Spammy Backlinks and 404 Errors: What Google Said This Week

Two pieces of Google news this week matter for builders. First, Google says its Search Console links report shows only a sample of links, including spammy ones. Second, Google released a video explaining why 404 errors are not scary.

Both topics also fuel sales pitches. Some vendors sell ‘toxic backlink’ audits, and others sell ‘fix every 404’ packages. So this guide explains what Google said, and what you should actually do. First, a note. We rely on Search Engine Roundtable’s reports here, so check Google’s own documentation too.

What Google Said About Spammy Backlinks

• Search Engine Roundtable reported on 29 October that the links report shows only a sampling of links.
• Not all spammy links appear there. The report even shows links you have disavowed.
• John Mueller answered a Reddit question from an SEO whose site gained spammy links daily. Semrush showed them, but Search Console did not.
• Mueller told him not to anchor on whether Search Console shows them. For random spammy links, he said, ‘I’d just ignore them’.

Search Engine Roundtable adds some background. Google does not notify sites about spammy links, because it ignores them. Since the Penguin 4.0 update, Google devalues bad links instead of demoting the pages they point to. Also, Mueller has said many times that disavowing can hurt more than it helps in some cases.

What to Do About Backlinks

1. Open Search Console and look at your top linking sites, once a quarter.
2. Then ignore random spam from sites you have never heard of.
3. Also, never buy a ‘toxic link’ report as a rescue plan.
4. Skip the disavow tool unless an expert has a clear reason.
5. Spend the time on real links, such as local directories, trade bodies and client websites.

Real proof earns real links. Our guide to a construction case study shows how to publish work that other sites want to link to.

When Backlinks Do Matter

Some cases deserve action. Search Engine Roundtable reported an older Mueller comment that covers one of them.

• Paid links you added. If you bought links, the webspam team may ask you to clean them up.
• A manual action. Search Console would show a message. Read it and follow the steps.
• Hacked content. Spam links injected into your own pages are a security problem. See our guide to WordPress security in 2026.

Outside these cases, random spam links are normal, because most sites collect them.

What Google Said About 404 Errors

On 28 October, Google released a Halloween video in its Non-Canonical Cabinet series. Cherry Prommawin and Gary Illyes covered common myths about 404 pages, according to Search Engine Roundtable.

• 404 errors do not cause Google penalties. A 404 means the server could not find a page.
• 404s do not drain your crawl budget.
• Google understands that 404s are normal on the web.
• Fixing 404s is optional.
• Do not redirect every 404 to the homepage.

Mueller said something similar in January. He explained that a 404 or 410 is not a negative quality signal. A homepage redirect usually will not get the old URL indexed, and Google may treat it as a soft 404. A page that shows a ‘not found’ message but returns a 200 status is definitely a soft 404.

What to Do About 404s

1. Leave 404s alone when the page is gone for good and has no close replacement.
2. Fix a 404 when the page should exist, such as after a broken update.
3. Redirect an old URL only to a closely related page, using a 301 redirect.
4. Update your own internal links, so no page points to a dead URL.
5. Avoid sending every old URL to the homepage. We often find this after a redesign.
6. Check for soft 404s, where a missing page returns a normal 200 status.

Our guide to URL slugs for builders explains when to change a URL and how to redirect it safely.

Build a Helpful 404 Page

A 404 is fine for Google, but it can frustrate a client. So make the page useful.

• First, say plainly that you cannot find the page.
• Then add links to your main services and your contact page.
• Also show a phone number and a click-to-call button.
• Offer a search box if your site has many pages.
• Make sure the page returns a real 404 status.

Visitors who land on a good 404 page can still find you. For related maintenance tasks, see what website maintenance for builders includes.

How We Can Help

We can review your links report, check for soft 404s and fix internal links. We can also build a helpful 404 page and set up clean redirects. See our SEO for construction companies service.

Book a free consultation at bilalwebstudio.co.uk or email [email protected].

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I disavow spammy backlinks?

Usually not. Google ignores most spammy links, and Mueller has warned that disavowing can hurt more than help in some cases.

Why does Semrush show links that Search Console does not?

Search Console shows only a sample of links. Third-party tools use their own crawlers, so the lists differ.

Do 404 errors hurt my rankings?

No. Google says 404s do not cause penalties and do not drain crawl budget. Fix a 404 only when the page should exist.

Should I redirect all 404s to my homepage?

No. Google advises against it. Redirect an old URL only to a closely related page, and leave other dead URLs as 404s.

Further Reading

• Google URL Advice for 2026: How Builders Should Write Slugs
• Google September 2026 Spam Update: What Builders Should Check
• WordPress Security 2026 for Construction Websites
• Website Maintenance for Builders: What It Includes and Why You Need It
• Google User-Generated Spam Update: What Builders Should Check