Backlinks are vital to site owners since they play a significant role in elevating the site’s ranking. Getting backlinks or inbound links from other web pages contributes to a better ranking on search engines like Google. Hence, it is a necessity to establish an unfailing link profile.
Unfortunately, not all the links leading to your site can be automatically considered good. Some links are hurting your backlink profile instead of strengthening it. This is the main reason for the need to evaluate your site’s backlinks.
This SEO tool conducts link audits and allows disavowing links. You should remove harmful links, and only good backlinks should be allowed to guarantee your high rank on search engines. This can be ensured by using the Google Search Console.
Getting rid of bad links is equally important as obtaining good links pointing to your site. This article will guide you on how to remove links that are putting you down in search results. This specifically focuses on using Google’s disavow tool through the Google Search Console.
What Does Disavow Mean?
Disavow means to reject or deny any association or support, particularly in the context of online links and websites. In the world of SEO, disavowing links is a process where you tell search engines like Google that you don’t want certain links pointing to your website to be considered as part of your site’s ranking.
Imagine your website is like a house, and links are like recommendations from other houses. Now, not all recommendations are good; some might be from sketchy or low-quality places. In SEO, these could be referred to as bad backlinks or dodgy-looking links.
The reason you might want to disavow these links is that they can harm your site’s reputation in the eyes of search engines. Google, for example, uses a complex algorithm to decide how to rank websites in search results. If it sees a lot of low-quality links pointing to your site, it might think your site is not trustworthy or might be trying to manipulate its ranking.
To disavow these harmful links, you can use a tool provided by Google, appropriately named the Disavow Tool. It’s like giving Google a list (in a specific file format called a ‘txt file’) of all the links you want to disassociate from your site. This could include other link schemes from spammy websites, those with irrelevant content, or any links that could be harming your site’s ranking.
When you upload this disavow list, it helps Google understand that you don’t want these links to be considered when evaluating your site’s performance. This is particularly useful if your site has been hit with a manual action from Google employees due to a bad backlink issue or if you’ve fallen victim to a negative SEO attack where someone purposely tries to harm your site’s ranking.
Why are Disavowing Links Important?
Securing a good standing, known as domain authority, is crucial for your SEO success. As mentioned earlier, creating a solid network of links along with anchor text is key to achieving a high rank in Google’s organic search results. However, not all links contribute positively, leading to the need to disavow certain links.
Beyond the negative impact that bad backlinks can have on your search engine ranking, a more concerning consequence is the risk of getting penalties from Google due to the presence of unnatural links. Therefore, it becomes essential to manage your root domain rights carefully to avoid being penalised.
Constructing positive link networks involves not only establishing good connections but also eliminating low-quality backlinks. Google’s disavow tool emerges as a highly effective solution for this purpose, and you can also explore other tools.
Google Search Console, in conjunction with Google Analytics, serves as a valuable resource for holding data on a website’s backlink profile and various link schemes. This is a useful SEO tool that can assist you if you want to disavow low-quality links.
When To Use Disavow Backlinks?
In search engine optimization (SEO), managing your backlink profile is crucial for maintaining a healthy website ranking. While the mantra “more links, the better” might seem appealing, the reality is that not all backlinks are beneficial. In cases where a bad link threatens most sites’ credibility, employing the Google disavow tool becomes essential.
Understanding when to disavow backlinks requires a strategic approach. The Google Disavow tool is a potent resource, but it should be used wisely for various reasons.
Below are the circumstances you should consider when deciding to get rid of a bad backlink.
1. If Your Traffic Has Dropped Significantly
If your website experiences a significant drop in traffic and there’s no apparent manual action from Google, it’s crucial to investigate the root cause. When both your site’s ranking and traffic diminish, one careful course of action is to check your backlink profile and consider disavowing problematic links.
A practical approach involves conducting a thorough evaluation of your backlink profile and distinguishing between harmful and beneficial links. Utilise tools such as Google Console or other SEO tools to perform a full link audit.
The purpose of this audit is not merely to manipulate PageRank but to systematically eliminate potential causes for the substantial decline in traffic, which can significantly impact domain property. If the analysis reveals the presence of harmful backlinks, prompt link disavowal becomes imperative.
2. If You’ve Been Attacked by Negative SEO
Engaging in healthy competition within the SEO community is expected, but resorting to the questionable strategy of having an excessive number of backlinks to artificially enhance domain authority is a risky path, leading to potential penalties that should be avoided.
Regrettably, even if you stay away from such practices, you may find yourself victimised by a negative SEO attack. This occurs when a rival company employs tactics such as purchasing numerous paid links directed at your site, aiming to tarnish your online standing. The strategic use the disavow tool becomes a crucial defense.
A negative SEO attack, characterized by an influx of spammy links orchestrated by competitors, warrants a proactive response in the form of link disavowal. Spammy backlinks pose a threat to your site’s integrity, potentially resulting in adverse SEO consequences. The disavow tool serves as a shield, allowing you to counteract the impact of these harmful links and defend your site’s resilience against underhanded tactics from competitors.
3. If You’ve Contributed to the Creation of Negative Backlinks
It’s not just about having lots of websites linking to yours; the quality of those links is crucial too. If you’re involved in creating bad links, especially through shady practises like black-hat techniques, Google can penalise you.
Building a good link profile isn’t just about having many links; where those links come from matters a lot. If you contribute to or use spammy, paid, or harmful links, it can harm your whole website.
Since this can put your website’s authority at risk, using the Google Disavow Tool to get rid of these bad links becomes necessary. To avoid getting penalized, it’s essential to disavow bad links as soon as possible, before Google takes action against your site.
4. If You’ve Been Hit With a Google Manual Penalty
Getting a Google manual penalty is the worst outcome when you have low-quality links from certain websites pointing to your site. In this situation, use the disavow tool, as it is vital.
Links are meant to enhance your website’s reputation by building a strong network. If, however, you unintentionally end up with links that violate Google’s terms, perhaps from hired individuals, the disavow links tool is your solution to clean this unwanted situation.
Every link from other websites is like a vote of trust from Google. You don’t want a Google manual penalty due to sketchy-looking links. That’s where the disavow tool comes in handy, helping you clean up and disown those undesirable backlinks.
What could happen when you disavow links?
When trying to recover from a penalty, the disavow tool serves as a valuable resource for eliminating harmful links that jeopardise your website. However, exercising caution is crucial when using this tool, as there’s a risk of unintentionally causing issues for your site. In the process of disavowing, you might unintentionally remove beneficial backlinks that contribute to your ranking.
It’s important to note that even Google issues a warning about the potential drawbacks of the disavow tool, emphasizing the need for careful consideration. Misuse of the tool can result in adverse effects on your website’s performance.
Therefore, before deciding to disavow backlinks, it’s essential to thoroughly assess their necessity and impact on your site’s overall SEO health. Strategic use of the disavow tool ensures that you address specific issues without inadvertently harming the positive aspects of your backlink profile.
How to find which backlinks to disavow?
Determining which backlinks to disavow is a critical way to maintain a healthy website. To make informed decisions for your site, initiating a link audit is paramount. This involves assessing your existing backlinks and distinguishing between those that are beneficial and those that pose a risk.
Utilising a backlink audit tool streamlines this process by helping you pinpoint and categorise undesirable backlinks that need removal. With the aid of such tools, you can generate a disavow list presented in a text file format. This file becomes instrumental in executing the removal of unwanted backlinks.
During this process, it’s essential to adhere to the correct link file format for the disavow links. Creating a disavow file demands precision in following formatting standards, ensuring that the disavowal list is accurately compiled and ready for submission. This meticulous approach guarantees that the disavowal process is effective and aligns with industry standards.
How to disavow backlinks in Google Search Console?
As mentioned earlier, the initial step in the disavowal process is identifying the backlinks that require removal and creating a disavow file. This presupposes thoughtful consideration and evaluation before deciding on disavowal.
When the situation warrants the disavowal of bad backlinks, you can utilise the Disavow Tool within the Google Search Console. The following are the necessary steps to take when disavowing backlinks:
Step 1: Create your disavow backlinks .txt file
Once you’ve compiled the list of backlinks you intend to disavow, the next crucial step is to create a disavow file. It’s essential to note that each disavow rule should be on its own line for clarity and effectiveness.
[Title: disavow-backlinks.jpg]
[Alt Text: screen capture of disavowing links to your site]
When specifying individual pages, ensure to include the complete URL. The format should resemble the example below:
http://linkexample.com/disavow/comments.html
If your disavowal targets an entire domain, adhere to the following format:
domain:linkexample.com
When saving the disavow file, ensure it is saved with a .txt extension and encoded in either UTF-8 or 7-bit ASCII. Keep in mind that the disavow file size limit is 2 MB, so be mindful of the file’s content and size during creation.
Following these guidelines ensures the efficacy of your disavowal efforts in the Google Search Console.
Step 2: Submit a .txt file via Google Search Console
Once you’ve prepared your new disavow file, follow these steps to submit it through your Google Search Console. Ensure you’ve selected the correct website from the drop-down menu before proceeding, then click the “Upload disavow list” button to upload your disavow file.
[Title:submit-txt-disavow-backlinks.jpg]
[Alt Text: screen capture of submitting a txt via google search console]
This action will prompt the displayed links to confirm that your submission is successful. Keep in mind that if you had previously removed backlinks for the selected page, the new disavow file will replace the existing one.
Several important considerations come into play when using the disavow tool. Firstly, note that the disavow links tool does not support domain properties. To address this, create both HTTP and HTTPS versions for your page to ensure functionality irrespective of the version.
Additionally, be aware that any disavowed links within a subdomain will also impact the main domain. If different disavow lists exist for the subdomain and the main domain name, they will merge, leading to combined consequences. Exercise caution and maintain consistency in disavowal practices to effectively manage your website’s backlink profile.
Step 3: Wait a few weeks
It’s essential to understand that the effects of disavowing backlinks are not instantaneous. Once you’ve completed the upload of your disavow file, you need to exercise patience as Google processes the information. The success of your backlink disavowal strategy will only become evident after a few weeks.
If you realize that you may have made a mistake in removing certain backlinks, there’s no need to panic. You have the option to rectify this.
If you believe you’ve made an error and want to retain a backlink as part of your profile, you can cancel your disavows. To do this, access your disavow tool page. Ensure you’ve selected the correct website from the drop-down menu and choose the “Cancel Disavowals” option.
Once again, after making changes or canceling disavows, be patient and wait for a few weeks to observe the impacts on your webpage. These actions don’t take effect immediately, and the waiting period is crucial to allow Google sufficient time to process and reflect the changes accurately.
Conclusion
Making your website successful in search rankings involves having good links, but there’s a catch. Not all links are helpful—some can hurt your site. If these bad links become a problem, you might face penalties. Luckily, there’s a way to deal with this using Google’s Disavow Tool in the Search Console.
While using this tool can improve your site, it’s not a straightforward process. Before deciding to use it, take the time to carefully evaluate your situation.
If you decide to go ahead, make sure to follow the right steps and formats for your commands. Keep an eye on your website’s performance to see if the changes are working.
Using the Disavow Tool can be a good move for your website, but it’s crucial to do it the right way. When done correctly, it can help your site grow and perform better.
