Let's be clear: not all backlinks are good for your website. Just like a bad reference can hurt your job prospects, bad backlinks can damage your website's standing with search engines. These are typically links from spammy or irrelevant sites that can drag down your site's credibility. Yes, search engines can penalize your site if they believe you're trying to manipulate rankings with poor quality backlinks. It's like getting a red card in a soccer game; play by the rules, or you risk being sent off the field.