You ran an SEO audit. Maybe you used Moz, maybe a client pointed it out, or maybe you just noticed your rankings slipping for no obvious reason. Either way, you now have a number staring back at you, and it’s higher than you’d like.
Here’s what you need to know right away. A high spam score does not mean Google has penalized your site. It’s a Moz metric, not Google’s, and it’s a warning system, not a verdict. That said, the problems it flags are real, and they can drag your rankings down if left unchecked.
This guide walks you through what the spam score actually is, what causes it, and, most importantly, a clear, step-by-step process to bring it down.
What Is Spam Score?
Spam score is a Moz metric that measures how closely a website resembles sites Google has penalized or removed from its index. It runs from 0% to 100%.
Moz identified 27 common signals, called “spam flags,” shared by penalized sites. Those flags include a low domain authority-to-link ratio, thin indexed pages relative to the site’s age, excessive followed external links, and unnatural anchor text patterns. No single flag tanks your score. It’s the accumulation that pushes it up.
What most people miss is that Moz spam score is Moz’s own metric. Google doesn’t use it, and you won’t find it anywhere in Search Console. That said, the underlying issues it flags (low-quality backlinks, thin content, unnatural link patterns) are things Google absolutely does care about.
Why Does a High Spam Score Matter for SEO?
The score itself doesn’t affect your rankings. The problems behind it do.
Think of it as a smoke detector. The alarm isn’t what burns the house down, but if it’s going off, something real is wrong. According to Moz’s research, sites above 60% share a high concentration of flags found on manually penalized domains. A high score also signals risk to other site owners, making it harder to earn the backlinks you need to rank.
READ: Does Linking To Other Sites Help SEO
What Causes a High Website Spam Score?
Toxic or Spammy Backlinks
The biggest driver. Links from link farms, private blog networks (PBNs), or spam directories drag your profile down, whether you built them intentionally or not.
Thin or Duplicate Content
Pages with little original content trigger spam flags around content depth. Google has penalized thin content since the Panda update, and it remains a strong signal.
Over-Optimized Anchor Text
Too many backlinks using exact-match keyword phrases look unnatural. Healthy profiles mix branded, partial-match, and generic anchor text.
Poor Site Structure
Excessive redirect chains, broken internal links, or a crawl-unfriendly architecture all contribute to technical spam flags.
On-Page Spam Signals
Keyword stuffing, hidden text, and misleading meta tags are patterns that Moz’s flags detect and are the same signals that can earn Google manual action.
How To Reduce Spam Score of Website: Step by Step
Don’t skip steps, especially the audit phase. Disavowing links without knowing which ones are the problem often causes more harm than good.
Step 1: Find Your Current Spam Score
Go to Moz Link Explorer, enter your domain, and note your score. Semrush’s Backlink Audit tool offers a useful second opinion via its Toxicity Score.
Step 2: Export and Audit Your Full Backlink Profile
Pull your full backlink list from Moz, Semrush, or Ahrefs and mark any linking domains that:
- Have a spam score of 50%+ themselves
- Are unrelated to your industry
- Appear to be link farms, private blog networks, or low-quality directories
- Have keyword-stuffed domain names
- Have no real content, just links
Step 3: Remove What You Can
Contact the site owners of flagged domains and request removal. Many will be unresponsive – that’s what the disavow tool is for.
Step 4: Disavow the Rest
Google’s Disavow Tool, accessed through Google Search Console, lets you submit a text file of domains for Google to ignore.
Google usually processes disavow files within a few weeks. Your spam score won’t update immediately, since Moz runs its own crawl schedule, but the underlying ranking risk starts to drop once Google stops counting those links.
Step 5: Fix On-Page Issues
While the disavow file processes, audit your site for:
- Thin pages: Build out pages under 300 words or consolidate via a 301 redirect.
- Duplicate content: Use Screaming Frog to find near-identical pages, then add canonical tags or merge.
- Keyword stuffing: Rewrite for clarity first, SEO second.
- Misleading metadata: Title tags and descriptions must match what the page actually covers.
Step 6: Build Quality Links Going Forward
A single backlink from a relevant, high-authority site carries far more weight than dozens of toxic links working against you. Focus on legitimate directories, local Sacramento mentions, and content worth linking to.
For help with this, our SEO team at Sierra Exclusive handles backlink audits and ongoing authority building.
Step 7: Monitor on a Schedule
Check your score monthly for the first six months, then quarterly. Expect meaningful movement within 60–90 days of submitting a disavow file and cleaning up on-page issues.
What’s a Good Moz Spam Score?
| Spam Score Range | Risk Level | What to Do |
| 1–30% | Low | Healthy; monitor regularly |
| 31–60% | Medium | Audit your backlink profile |
| 61–100% | High | Take action now |
Context matters. A 35% score on a large e-commerce site is very different from the same score on a five-page local business site. Don’t just react to the number – look at which flags are actually triggering.
READ: How Many Internal Links Per Page SEO
Conclusion
A high spam score isn’t a verdict – it’s a warning. The fix is simple: audit, disavow, clean up, and build smarter.
If your spam score has you concerned, let’s take a look together. At Sierra Exclusive, we run full backlink audits, clean up toxic links, and build the SEO foundation that earns lasting rankings.
Sierra Exclusive is a Sacramento-based digital marketing agency specializing in SEO, website design, and conversion-focused growth strategies for small and mid-sized businesses.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is spam score?
A Moz metric scoring how closely your site resembles penalized or banned domains, from 0–100%. It’s not a Google signal, but the issues it flags are real SEO risks.
What is a good spam score on Moz?
1–30% is healthy. 31–60% is worth investigating. Anything above 60% needs attention. Always look at which specific flags are triggering, not just the overall number.
Does a high spam score mean my site is penalized by Google?
No. Moz spam score is Moz’s own metric, not Google’s. For actual penalty information, check Google Search Console under Security & Manual Actions.
How do I reduce my Moz spam score?
Audit your backlinks, remove or disavow toxic links, and clean up on-page issues like thin content and keyword stuffing. Expect 60–90 days of consistent work before you see significant change.
How many external links should I disavow?
Only the ones you’re confident are toxic: link farms, PBNs, and irrelevant spam sites. Target domains rather than individual URLs. Disavowing good links by mistake can hurt you.
How long does it take for spam score to go down?
Typically 30–90 days after taking action. Google processes disavow files within a few weeks, but ranking improvements take longer to show.
