How to Spot and Remove Spam Blog Posts from Your Website
If you’ve recently visited your website and noticed odd or off-topic blog posts—like “dating reviews” or “bootcamp articles” that don’t match your business—you’re not alone. These spam posts are often signs of a compromised site and can hurt your brand’s reputation and search engine rankings.
Fortunately, there are several free steps you can take right now to clean things up and protect your site moving forward.
1. Audit Your Website Users
Start by checking the users section of your content management system (CMS), such as WordPress. Look for unfamiliar usernames or accounts with administrative access. Remove any suspicious users, especially those added recently.
2. Update Everything
Outdated themes, plugins, and CMS versions are among the most common ways hackers gain access to websites. Be sure to:
Update your CMS (WordPress, Joomla, etc.)
Update all plugins and themes
Delete any plugins you’re no longer using
3. Install a Security Plugin
Free tools like Wordfence (for WordPress) or Sucuri Security offer malware scanning, firewall protection, and real-time monitoring. These plugins can help detect and block suspicious activity before it affects your site.
4. Change Login Credentials
If spam has made its way onto your blog, it’s a good idea to change your admin username and password. Use a strong password with uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) if available.
5. Clean Up Existing Spam Posts
Manually review your blog and delete any irrelevant or suspicious content. If you have dozens of posts, start by sorting them by publish date and identifying anything off-topic or poorly written. Once removed, consider tightening your publishing permissions so only trusted users can post.
Protecting Your Site Long-Term
Spam content isn’t just a nuisance—it can damage your website’s credibility, confuse customers, and even get you penalized by search engines like Google.
If you’re not sure where to begin or would prefer someone to handle it for you, our team at The Social Handle is happy to help. We offer affordable website audits and spam clean-up services to get your site back on track quickly.
👉 Need a hand? Contact us today for a free consultation.