Negative SEO is not only very rare, but it’s also easy to combat with Google’s Disavow Links Tool. That’s what Google Webspam Team Head Matt Cutts said in a recent Youtube video on the controversial subject.
In the five-minute video aimed at webmasters, Cutts says that there’s a lot more talk about negative SEO than actual negative SEO. Executing an actual negative SEO campaign would, according to Cutts, be nearly impossible.
“Mom and Pop,” sites shouldn’t worry about negative SEO at all, he said. He did, however, single out worries in, “super-competitive industries, like poker and casinos,” but said these folks should just use Disavow Links and stop worrying.
Cutts’ comments on the subject were, by far, his most detailed he’s delivered to date, but they’re not likely to clam agitated SEOs.
In the Youtube video, Cutts paints Disavow Links as something that could be used even if you just think you’ve been a victim of negative SEO. That seemed to directly contradict his earlier comments that disavow links is an advanced tool that should only be used as a last resort.
On Youtube one commenter pointed out that Cutts is claiming that negative SEO doesn’t really exist, but gives a tool for combating it.
What do you think about negative SEO and Disavow Links? Is it really as simple as Cutts is making it out to be?