WordPress SEO Spam: How to Remove It & Protect Your Site

SEO spam is all about manipulating search engine results. This deceptive practice exploits Google's process of indexing web pages. As such, it's often referred to as 'spamdexing.' Although there are many ways to inject SEO spam, this typically involves hidden links or keywords, meant to shift search engine rankings or even send traffic to low-quality (even dangerous) webpages.

WordPress sites are vulnerable to SEO spam and link injections due to challenges that accompany flexible themes and plugins. Attackers target these and other entry points, injecting spam and impacting search visibility. If this happens, quick mitigation is needed but should be accompanied by comprehensive security solutions that prevent reinfection. Learn how SEO spam impacts WordPress sites and how it can be removed or avoided altogether.

What does SEO spam look like on a WordPress site?

SEO spam can happen on many types of websites, WordPress included. The signs of this type of attack appear on websites themselves and also on search engines. With Google, strange indexed pages may suddenly appear, with searches even leading to results in foreign languages. Other issues appear within WordPress: admin accounts show up mysteriously, and plugins are suddenly modified. Additional content in the database may be similarly unexpected.

Google Search Console can also help identify potential problems. The Security Issues report shows when Google detects signs that a site has been hacked or may contain harmful content. Other warning signs include:

• Japanese keyword hack and foreign-language spam pages. Attackers auto-generate pages filled with Japanese or other foreign-language text and keywords, often promoting counterfeit goods. These pages target search rankings rather than your actual audience, and attackers sometimes add themselves as verified owners in Google Search Console to manage them.
• Hidden links or text using CSS. Attackers may use CSS properties such as display:none to hide injected links or text from visitors while leaving the content in the page’s HTML where search engines may still crawl it.
• Cloaking. Sophisticated exploits allow threat actors to serve distinct content to search engines, differing from what is delivered to human users. As with hidden CSS-manipulated spam, the compromise remains hidden while negatively impacting search engine strategies.
• Malicious redirects to external sites. Altered files can redirect users to spam domains or landing pages, which can expose them to new risks such as malware or phishing.

How does SEO spam get into WordPress?

Outdated, unsupported, or poorly coded plugins and themes in WordPress can introduce vulnerabilities that attackers may exploit, especially when sites are not properly maintained or lack layered security. Vulnerabilities in outdated plugins and themes are common entry points, potentially leading to malicious code injections or backdoors that enable further compromise.

Weak administrator credentials also create risks, especially surrounding brute-force attacks. If hackers manage to break in, they can install malicious plugins or create rogue accounts. Meanwhile, insecure input fields run the risk of code injection or SQL injection.

Where does it hide?

SEO spam is problematic, in part, because it can strike such a wide range of WordPress mechanisms. Some instances of SEO spam may be easy to spot, but often, this problem hides in plain sight.

• WordPress plugin and theme files. Plugins and themes are often at the center of WordPress SEO spam attacks. These are among the most vulnerable elements, as some third-party code may be easily exploitable. Site owners often neglect to update these plugins and themes, allowing attackers to inject hidden links or malicious scripts. Attacks could also involve rogue plugins that are modified or even outright created by bad actors.
• Core WordPress and configuration files. Core files determine how WordPress runs and how content is delivered. From the attacker's perspective, these are valuable targets. Critical points include wp-config.php or .htaccess.
• WordPress database. The structured system known as the WordPress database is meant to store posts, pages, and other content, but it can be a target for SEO spam. Injected database content may be surfaced on public-facing pages and then indexed by search engines.
• Uploads directory. Media files are stored in a default directory (/wp-content/uploads/), where attackers may hide malicious PHP files, sometimes disguised as image files. These files can cause all kinds of damage, producing spam pages or even prompting reinfection following cleanup efforts.
• Unknown administrator accounts. After gaining access, attackers may create new admin accounts used to log in later. These accounts may not contain spam directly, but they can allow attackers to maintain access and potentially reinfect the site.

How to remove SEO spam from WordPress

The sooner SEO spam is addressed, the better. Delays can compromise search engine rankings or even user trust. The cleanup process can be complicated, however, as its exact structure depends largely on the type of infection. 

This basic remediation workflow can be adjusted as needed to reflect website-specific challenges:

• Back up the website. Before making any cleanup changes, create a complete backup, so you have a copy of the site’s current state in case anything needs to be restored during the cleanup process. Keep in mind that this backup may still contain the infection and will not fix the underlying vulnerability. If available, a known-clean backup from before the compromise may also be used to help restore affected files or content.
• Scan files and database to understand infection scope. The most effective solutions are backed by a detailed understanding of what, exactly, has happened and why. This means determining what is infected and whether any unusual patterns surround that infection. Using a malware scanning service can help to uncover injected content quickly. 
• Identify injected links, scripts, or backdoors. Take a closer look at scan results to determine where injected links exist, including spam hidden within database tables. Look for suspicious scripts and meta refresh tags in pages and database content, as well as redirect rules in server configuration files like .htaccess. Scans may also reveal scripts or file signatures that allow for later re-entry.
• Replace compromised files and components with known-clean versions where appropriate, and reinstall affected plugins and themes from trusted sources. 
• Remove unauthorized administrator accounts and plugins. Delete any accounts, plugins, or other components that were created or installed by an attacker.
• Address the vulnerability that allowed the infection. Update or patch vulnerable WordPress core files, plugins, themes, or other affected components to help prevent reinfection.
• Reset compromised credentials. Passwords (including those associated with user or admin accounts) must be changed following SEO spam attacks. Consider strengthening password strategies through better enforcement or by enabling two-factor authentication.
• Clean up search results. Remove any unknown users or owners in Google Search Console and resubmit a clean sitemap. If Google reports a Security Issue related to hacked content, request a security review after the site has been fully cleaned. For spam URLs that should no longer appear in search, Google’s Removals tool can temporarily hide them while the underlying URLs are permanently removed, corrected, or otherwise addressed.

Prevent reinfection

WordPress sites targeted in SEO spam attacks are vulnerable to reinfection, as attackers often reuse credentials or leave backdoors. Ideally, such access will be cut off during the initial spam removal process, but if problematic security practices are not addressed outright, new infections remain possible. Proactive monitoring and hardening help to improve overall WordPress security and resilience. 

These steps help prevent future SEO spam:

• Regularly update the core, plugins, and themes. Any plugins or themes that are actually used must be carefully maintained. Install updates promptly and consider removing any plugins or themes that are not actively used.
• Patch known vulnerabilities. As WordPress vulnerabilities are discovered, patches are released to prevent attackers from gaining access. While some WordPress updates may occur automatically, others may require manual action depending on the site’s configuration. Use vulnerability patching services to apply targeted patches to known vulnerabilities automatically.
• Require strong credentials. Prevent brute force issues by mandating new and unique passwords. Add another layer of defense via two-factor authentication (2FA). Use WordPress security plugins to improve hardening.
• Follow least privilege principles. The Principle of Least Privilege (PoLP) grants users the permissions needed to complete essential tasks — and nothing more. By controlling access, this strategy limits attack surfaces and limits the impact in the event that an account is compromised.
• Use malware monitoring services. Malware scanning services can detect SEO spam through file and database scanning. SEO spam often involves techniques associated with malware, so continuous monitoring is essential.
• Use a web application firewall. The web application firewall (WAF) acts as a powerful shield, inspecting incoming traffic to uncover potentially dangerous patterns — and blocking requests as needed. A WAF can help block malicious requests and exploit attempts that could otherwise be used to inject spam or malicious code.
• Maintain clean backups. Despite these preventive measures, SEO spam remains a distinct possibility, so WordPress security and recovery practices should be adjusted accordingly. In the event of SEO spam, you'll want mechanisms that help you quickly restore your WordPress site to a clean and stable state.

Protect your WordPress website from future SEO spam

Preventing SEO spam requires more than cleaning up malicious content after an attack. A stronger website security strategy should also address the vulnerabilities, malicious traffic, and other risks that can lead to reinfection.

SiteLock WordPress security combines proactive protection, monitoring, and remediation to help keep WordPress sites secure. Malware scanning and removal can help identify and clean infected files, while vulnerability patching and a web application firewall help reduce the risk of future attacks.

Site Health provides a clearer view of your website’s security status, while Prioritized Tasks surface the issues that need attention and help you understand what to address next. Site owners can also add another layer of protection with the SiteLock WordPress security plugin.