning
Google’s AI-driven ranking systems became increasingly sophisticated. The Penguin 4.0 update (2016) made link spam less effective by devaluing bad links instead of penalising entire sites. Key developments included:
- Google ignoring low-quality links rather than penalising sites outright.
- Increased focus on content and user experience, reducing the impact of manipulative link-building.
- Disavow tools – Google allowed webmasters to remove harmful backlinks via the Disavow Tool.
PBNs still worked but required more effort to avoid detection. Large-scale link networks continued to be de-indexed.
2021–Present: Real-time spam detection
Google’s AI and real-time spam detection made black hat link building far less effective. Current tactics still used (but with diminishing success) include:
- AI-generated spam content with automated link placement.
- Hijacking expired domains with strong backlink profiles.
- 301 redirect manipulation to pass authority from penalised domains.
- Parasite SEO – Placing backlinks on high-authority third-party sites to manipulate rankings.
These tactics can still work, but are increasingly unreliable. And with each new Google update, the chances of gaining a penalty increases.
2024 – 2025: Spam updates, helpful content & E-E-A-T
The OP in question is talking about Google’s update in December 2024. Google had two spam updates in 2024, one in June and one in December. These spam updates are a two pronged approach at tackling both link spam and low-quality content, and were first announced in March 2024. Since the rise of AI, with platforms like ChatGPT making huge advances, Google has been aware that if left unchecked, the Internet could see spam rise to unprecedented levels.
To combat this, Google first released the Helpful Content Update, in August of 2022. This is a response to people creating low value or AI generated content:
“We’re launching what we’re calling the “helpful content update” that’s part of a broader effort to ensure people see more original, helpful content written by people, for people, in search results.”
“People-first content creators focus first on creating satisfying content, while also utilising SEO best practices to bring searchers additional value. Answering yes to the questions below means you’re probably on the right track with a people-first approach:
- Do you have an existing or intended audience for your business or site that would find the content useful if they came directly to you?
- Does your content clearly demonstrate first-hand expertise and a depth of knowledge (for example, expertise that comes from having actually used a product or service, or visiting a place)?
- Does your site have a primary purpose or focus?
- After reading your content, will someone leave feeling they’ve learned enough about a topic to help achieve their goal?
- Will someone reading your content leave feeling like they’ve had a satisfying experience?
- Are you keeping in mind our guidance for core updates and for product reviews?”
Then later, in December 2022, they updated their E-A-T algorithm, to add an additional ‘E’ for Experience.
“Many creators are familiar with the concept of E-A-T, which is used in how we evaluate if our search ranking systems are providing helpful, relevant information. Would ordinary people feel the results they get demonstrate E-A-T, that is: expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness?
Now to better assess our results, E-A-T is gaining an E: experience. Does content also demonstrate that it was produced with some degree of experience, such as with actual use of a product, having actually visited a place or communicating what a person experienced? There are some situations where really what you value most is content produced by someone who has first-hand, life experience on the topic at hand.”
These two updates make it harder for people to spam their way into high ranking positions by creating low quality or AI generated content. It’s been largely effective with many websites losing ranking positions and traffic from Google.
Then, in 2024, Google doubled down on link spam. Google’s spam policies are frequently updated, with the last update at the time of writing, being 21st January 2025. There are many types of spam according to Google, and the two that caused concern in 2024 are link spam and scaled content abuse. These are compounded by the Helpful Content Update, which makes it difficult to determine which update is actually having an impact on ranking positions.
Going back to OP, he’s stated “‘I did a lot of backlinks and blog work’”.
First, let’s look at the backlinks. Google says link spam includes, but is not limited to:
- Exchanging money for links, or posts that contain links
- Exchanging goods or services for links
- Sending someone a product in exchange for them writing about it and including a link
- Excessive link exchanges (“Link to me and I’ll link to you”)
- Using automated programs or services to create links to your site
- Advertorials or native advertising where payment is received for articles that include links that pass ranking credit, or links with optimised anchor text
- Forum comments with optimized links in the post or signature.
OP needs to ask himself, did his ‘lot of backlinks’ include any of these? I would guess they did. The only safe method of link building these days is no link building. It’s fine to create a great piece of content, promote it, or outreach to people in the hope that some will link to it. But, if you’re buying links or ‘building’ them, then unfortunately, it’s probably only a matter of time until Google finds out.
Secondly, OP said he did a lot of ‘blog work’. I assume this means creating content. He states:
“My pages have plenty of info and popular keyword phrases / on page SEO. I see sites with way less on page info then mine ranking number 1 …..and with domains less than 2 years old….”
The question is, does the content satisfy A) Google’s helpful content guidelines, and B) E-E-A-T? In the Search Quality Rater guidelines, Google says this about E-E-A-T:
Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trust (E-E-A-T) are all important considerations in PQ rating. The most important member at the centre of the E-E-A-T family is Trust
Trust:
Consider the extent to which the page is accurate, honest, safe, and reliable. Experience, Expertise and Authoritativeness are important concepts that can support your assessment of Trust:
The type and amount of Trust needed depends on the page, for example:
- Online stores need secure online payment systems and reliable customer service.
- Product reviews should be honest and written to help others make informed purchasing decisions (rather than solely to sell the product).
- Informational pages on clear YMYL topics must be accurate to prevent harm to people and society.
- Social media posts on non-YMYL topics may not need a high level of Trust, such as when the purpose of the post is to entertain its audience and the content of the post does not risk causing harm.
Experience:
Consider the extent to which the content creator has the necessary first-hand or life experience for the topic. Many types of pages are trustworthy and achieve their purpose well when created by people with a wealth of personal experience.
For example, which would you trust: a product review from someone who has personally used the product or a “review” by someone who has not?
Expertise:
Consider the extent to which the content creator has the necessary knowledge or skill for the topic. Different topics require different levels and types of expertise to be trustworthy. For example, which would you trust: home electrical rewiring advice from a skilled electrician or from an antique homes enthusiast who has no knowledge of electrical wiring?
Authoritativeness:
Consider the extent to which the content creator or the website is known as a go-to source for the topic. While most topics do not have one official, Authoritative website or content creator, when they do, that website or content creator is often among the most reliable and trustworthy sources. For example, a local business profile page on social media may be the authoritative and trusted source for what is on sale now. The official government page for getting a passport is the unique, official, and authoritative source for passport renewal.
Experience, Expertise, and Authoritativeness may overlap for some page types and topics (for example, someone may develop Expertise in a topic due to first-hand Experience accumulated over time), and different combinations of E-E-A may be relevant to different topics. You should consider the purpose, type, and topic of the page, then ask yourself what would make the content creator a trustworthy source in that context.
OP stated, “I see sites with way less info than mine ranking number 1”.
Do they satisfy E-E-A-T? probably. Does OP’s content satisfy E-E-A-T? Maybe not.
I feel the pain of OP, because we’ve all been there when it comes to SEO. I learnt my lesson in 2012 when the Penguin update wiped out 80% of my clients websites, including my own. If you get ‘found out’ by Google, then unfortunately, it’s a long road back to ranking highly again.
OP asked, “What can I do ?? Is this Google hit on my site permanent? Should I just start a new domain?”
My advice would be, yes start a new domain. Do your best to remove any links you have bought or added, and disavow if necessary. Then, work towards your E-E-A-T scores. You can’t guarantee when or if your rankings will return, so I would start a fresh domain, and focus on E-E-A-T from the outset.
Stop buying/building links. If you are creating content with AI, then focus on adding value, such as citing sources with external links, adding real people with schema markup. Being fully transparent about authors and your business. SEO is and always will be a slow burn that can pay huge dividends. But, if you look for shortcuts, which us SEOs tend to do, then you will most probably be burned by one of Google’s updates, which happen multiple times each year.
Good luck!
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