Identifying a Website Hack and Its Impact on SEO

Ensuring the security of your website is paramount in an era where cyber threats lurk in the digital shadows. Discovering a potential hack on your site is critical, as prompt action can mitigate the damage. Unfortunately, distinguishing signs of a hack might not be common knowledge, leaving websites vulnerable to prolonged security breaches. 

To aid in this pursuit, we’ll explore three expedient methods to identify if your website has fallen victim to hacking, enabling you to take swift, corrective action. Safeguard your online presence by staying informed and vigilant.

1. Conduct a Google Site Search

Commence your investigation by performing a simple Google site search.

By typing “site:” followed by your domain name (omitting the “https://www” part), for instance, “site:yourdomain.com,” you’ll unveil an array of indexed pages associated with your website.

Any unexpected or dubious search results – such as foreign languages, obscure codes, or unauthorised downloads or uploads – could indicate a hack. These outcomes might contain malicious code or direct to other sites attempting to exploit your website’s Google ranking. Recognising these irregularities is pivotal to addressing the security breach.

2. Utilise Specialised Websites for Hacking Checks

Numerous online platforms specialise in detecting hacking and code injections. 

Notably, https://www.isithacked.com stands out for its rapid and user-friendly approach. 

Upon scanning your website through such tools, any unrecognisable or misplaced code signifies a potential breach.

Should you detect suspicious code, aim to restore your site from a secure backup to eliminate any malevolent scripts or alterations.

3. Examine Your Site’s Source Code and Traffic Logs

A closer inspection of your website’s source code can be insightful. 

Right-click on your webpage and select “View Page Source” to peruse the code. Simultaneously, reviewing your site’s traffic logs is pivotal.

Identifying unfamiliar or irregular code within the source is a red flag for a possible hack. Similarly, any unexpected traffic spikes should alert you to potential security threats. 

Pay close attention to traffic originating from suspicious IP addresses or unusual referrers, as these could signal a targeted attack on your site.

SEO Impact of a Hacked Website

The ramifications of a hacked website extend beyond immediate security concerns; they can significantly impede its search engine optimisation (SEO) efforts. When a site falls victim to hacking, its SEO is profoundly impacted, leading to detrimental consequences that can disrupt its online visibility and rankings.

Hackers often manipulate content, injecting spam keywords and unauthorised content alterations. This compromises the credibility of your site and could lead search engines to penalise web pages hosting suspicious or irrelevant content. Moreover, hacked websites often face blacklisting by search engines, causing a plummet in their visibility in search results and organic traffic.

Site speed and performance are crucial SEO factors, and hacking techniques causing a slowdown can result in search engines penalising the site. Additionally, hacks lead to a loss of trust and credibility, impacting the user experience, engagement metrics, and backlink profiles. 

Moreover, malicious activities introduced through hacking can redirect users, manipulate links, and create a negative user experience, negatively impacting SEO.

Therefore, it’s evident that the effects of a hacked website transcend security concerns. They encompass far-reaching consequences that damage the site’s visibility, trustworthiness, and overall SEO performance. Addressing security breaches promptly, along with implementing comprehensive security measures, is imperative to not only safeguard your website but also to maintain and improve its SEO performance.

Vigilance and immediate action are crucial if you suspect a hack on your website. The outlined techniques serve as preliminary steps to identify potential compromises, allowing you to initiate remedial actions promptly. By swiftly addressing any breaches and fortifying your website’s security, you pave the way to shield your site from future cyber-attacks. 

Remain proactive in safeguarding your online presence while actively managing the SEO health of your site today! 

If your website maintenance is under our management, you can contact our team to verify if your website has been compromised by a hack.