{"id":2795,"date":"2025-07-18T13:42:44","date_gmt":"2025-07-18T11:42:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wtotem.com\/blog\/?p=2795"},"modified":"2025-07-24T06:51:17","modified_gmt":"2025-07-24T04:51:17","slug":"how-to-protect-a-website-from-seo-spam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wtotem.com\/blog\/how-to-protect-a-website-from-seo-spam\/","title":{"rendered":"How to protect a website from Japanese Keyword Hack (SEO spam)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>The Japanese Keyword Hack<\/strong> is a type of website compromise where hackers inject Japanese-language pages into your site, usually promoting fake stores. These pages get indexed by Google, which can damage your SEO reputation, reduce user trust, and potentially trigger search engine penalties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this article, you\u2019ll learn:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>What the Japanese Keyword Hack is and how it works<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How to check if your site is affected<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How to remove the infection<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How to protect your website from future attacks<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"what-is-the-japanese-keyword-hack\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is the Japanese Keyword Hack?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Hackers exploit vulnerabilities (outdated CMS, plugins, weak passwords) to gain access to your website and inject malicious code that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Creates fake pages filled with Japanese text and SEO metadata<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Modifies your site\u2019s search appearance in Google (titles and descriptions)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Uses <strong>cloaking<\/strong> to show different content to Googlebot vs. real users<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Often creates hidden admin accounts in your CMS<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These fake pages often promote counterfeit products \u2014 sneakers, luxury goods, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"how-to-tell-if-your-site-is-infected\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to tell if your site is infected<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are signs your site may be compromised:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1. Japanese text in Google Search<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Search for <code>site:yourdomain.com<\/code> \u2014 If you see pages with Japanese characters you didn\u2019t create, it\u2019s a red flag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2. Google Search Console warnings<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Google may notify you about &#8220;Hacked content&#8221; or &#8220;Spammy structured data&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3. Suspicious files on the server<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Look for unfamiliar PHP files like <code>wp-config-sample.php<\/code>, <code>wp-options.php<\/code>, <code>404.php<\/code> in unexpected locations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>4. Unknown admin accounts<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Check your CMS (such as WordPress) for newly created users with administrative privileges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"steps-to-fix-the-japanese-keyword-hack\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Steps to fix the Japanese Keyword Hack<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"1-backup-website\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Backup website<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Before making any changes, back up all your files and the database.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"2-clean-malicious-code\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Clean malicious code<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"scan-files\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Scan files:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Use terminal commands like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\"><code>grep -r \"base64_decode\" .<br>grep -r \"eval(\" .<\/code><br><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p>Look for obfuscated code in theme files, especially in <code>functions.php<\/code>, <code>header.php<\/code>, <code>footer.php<\/code>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"restore-clean-files\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Restore clean files:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Compare with a fresh version of your CMS, theme, and plugins. Replace any compromised files.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"3-remove-fake-pages\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Remove fake pages<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Delete all fake HTML\/PHP pages created by attackers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Check <code>.htaccess<\/code> or routing configurations for malicious redirects<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"4-check-users-and-access\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Check users and access<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Remove unknown administrator accounts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reset all user passwords<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enable two-factor authentication (2FA)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"5-clean-the-database\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Clean the database<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Search for malicious content in your database \u2014 look for <code>&lt;script&gt;<\/code>, <code>iframe<\/code>, <code>eval<\/code>, or <code>base64<\/code> in content or settings tables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"6-request-a-security-review-from-google\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. Request a Security review from Google<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Use Google Search Console to mark issues as resolved<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Request reindexing of affected pages<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"how-to-prevent-future-attacks\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to prevent future attacks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1. Keep everything updated<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Outdated CMS, themes, and plugins are the #1 entry point for hackers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2. Use strong passwords and 2FA<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAdmin123\u201d is not secure. Use complex passwords and enable two-factor authentication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3. Set up a Web Application Firewall (WAF)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Utilize tools such as WebTotem, Sucuri, Wordfence, or Cloudflare to block malicious traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>4. Monitor your website for changes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Recommended tools:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/wtotem.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WebTotem<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/sitecheck.sucuri.net\/\">Sucuri SiteCheck<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.virustotal.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">VirusTotal<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>5. Disable theme\/plugin editors in WordPress<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Add the following to <code>wp-config.php<\/code>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\"><code>define('DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT', true);<br><\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"conclusion\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Japanese Keyword Hack<\/strong> is more than just a visual issue \u2014 it&#8217;s a serious threat to your site&#8217;s reputation and security. Regular updates, access control, and monitoring are essential for maintaining your website&#8217;s protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you don\u2019t have experience cleaning malicious code, <strong>reach out to a professional<\/strong> \u2014 trying to fix it yourself may make things worse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re struggling to fix it on your own, consider contacting the <strong>WebTotem team<\/strong> \u2014 we will help you clean up your site and restore its reputation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Japanese Keyword Hack is a type of website compromise where hackers inject Japanese-language pages into your site,&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2556,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to protect a website from Japanese Keyword Hack (SEO spam) - 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