The Link Building Game: Why You Must Avoid Synthetic Links

We all want to see our website climb to the top of Google, and links are a huge part of that. However, there is a dangerous shortcut some people take that can ruin your progress.

I want to teach you the difference between good links and bad ones, especially about What is Synthetic Links? By the end, you will know the safe, ethical ways to build the authority your site deserves.

What is Synthetic Links?

Simply put, What is Synthetic Links? refers to backlinks that were not earned naturally, but rather created solely to manipulate search engine rankings. These are often purchased, mass-produced in blog comments, forums, or from low-quality, irrelevant websites.

I call them “fake votes” because they try to fool Google into thinking your site is popular and trustworthy. Search engines are smart, and they have algorithms like Penguin designed specifically to find and penalize these manufactured link patterns.

They offer a fast, short-term boost but almost always lead to a major, costly penalty.

Synthetic Links Across Different CMS Platforms

Your CMS itself does not create these bad links, but the platform’s stability is what you are risking when you use them.

WordPress

WordPress is often the target for link spammers who exploit security flaws or open comment sections. I see many WordPress sites penalized because they did not properly secure their blog against comment spam containing Synthetic Links.

It is crucial to use strong anti-spam plugins and mark any suspicious comments as spam immediately.

Shopify

For my Shopify clients, Synthetic Links are usually built to product pages to try and boost quick sales. This is dangerous because a penalty can lead to those pages being de-indexed, killing your sales channel.

The solution is to focus on creating great product content that naturally earns links from review sites and blogs.

Wix and Webflow

Wix and Webflow sites are technically strong, but even a perfect platform cannot save you from a link penalty. The penalty applies to your domain, regardless of how you built the site.

I always advise people on these platforms to stick to organic outreach and content marketing to earn genuine links.

Custom CMS

With a custom CMS, you may feel safer, but a large, artificial link profile is still easy to spot. The search engine simply looks at the quantity and quality of sites pointing to yours, not how your backend is coded.

I have to be extra vigilant with custom sites to regularly audit the backlink profile for any suspicious, low-quality links.

Industry Applications and Risks

The potential for a penalty from Synthetic Links is a universal threat, but some industries feel the impact more strongly.

Ecommerce

Ecommerce sites need authority links from credible sources like large product review sites or news outlets. Synthetic Links are often built on unrelated, shady sites, making them completely irrelevant to a shopping audience.

This tactic signals to Google that your store is low-quality, which causes severe trust issues.

Local Businesses

A local business should focus on earning links from local newspapers, chambers of commerce, and business directories. Synthetic Links from overseas or irrelevant industries have no local relevance.

These fake links actually hurt your ability to rank for local, trustworthy searches like “best plumber near me.”

SaaS (Software as a Service)

SaaS companies rely on links from tech blogs and industry comparison sites to show expertise. Synthetic links on random forums or generic article directories destroy that crucial professional image.

I tell my SaaS friends that the risk to their brand reputation is not worth the tiny, temporary boost.

Blogs and Content Sites

For a successful blog, the links are proof that your content is valuable and share-worthy. Creating Synthetic Links undermines the entire content-creation strategy.

I suggest you spend your time writing one amazing article that earns ten real links, instead of generating a hundred fake ones.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How can I tell if a link is “Synthetic”?

Synthetic links are usually easy to spot because they come from sites with no traffic, irrelevant topics, or a massive number of links on one page. They often use the exact keyword you want to rank for in the link text, which looks unnatural.

What should I do if my site already has Synthetic Links?

I recommend running a backlink audit using tools like Google Search Console or Ahrefs to identify low-quality links. If you cannot get the site owner to remove the link, you should use Google’s Disavow Tool to tell Google to ignore those links.

What is a good, safe link building technique?

The best technique is called “linkable asset creation,” where you create incredible content like a unique case study, free tool, or comprehensive guide. Then, you reach out to relevant websites to let them know the content exists, asking if they would like to link to it.