In this conversation, James Dooley interviews cybersecurity-minded SEO expert Brian Kato on how to defend against “black art” (negative) SEO tactics. Brian explains that many “attacks” are self-inflicted through poor link building, weak foundations, and technical mistakes like incorrect canonicals. He then outlines true negative SEO vectors including entity poisoning (brand disambiguation and knowledge panel manipulation), review bombing, and more coordinated reputation attacks that can reduce trust and visibility in search. They discuss how to respond to suspicious one-star reviews, when (and when not) to use disavow, and why establishing a clear baseline of “normal” performance is critical for identifying real attacks early. Brian also hints that the most damaging negative SEO can come from weaponizing systems inside Google, encouraging viewers to attend his full talk for deeper insight.Where to Listen to This EpisodeHow to Defend Against Black Hat SEO (James Dooley Interviews Brian Kato) is available across all major podcast platforms. Choose your preferred platform below.Listen to How to Defend Against Black Hat SEO (James Dooley Interviews Brian Kato) on TransistorListen to How to Defend Against Black Hat SEO (James Dooley Interviews Brian Kato) on Pocket CastsListen to How to Defend Against Black Hat SEO (James Dooley Interviews Brian Kato) on Amazon MusicListen to How to Defend Against Black Hat SEO (James Dooley Interviews Brian Kato) on SpotifyListen to How to Defend Against Black Hat SEO (James Dooley Interviews Brian Kato) on PodverseListen to How to Defend Against Black Hat SEO (James Dooley Interviews Brian Kato) on Pod.linkListen to How to Defend Against Black Hat SEO (James Dooley Interviews Brian Kato) on CastroListen to How to Defend Against Black Hat SEO (James Dooley Interviews Brian Kato) on CastboxListen to How to Defend Against Black Hat SEO (James Dooley Interviews Brian Kato) on Podcast AddictListen to How to Defend Against Black Hat SEO (James Dooley Interviews Brian Kato) on DeezerListen to How to Defend Against Black Hat SEO (James Dooley Interviews Brian Kato) on Listen NotesListen to How to Defend Against Black Hat SEO (James Dooley Interviews Brian Kato) on Podcast GuruListen to How to Defend Against Black Hat SEO (James Dooley Interviews Brian Kato) on Podchaser