Negative SEO Recovery Services 2027 to Diagnose, Clean Up and Protect Your Site
negative seo recovery, freelance, since 2014My negative SEO recovery services start with one question: was your site attacked, or did something else cause the drop? I check the facts first, clean up what is really there, and set up monitoring so you notice the next problem early. One freelancer, €25 an hour, or a monthly plan from €475.
- defense only
- diagnosis before cleanup
- no recovery guarantees
- You send your site and what changed. Tell me the URL, the date traffic dropped and anything odd you noticed.
- I investigate myself. You get a short reply with what the evidence points to, and what I would do first.
- You decide. Pick a plan, set your own budget, or walk away.
| check | result | status |
|---|---|---|
| pages and plugins scanned | no injected content found | clear |
| link review | 86 domains flagged, 454 normal | in progress |
| disavow file | draft saved, not yet uploaded | next |
// example data for a made-up site. It shows what the tracker looks like, not a client result. Recovery is never guaranteed.
Spotting an Attack in the Data
Most drops blamed on negative SEO have another cause. I compare backlink exports over time before concluding anything. Serious claims need evidence.
// links that appeared between two exports
new = set(open(‘links_april.txt’).read().split())
added = sorted(new – old)
print(len(added), ‘new links’)
for u in added[:20]: print(u)
FROM backlinks WHERE first_seen >= ‘2026-04-01’
GROUP BY domain ORDER BY n DESC;
// a spike of odd links is a lead, not proof. Google says it handles most spam links automatically. Made-up file names.
What Negative SEO Recovery Services Actually Cover
Negative SEO recovery means finding out whether someone is deliberately harming your site in search, removing or neutralizing what they did, and getting Google to see the corrected site. For a full explanation of the attack types, read my guide to negative SEO.
Diagnose
I check Search Console for manual actions and security issues, review your links, content, reviews and server changes, and compare the timeline of your drop with the evidence.
Clean Up
I remove what can be removed, such as hacked pages or injected code, ask site owners to take down bad links, and use the disavow tool only when it is justified.
Protect
I set up alerts and a monthly check, so a new wave of spam links, a hack or a changed robots.txt file is spotted in days, not months.
// this is the shape of the work. The exact steps depend on what the evidence shows.
Most Drops Are Not Attacks
Many sites that think they are under attack have an ordinary problem: a Google update, a technical fault, lost links or weaker content. I rule those out first, because treating the wrong problem wastes your money.
| What you see | Often means | What I check first |
|---|---|---|
| Traffic fell on one date | An update, a tracking change or a technical fault | Search Console, release dates, your own change log |
| Thousands of new spam links | Spam that may be harmless or may be an attack | Whether a manual action exists, and whether rankings really moved |
| Odd pages in search results | Hacked content or injected pages | Security issues report, server files, plugin and user lists |
| Pages dropped from the index | A noindex tag or robots.txt change | Page indexing report, robots.txt history |
| Copies of your content elsewhere | Scraping, which is common and often harmless | Which copy was indexed first, and who outranks you |
// my reading of the usual causes, not a diagnosis of your site. I give you the real answer after I look.
What Google Says About These Problems
I only rely on Google's own documentation for what happens to your site. Here is what it says on the points that matter most.
What Counts as Link Spam
Google defines link spam as creating links to or from a site primarily to manipulate search rankings. Its examples include buying or selling links, excessive link exchanges, and automated link creation. Those are things done to your own site by you or your past SEO, which is why I check your history as well as outsiders.
An Advanced Tool, Used Rarely
Google calls the disavow tool an advanced feature that should only be used with caution, and says most sites will not need it. It is meant for sites with a considerable number of spammy or low-quality links that have caused, or will likely cause, a manual action. If you can, you should try to remove the links first.
When a Human Reviewed It
A manual action means a Google reviewer found pages not compliant with its spam policies. Google says fixing some pages earns no partial return to search results, so every affected page needs fixing before you request a review. Most reviews take several days or weeks.
Security Issues Report
Google describes hacked content as content placed on your site without your permission because of security vulnerabilities. The Security Issues report lists hacked content, malware and social engineering, and after fixing you request a review and explain what you did.
// sources: Google Search Central spam policies, Search Console Help (disavow, manual actions, security issues). See the list at the end.
Your Recovery Project in One Picture
Here is what happens after you send me your URL, in order. Seven stops, one direction.
Send the URL
and the date of the drop
Triage
manual action, security, index
Evidence
links, content, server, reviews
Verdict
attack or not, in plain words
Cleanup
remove, fix, request takedown
Review
disavow or reconsideration if needed
Guard
alerts and a monthly check
// an example timeline. Real timing depends on what I find and on how fast Google, site owners and hosts respond. Not a promise of recovery.
How I Do the Diagnosis
I start in Search Console. I open the Manual Actions report, the Security Issues report and the page indexing report, because those three show whether Google has flagged your site, whether it was hacked, and whether pages have dropped out of the index.
Then I build the timeline: the date your traffic changed, the date of any site update, plugin change or hosting move, and the dates of any new links. Google advises giving an outside SEO only read access to Search Console at the audit stage, and that is all I need to begin.
what_i_do
- Review manual actions, security and indexing
- Compare the drop with updates and your own changes
- Check robots.txt, noindex tags and redirects
- Write a verdict in plain English
what_you_get
- A one-page diagnosis with the evidence
- A clear answer: attack, own error, or neither
- A ranked list of what to fix first
| check | result | meaning |
|---|---|---|
| manual action | none | no human review issue |
| security issues | found | injected pages |
| robots.txt | normal | no change |
| spam links | many | noise, not the cause |
// example data: a made-up site. It shows how a verdict reads, not a client result.
How I Do the Link Review and Cleanup
I export your links from Search Console and look at them in groups: normal links, low-quality links that arrived on their own, and patterns that look built to harm, such as thousands of links with the same casino or adult anchor text in a few days.
Next I remove what I can: I contact site owners and hosts and ask for removals. Only when a considerable number of spammy links has caused or will likely cause a manual action do I prepare a disavow file. Google says the file must be a UTF-8 or 7-bit ASCII text file ending in .txt, with one URL or one domain: entry per line, up to 100,000 lines and 2 MB.
what_i_do
- Group links by pattern, not one by one
- Request removals from owners and hosts
- Prepare a clean disavow file only if justified
- Keep a log of every action taken
what_you_get
- A link review with every group explained
- A disavow file only when Google's criteria are met
- A log you can show Google or your client
| group | links | action |
|---|---|---|
| normal editorial links | 310 | keep |
| scraper and directory noise | 1,150 | watch |
| same-anchor casino links, new domains | 2,740 | remove, then disavow |
// example data: a made-up site. Real counts and actions come from your own link export.
How I Do Hack and Content Cleanup
If the Security Issues report shows hacked content, malware or social engineering, the first job is the site itself, not the links. I find the injected pages and code, remove them, update everything that was out of date, change passwords and close the hole that let them in.
Google says fixing only some pages earns no partial return to search results, so I fix every affected URL, test the fixes, then request a review and explain the problem, the steps taken and the results. For copied content I show you which version Google indexed first and, where a copy outranks you, how to file a takedown request with the site and its host.
what_i_do
- Find and remove injected pages and code
- Update plugins, themes and passwords
- Test every fix, then request the review
- Handle takedown requests for copied content
what_you_get
- A clean site, with the cause explained
- The review request written and sent
- A checklist to keep it from happening again
// example data: a 40-page small business site after a hack cleanup. It shows the kind of report you get, not a client result.
How I Do Protection and Monitoring
After cleanup the goal is to catch the next problem early. I set up Search Console email alerts, a check of your robots.txt file and noindex tags, a monthly review of new links, and a short list of things that should never change without you knowing.
Most of this is simple. A site that gets a monthly look at its links and security report rarely has a surprise that lasts months.
what_i_do
- Set up alerts and a baseline of your links
- Watch robots.txt, redirects and key pages
- Review new links each month
- Flag anything unusual to you the same week
what_you_get
- A baseline snapshot to compare against
- A monthly page showing what is normal
- A named person to message when something looks wrong
// the list I check each month. Each item is something you can verify in your own Search Console.
How I Report So You Can Follow Along
Once a month you get a short report in plain English: what I found, what I did, and what comes next. If a number went down, it is in there too, with my best explanation.
The numbers come from your own Google Search Console and analytics, so you can check every one of them without taking my word for it.
what_i_do
- Track clicks, impressions and indexed pages
- List every cleanup task completed
- Flag what needs your decision
what_you_get
- One readable page a month
- The next month's plan
- Answers on WhatsApp in between
// example data, to show the format. Your real report uses your real numbers, up or down.
What I Will Not Do and What No One Can Promise
This is sensitive work, so I am blunt about the limits.
Things I Stay Away From
- Attacking a competitor or anyone else
- Promising recovery, a date or a position
- Disavowing links on a hunch
- Buying links to "outweigh" bad ones
What You Can Expect
- Evidence before action, every time
- A plain verdict, even if it is "not an attack"
- A log of everything done to your site
- Honest timing: weeks to months, depending on the case
// Google says no one can guarantee a number one ranking, and that applies to recovery too. Most reconsideration reviews take several days or weeks, and some link-related ones take longer.
Recovery Agency or Freelance Expert?
Some agencies sell a "cleanup package" with a fixed disavow file. A freelancer cannot do everything an agency can, but you get one person who reads your evidence.
| Typical cleanup package | SyncCrawl (me) | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts with | A disavow upload | A diagnosis of what actually happened |
| Who does the work | Whoever is free that week | The same freelancer every month |
| Hacked sites | Often handed back to you | Cleaned by me, including WordPress work |
| Price | Package price | €25/hour, or plans from €475/month |
| Best for | Large sites with big teams | Small sites that need one careful pair |
// the package column is my opinion of the typical case. Good agencies exist.
Three Plans, One Hourly Rate
Every plan includes all four parts of SEO: on-page, technical, local and off-page link building. The bigger the plan, the more work gets done each month. That's the whole pricing model.
Starter
For a small local site that needs steady, careful work.
€475/month
- On-page, technical, local and off-page
- 1 to 2 guest post links a month
- Links from blogs with real traffic
- Monthly plain-English report
Growth
For a business with competitors who already do SEO.
€875/month
- On-page, technical, local and off-page
- 2 to 3 guest post links a month
- Links from blogs with real traffic
- More pages and fixes handled each month
Full Campaign
The full SEO campaign, sized for a low-volume site.
€1,275/month
- On-page, technical, local and off-page
- 5 or more guest post links a month
- Links from blogs with real traffic
- The most work per month of the three
Set Your Own Budget
None of the three plans fit? Tell me what you can spend each month and I'll tell you honestly what I can do for it. A small budget goes to the most important fixes first.
// need one job done, not a plan? My hourly rate is €25. Message me the task and I'll tell you the hours before I start.
Who This Works For, and Who It Doesn't
My plans suit small sites that want a real answer and steady work.
Sudden Drop, No Explanation
A site whose traffic fell and who wants to know whether it was an attack, a Google update or its own fault.
Hacked or Spammed Sites
Sites with injected pages, a security warning, or a flood of spam links that need cleaning and monitoring.
Revenge or Guarantees
If you want me to attack a competitor, or to promise a recovery date, I am the wrong person, and so is anyone who says yes.
Questions People Ask Me First
Short answers to what site owners ask before they hire help with negative SEO.
What are negative SEO recovery services?
Negative SEO recovery services are the investigation and cleanup work after someone has tried to harm your site in search. They cover diagnosis, link and content cleanup, hack repair, review requests to Google, and monitoring so the next problem is caught early.
How do I know if I was hit by negative SEO?
You often cannot tell without looking at the evidence. Check Search Console for manual actions and security issues, compare your drop date with updates and site changes, and review new links. Many drops turn out to be updates or technical faults, not attacks.
Do I need to disavow spam links?
Usually not. Google says most sites will not need the disavow tool and calls it an advanced feature to use with caution. It is for sites with a considerable number of spammy links that have caused, or will likely cause, a manual action.
What happens if I have a manual action?
Google says a manual action means a reviewer found pages not compliant with its spam policies. You fix the issue on all affected pages, then use Request Review and explain the problem, the steps taken and the results. Most reviews take several days or weeks.
Can you guarantee my rankings will recover?
No, and nobody honestly can. Google says no one can guarantee a number one ranking. I guarantee the work in your plan: the investigation, the cleanup and the monitoring listed each month.
How long does recovery take?
Expect weeks to months. The investigation takes days, the cleanup depends on how much needs fixing, and Google says reconsideration reviews can take several days or weeks. Rankings may take longer to move. (This is my experience, not a promise.)
My site was hacked. What do I do first?
Keep the evidence, then check the Security Issues report in Search Console. Remove injected content, update software, change passwords and close the entry point. Then request a review and explain the steps taken. I can do all of this for you.
Can you remove the bad links?
I can ask site owners and hosts to remove them, and I log each request. I cannot force a third party to act. Where links cannot be removed and Google's criteria are met, I prepare a disavow file.
Will you attack the person who did it?
No. I do defense only. I do not build spam links, copy content or file false reports against anyone, and I will not do it on your behalf either.
What does it cost?
My rate is €25 an hour, and monthly plans are Starter €475, Growth €875 and Full Campaign €1,275. All plans include on-page, technical, local and off-page work, and the bigger plan gets more work done each month. You can also set your own monthly budget.
Keep Reading on SyncCrawl
Other pages that go deeper on parts of this work.
Negative SEO Guide
How to detect it, stop it and recover, with the attack types explained.
negative seo guide >Penalty Recovery
For manual actions and sudden drops after a Google update.
penalty recovery >Off-Page SEO
How links and mentions work, and how to keep your link profile clean.
off-page seo >Looking for the full picture? See my main page for cheap SEO services, or the SEO audit service if you only need the diagnosis.
Send Me Your URL. I'll Tell You What I See.
No form, no sales call. Message me on WhatsApp with your website address and the date traffic dropped, and I will reply with a first honest look.
// the first look costs you one message.
Sources and Last Check
Official pages first. Everything on this page that quotes a rule or a number comes from one of these.
- Google Search Central: Spam policies for Google web search (link spam, hacked content)
- Google Search Console Help: Disavow links to your site (when to use it, file format, limits)
- Google Search Console Help: Manual Actions report (fixing and requesting review)
- Google Search Console Help: Security Issues report (hacked content, malware, social engineering)
- Google Search Central: Do you need an SEO? (no guarantees; read access only at audit stage)
- Google Search Central: How Google Search works (crawling, indexing, serving; indexing is not guaranteed)
// last checked 11 Nov 2026. Prices and plan contents are my own. Opinions are marked as opinions.