If you’re a blogger on WordPress, you may have noticed a recent influx of new followers to your blog. While it’s always great to see new readers and followers, there seems to be a troubling trend of spammy new followers on the platform.
These spammy followers often have usernames that are a random string of letters or numbers, and their profiles are usually empty or have very little information. In some cases, their profiles may even link to suspicious websites or products. When you click on their profiles, you may notice that they are following hundreds or even thousands of other blogs, which is a clear indication that they are not genuine followers.
So, what’s the deal with these spammy new followers? It’s likely that they are part of a spam or scam operation that aims to boost their own website’s traffic or SEO rankings by following as many blogs as possible. This tactic is known as “follow spam,” and it can be incredibly annoying for legitimate bloggers who are just trying to connect with real readers.
The issue is not just a nuisance, but it can also affect the overall user experience of your blog. When your follower list is cluttered with spammy accounts, it can be difficult to identify and engage with your genuine readers. Additionally, it can also impact your blog’s credibility and reputation if it looks like you have a large number of fake or spammy followers.
So, how can you deal with this issue? Unfortunately, there isn’t a foolproof way to prevent spammy followers from following your blog, but there are a few steps you can take to minimize the impact:
1. Enable comment moderation: By moderating the comments on your blog, you can prevent spammy accounts from leaving comments or engaging with your content.
2. Report and block spammy followers: If you notice a spammy follower, report their account to WordPress and block them from following your blog. This won’t prevent them from following other blogs, but it will at least remove them from your follower list.
3. Use a spam filter: Consider using a spam filter plugin on your WordPress blog to help identify and block spammy followers.
Overall, the issue of spammy new followers on WordPress is a frustrating one, but it’s important to remain vigilant and take steps to minimize the impact on your blog. By staying proactive and keeping an eye on your follower list, you can maintain a positive and genuine community of readers on your blog.