Google Won't Penalize Old Outbound Links With Shady Content

Google's John Mueller has clarified that the search engine does not penalize websites for old outbound links to sites that have since changed ownership and now host shady content.

In a Reddit thread, Mueller responded to a question about how Google treats outdated backlinks from reputable businesses that have lost their domain to new owners with questionable content.

He stated, 'No. It's good to keep things fresh overall, but the web is full of turmoil.' This echoes Google's previous stance on links, which emphasizes ignoring link cruft over demoting them.

Mueller also emphasized that if a site's value has become obsolete due to outdated content, it's a different issue from having a few broken links.