Link building and linkbacks are an important part of good SEO practice and an excellent way to boost network traffic and attract new visitors. Recent changes to Google’s algorithms have factored in the importance of links and now it’s not just the content of a website which determines its page rank on search engine results pages. The amount of links to and from a website can determine its popularity and ‘worthiness’, and link building can be an effective way of building visibility and presence on the web. However, the importance of link building has made it a target for black hat SEO practices. Trackbacks and pingbacks can easily be enabled on blogs, but owners should be careful when using these forms of linkbacks as they are particularly prone to spam.

What’s the difference between a Pingback and Trackback?

Originating in the comments section of blogs, pingbacks and trackbacks are relatively new concepts in the world of SEO. Pingbacks and trackbacks basically serve as notifications between two different websites. A trackback occurs when one blog owner sees an article or content on another blog which they want to share or comment on. The blog owner is able to post on their own website about the article or content they are interested in, and they can then send a trackback to the original blog owner to notify them about what they have written. Receiving the trackback, the original author can then display an excerpt from the other blog in the form of a comment on the original article. Pingbacks are very similar but they typically just generate a link to the related content on the other blog. Some people prefer using pingbacks because trackbacks recipients can edit whatever excerpt they have received before posting it, but with a pingback it is just a link being shared. Regardless, both methods act as a way for blogs to connect with each other. They are a quick way for blog owners to show if they have been referenced on other blogs so readers can easily find further discussions on the content.

What Is Pingback and Trackback Spam?

Pingbacks and trackbacks are automated so blog owners are notified when their content is being commented on or shared elsewhere. Blog owners have to approve these notifications before they appear on the original content. When trackbacks or pingbacks are approved, a link or excerpt is generated that directs to another blog or website referencing the original content. This creates a mutually beneficial relationship between two websites as they are linking to one another and potentially creating new opportunity for traffic. However, Google uses outgoing and incoming links to determine the page rank of a website. Some blog owners are tempted to approve pingbacks and trackbacks which lead to spam blogs (often referred to as splogs) devoid of real content because it shows that their content is active and being commented on. This can be a very bad idea because if these links are from spam or ‘content-mill’ style blogs, it will be detrimental to the blog owner’s page ranking.

What Can Website Owners do about it?

Website and blog owners simply need to be careful about the trackbacks and pingbacks they verify. A shocking 83 per cent of all blog comments are spam, so it can sometimes feel like an uphill battle. However, many spam pingbacks and trackbacks are easily identifiable. A generic comment, phrases in broken English or content which is completely off-topic to the original subject is usually a strong indicator of spam. If website owners are still unsure, they can simply visit the originating website to see if it is a spam website to avoid.

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Jennifer Jameson is a Marketing Assistant at SEOBrighton.com, one of the South of England’s leading Search Agencies. She enjoys hill walking, cycling and sharing her secrets about SEO on twitter. 

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