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How to Report Black Hat SEO? & When to Report?

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People usually search for this topic when something feels off with their rankings. Either a competitor is climbing the results using shady tactics, or your own website has taken an unexplained hit after months of solid work. A smaller portion of users look this up simply to understand what black hat behaviour looks like so they can avoid it.

No matter which group you fall into, you need clarity. You need to know what black hat tactics look like, how to verify what you're seeing, and how to report it in a way that genuinely helps Google’s systems detect and filter out manipulation.

This guide walks you through how to spot suspicious activity, what steps to take before reporting, how to lodge a correct report with Google, and what to do if you're the one being targeted.

What Black Hat SEO Looks Like Today

Black hat SEO is any tactic designed to manipulate rankings instead of earning them. In 2025, the tell-tale signs have shifted because Google's AI systems now pick up patterns that were once invisible. Still, the core tricks haven't changed much. Google's own spam policies for Google web search spell out exactly what counts as manipulation.

Here are the most common signals people notice:

1. A Competitor Suddenly Jumps Up the Rankings

A website that has sat at position 30 for months suddenly jumps to position 3 with no major content updates or brand growth. This usually prompts business owners to investigate.

2. Suspicious Backlinks

A backlink audit reveals:

3. Fake Reviews on Google Business Profile

Competitors attacking your ratings with one star reviews is a common local black hat tactic. Business owners searching for how to report this are usually under direct attack.

4. Doorway Pages

Thin, duplicated suburb pages created only to capture traffic. They provide no additional information and funnel users into the same place.

5. Hidden Content

CSS tricks used to hide links, make text invisible, or inject spam phrases into a page.

6. Spammy AI Content

Long blogs that look fine at first glance but read like generic, recycled, low-quality text when you inspect them closely.

If any of these patterns look familiar, there's a good chance the site involved is manipulating rankings.

How To Identify Black Hat SEO Properly

Module illustration

Before you report anything, you need solid evidence. Google receives thousands of spam reports, and careless submissions dilute the usefulness of the system. A good report highlights patterns, not personal grudges.

Here's how to verify what you're seeing.

Run a Backlink Audit

Use Ahrefs, SEMrush or Search Console to check:

If a competitor in Parramatta suddenly has backlinks from Russian cooking blogs and Brazilian pet stores, that's a clear sign something is off. If you are unsure how to evaluate the quality of a referring domain, my guide on running a backlink audit walks through the process.

Check Their Content Quality

Look for:

Inspect the Source Code

Look for:

Review Their Google Business Profile

Common signs include:

Once you have this evidence, you can file a proper report.

How To Report a Competitor for Black Hat SEO

Google openly provides tools to report spam, scams, and malicious behaviour. These reports don't trigger instant punishment, but they help train Google's detection systems. When enough credible signals are collected, Google's systems take corrective action.

Here's how to report it correctly.

Step 1. Gather Proof

Google wants specifics. You need:

This is the part most people skip, and it's the difference between a useful and a useless report.

Step 2. Go to Google's Spam Report Page

Search for:
Google Report Spam
and open the official form.

The options include:

Choose the most accurate category.

Step 3. Fill Out the Report

Provide:

Keep it factual. Avoid emotional statements like "they're stealing my customers".

Step 4. Submit and Move On

Google will not update you. Reports go into a machine-learning system that improves spam detection. Your job is simply to contribute accurate information.

What To Do If You're the One Being Attacked

Negative SEO is still around. The good news is that Google is far better at ignoring spammy links than it was years ago. Still, you shouldn't ignore it. Search Engine Land has a useful overview of what negative SEO actually is if you want broader background reading before diving in.

Here's what to do immediately.

1. Audit Your Backlinks

Look for sudden spikes, foreign domains, or irrelevant sites. Export the list.

2. Contact Webmasters

Ask them to remove the spam links. Most won't reply, but it shows Google you tried.

3. Use the Disavow Tool

Create a simple text file containing all toxic domains and submit it in Google Search Console. This tells Google to ignore them.

4. Document Everything

If you ever need a reconsideration request, having records speeds up the process.

5. Improve EEAT Signals

Add:

Stronger EEAT reduces the impact of negative SEO dramatically. If you want a deeper view on how Google evaluates trust, see my breakdown of EEAT in content strategy.

What if your website is hacked?

Competitors can hire hackers to take down your website or make changes to hamper your SEO. There is nothing Google can do in this case to help you out. You will need to make sure that your website is secured and is made hack-proof. Look out for these signs and immediately engage a web developer to seal your website to protect your rankings-

  1. Unexplained blog posts or external links
  2. Outdates plugins and theme
  3. Unexplained theme and plugin installations
  4. Website's meta title and description being shown in a different language

WordPress websites are very prone to these attacks so in order to prevent damage make sure that you have automated backups and hire a web developer to update WordPress core and plugins whenever there is a major rollout. Similarly, it is important to not give website access to anyone who you don't trust. For extra security measures you can change login URL, add a login notification and delete unwanted admins/ editors as required.

Should You Report a Competitor?

People ask this a lot. The honest answer is simple:

Competitors writing better content, building real links, or investing more in SEO is not black hat. That's fair competition.

But if someone is ranking purely because of link farms, doorway pages, fake reviews or AI abuse, you should report it. Google relies on these reports to improve detection.

When Reporting Makes Sense

When Reporting Doesn't Make Sense

Focus on facts, not emotions.

The Right Way To Protect Your Site Long-Term

Reporting helps, but it's not a strategy. The best defence is a strong, white hat SEO foundation.

Here's what that looks like:

Build Trust Signals

Improve Technical SEO

Produce Content That Shows Real Experience

If you're in construction, show your actual projects.
If you're an accountant, share real examples.
If you're a physiotherapist, explain real treatment scenarios.

Generic content is the easiest target for future algorithm shifts.

Earn Links, Don't Buy Them

Digital PR, partnerships, events, studies, sponsorships, community engagement and helpful guides outperform link buying every single time.

A Final Word from a Sydney SEO Consultant

Running an honest SEO strategy in Australia has never been more important. Black hat tactics don't just put a site at risk, they damage trust, destroy customer confidence, and wipe out years of work when the next update rolls through.

If you've spotted black hat behaviour or think your site is being targeted, take action early. Document everything, report responsibly, and strengthen your own website's authority.

If you want help analysing a suspicious competitor or recovering from dodgy tactics used by a past agency, you can reach out through my website. I've helped many Sydney businesses clean up their profiles, rebuild their rankings, and create a long-term strategy that doesn't collapse every time Google updates its systems.

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