all_posts// SEO TOOLS
Moz Spam Score: should you take this metric seriously?
Spam Score is Moz's attempt to flag spammy pages and links. Useful as a signal, dangerous as a verdict. Here is when to trust it.
Martijn Co··3 min read
Warning sign over a link graph
Spam Score is Moz's metric for how spammy a page or link looks. The algorithm pulls together multiple signals and outputs a single number.
What goes into the score
- Domain age
- Title tags
- Page structure and content quality
- Inbound links
- Outbound links
- IP addresses
- Page load speed
- Backlink profile
What the score actually means
Moz uses its own search result data to estimate whether a site violates Google's Webmaster Guidelines. Practical use: a high Spam Score is a flag, not a verdict.
How to use it without burning real links
Cross check Spam Score against Domain Rating, traffic trend, and a quick manual review of the linking page. If two of those four flag the same domain, the disavow case is real. If only Spam Score is high and the rest look fine, the link is probably worth keeping.