7.0 Lowest Quality Pages

This section describes Lowest quality pages. The examples at the end in Section 7.9 are critical for understanding these concepts, so please review those carefully.

Remember that websites and pages should be created to be helpful for users.

Important: Websites and pages which are created to harm users, deceive users, or only make money with no attempt to help users should be rated Lowest.

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Here is a checklist of types of pages or websites which should always receive the Lowest rating:

• Harmful or malicious pages or websites.

• True lack of purpose pages or websites.

• Deceptive pages or websites.

• Pages or websites which are created to make money with little to no attempt to help users.

• Pages with extremely low or lowest quality MC.

• Pages on YMYL websites with completely inadequate or no website information.

• Pages on abandoned, hacked, or defaced websites.

• Pages or websites created with no expertise or pages which are highly untrustworthy, unreliable, unauthoritative, inaccurate, or misleading.

• Websites which have extremely negative or malicious reputations.

Also use the Lowest rating for violations of the Google Webmaster Quality Guidelines.

Finally, Lowest+ may be used both for pages with many low quality characteristics and for pages whose lack of a single Page Quality characteristic makes you question the true purpose of the page.

1. Harmful or Malicious Pages

Some pages are harmful or malicious. For example, pages designed to "phish" for the user’s government-issued identification number (such as a Social Security Number), bank account information, or credit card information are harmful because the purpose is to steal private information. Malicious download pages are another type of harmful page.

Harmful or malicious pages should be rated Lowest.

2. Lack of Purpose Pages

Sometimes it is impossible to figure out the purpose of the page despite your best effort to do so. Such pages serve no real purpose for users. Lack of purpose pages should be rated Lowest.

3. Deceptive Pages

We will consider a page to be “deceptive” if it is designed to deceive users or trick search engines, rather than to help users. The following sections in 7.3 describe several types of deceptive pages. Note that some pages may use a variety of these techniques. All deceptive pages should be rated Lowest.

For more information on deceptive pages, see the Google Webmaster Quality Guidelines.

7.3.1 Deceptive Page Purpose

Deceptive webpages appear to have a helpful purpose (the stated purpose), but are actually created for some other reason. Use the Lowest rating if a webpage page is deliberately created to deceive and potentially harm users in order to benefit the website.

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Here are some examples of Lowest websites or webpages with deceptive page purpose:

• A website pretends to be or mimics the look of a well-known store, bank, online service, or social network, but instead exists to “phish” or steal passwords or personal information (for example, government ID number, bank account information, personal medical data, etc.). We also consider this type of website to have a malicious purpose.

• A webpage claims to be a survey, perhaps offering money or a prize, but instead exists to steal passwords or personal information (for example, government ID number, bank account information, personal medical data, etc.). We also consider this type of website to have a malicious purpose.

• A webpage claims to offer an independent review or share other information about a product, but is in fact created to make money for the owner of the website without attempting to help users. For example, the MC may contain intentionally misleading or inaccurate information created with the sole purpose of getting users to click on monetized links.

• A website claims to be the personal website of a celebrity, but the website is actually created to make money for the owner of the website without the permission of the celebrity. For example, the page may have false testimonials for a product and is created for the sole purpose of getting users to click on monetized links.

Sometimes it is difficult to determine the real purpose of a page. Look carefully and use your judgment. If you believe the webpage or website was created deliberately to deceive users for the benefit of the website, and with the potential to cause harm to the user, use the Lowest rating.