Google Analytics adds hacked spam webmaster notifications alerts

Google Analytics announced that they’ve added hacked spam notifications to their alerts bar.

These alerts are similar to the same messages you’d received in the Google Search Console message center, but by Google adding them to Google Analytics, it helps inform a wider webmaster base — since Google Analytics has a higher install base.

Google said the notification are “about sites hacked for spam in violation of our Webmaster Guidelines. … In the unlikely event of your site being compromised by a third party, the alert will flag the affected domain right within the Google Analytics UI and will point you to resources to help you resolve the issue.”

Here is a screen shot of what that may look like:

Hacked spam is one of Google’s largest spam issues within search quality. Google said they saw a “180% increase in sites getting hacked for spam compared to the previous year.”

To be clear, you do not need to have your website verified with Google Search Console to see these alerts in Google Analytics, but it is well worth verifying your site with Google Search Console to get additional alerts and messages.

About The Author

Barry Schwartz

Barry Schwartz is Search Engine Land’s News Editor and owns RustyBrick, a NY based web consulting firm. He also runs Search Engine Roundtable, a popular search blog on very advanced SEM topics. Barry can be followed on social media at @rustybrick, +BarrySchwartz and Facebook. For more background information on Barry, see his full bio and disclosures, click over here.