My client had "SEO" work done at some point in the past which has SPAM written all over it. The site itself is probably no more that 100 pages, but there are 4,600 pages within the site, 98% of which are keyword dense spam pages with a javascript redirects to the home page. I just cringed when we discovered this.

We are a building a brand new site and performing all new SEO. My concern is what to do with these 4,600 pages of spam. I would choose to dump them all, but am concerned that I may rocket their site to depths of the search engine abyss. I have no idea if these pages are providing any lift to the site or not. Some (if not most) of these pages have been indexed by Google!

This is a real dilema for white hat SEO. The client will clearly have very negative view of dropping off of the map, but I am firmly against what currently lives on their site.

Do I remove the pages and take my chances? Redirect the pages with a 301 redirect and save whatever link juice there may be (keeping in mind there are 4,600 pages!)?

I am open to thoughts and sugestions.

Thanks!

Tough one but, the spam has to go!

Word of caution:
By optimizing a spammy site you're opening yourself to the potential for the site being banned (based on past SEO) while you're in the process of optimization. :eek:

I would explain the pro's and the cons to the client and let them decide.

It might be the case that the client is happy with the original strategy and fully understands the risks involved.

Don't simply remove that the pages from the index, the 404 penalty is worse than the doorway pages. Do a 301 redirect from all the spammy pages and resubmit the real sitemap, and .... ride it out!

You will be fine!

---> Deadly

I agree with the 301 redirect option, that way you won't lose the benefit of any inboind links that they have. Alos try to redirect the pages to a relevant page on the site rather than all of them being sent to the homepage.

It may be worth doing a traffic analysis to see exactly how much traffic these pages are actually pulling in, I doubt it's much at all.

Come up with a plan of action of how to add 'good' content to the site over the next few months to make up for the loss of the spammy pages.