CROSS-CUTTING, GUARDRAILS & FUTURE-PROOFING (Lever 8)HighVerified
Inauthentic/bought mentions or links
Buying links or mentions, or manufacturing fake ones, is a link-spam violation. Authority has to be earned; bought signals are a liability, not an asset.
What it is
Manufactured mentions/links.
Why it matters
Link-spam policy; the AI guide warns inauthentic mentions aren’t as helpful as claimed.
How to fix it
Earn genuine mentions only.
How to find it on your site
- Audit recent links and mentions for paid or inauthentic patterns.
- Flag bought, exchanged or manufactured links.
- Disavow or remove what you can and stop the practice.
- Invest in earning genuine coverage instead.
Cross-reference to ranking and citation factors
Inauthentic links violate spam policy and can trigger action. Earned authority is the only durable kind.
Impact
Medium-high; penalty risk. Direct.
Evidence
Inauthentic mentions/link schemes are ineffective and against policy. Google Search Central, Optimizing your website for generative AI features on Google Search; Google Search Central, Spam policies for Google web search
Sources