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Are you wondering whether you should disavow links or not? If yes, you have landed at the right place, as this article will surely assist you. Backlinking has great importance when we talk about the Seo and traffic. But you must be surprised to know that backlinks can sometimes be harmful, too, if they come from low-quality sites or you have taken it by utilizing mean ways. In this case, it is better to disavow your backlinks. Always make sure first to evaluate whether your backlinks are harmful or not. So, if you want to know further details, let’s delve straight into the article.
What is the definition of Disavow?
The disavow tool provides you the facility to ask Google authorities to overlook or ignore the poor-quality backlinks coming to your website.
Moreover, it is significant to note that when you upload a disavowed file on Google, you request them to ignore some specific links denoting your domain. It is not a must for them to fulfill your request, but if they follow it, those links will not be included when evaluating your ranking.
It is crucial to bear in mind that disavowing backlinks will never eliminate them from your backlink profile. Now you must have comprehended I disavow the definition.
When is it good to opt for disavow tools?
Google has made it crystal clear that everyone having a website does not need a disavowed all the time. There are some specific cases in which it becomes inevitable to go for a disavow tool. Firstly, if you face the issue of a manual spam penalty, it is the ideal choice to opt for the disavow tool. Secondly, if you are involved in buying backlinks and are afraid that they might harm you should use a disavow tool.
The senior Webmaster Trends Analyst of Google named John Mueller, has given his opinion on using disavow tool, and he said, “The disavow tool is really something that you only really need to use in really extreme cases.”
If you are still confused about how you can figure out whether you should go for a disavow tool or not, then it is recommended to check out your backlink in the first place.
What do we call a “BAD BACKLINK”?
We are talking about the bad backlink again, and again you must be wondering what a bad backlink is and what factors can make a backlink bad. Then here, we will discuss a few elements that play a significant role in creating a bad backlink.
Any link created for manipulating or fooling the website’s ranking or PageRank is regarded as a bad backlink. Google wants to promote top-notch content. That’s why they want you to get backlinks naturally rather than by purchasing or using any illegal source.
Additionally, if you have ever participated in any link-building campaign, there is strong chance that your backlinks are considered low-quality or poor.
Bear in mind that if you have looked at your backlinks by using several tools, you may know that you have spammy backlinks, but there is no need to be worried about them because Google usually ignores them and doesn’t take any action.
What are the Disadvantages of Risks associated with disavowing backlinks?
Sometimes rather than only disavowing the wrong links, we also disavow the good and valuable ones. So, it results in losing traffic on your website. In this way, it will directly affect your Google ranking. That’s why we always emphasize the importance of finding out harmful backlinks.
What are some advantages of utilizing a Google Disavow Tool?
The most significant importance of using a disavowing tool is that you will come to know about all the spammy backlinks on your website. In this way, you can get rid yourself of the harmful backlinks that may result in a penalty by Google. Mainly, if you have been involved in any bad games in the past or someone has targeted you, it’s a great choice to disavow the backlinks by using Google Console.
In addition to this, it will surely assist in stopping some particular sites from backlinking to you. If you do not want to get traffic from a specific domain, it is good to make a disavow list by using a valuable tool.
How to disavow links in Google Console?
If you believe the links on your website from other sites are spammy and affect the quality of your site, then look at this step-to-step guide that will assist you in disavowing links by using Google Console.
Find out whether it is essential or not.
Before using any tool, it is essential to decide that it is necessary to go for it because mostly Google can find which links are authentic without any additional assistance. Here are the two conditions in which you should go for the tool.
You have multiple poor, low-quality, and spammy backlinks coming to your site.
Those links have become the reason for a manual activity or can become the reason soon; you should consider disavowing links using Google.
It is pertinent to mention here that sometimes people get paid for bad links, so in this way, you may likely breach the policies of Google; therefore, it is better first to remove them from your site.
Make a list of links that you want to disavow.
Firstly find out all the links you want to disavow and create a list of domains or pages to upload on Google.
- It is essential to choose one domain or URL to disavow each line. You can never disavow a whole subpath, for instance, example.com/en/.
- Moreover, to disavow the domain, you have to add a prefix: the domain, for example, domain.SEO.com.
- Remember that your file should be a text-encoded file, whether in 7-bit ASCII or UTF-8.
- The length of the URL must be 2,048 characters.
- Make sure that your file must be ended with .txt.
- The size of the file should never exceed 100,000 lines. It also includes comments and blank lines. When it comes to MBs, then it should be 2MB.
You can find the disavow backlinks on SEMrush, and it gives you the list to add to Google Search Console
Example
If there is any ambiguity, then it is better to look at the following example for a better understanding. But it is crucial to mention the difference between the disavow links and disavow domain before discussing examples. So have a look at the definition below.
Disavow URL & Disavow Domain
So, always remember that you have the opportunity to either stop getting backlinks from a particular URL or block a whole domain. You can add as many URLs as you want to this list.
#These are the example domain you can find;
https://spam.example.com/seo/links/.html
https://spam.examplenano.com/seo/title/.html
http//spam.example.com/seo/internal linking/.html
#How to make the disavow list for an update on every tool you like
domain: spam.example.com
domain: spam.examplenano.com
So, these are examples to make you properly understand things. It is worth mentioning here that before disavowing any page or domain, think carefully because sometimes the backlinks are not dangerous, and you may affect your ranking.
Upload the list
Bear in mind that you are allowed to upload one list for each property that you possess. Furthermore, if you want to post a new list, it will replace the file you have already posted.
- For uploading a disavow list, it is a must to be a property owner.
- Now, these disavowed links will be displayed in links export.
Let’s shed light on uploading the domains or pages to disavow.
- Firstly you have to visit the website and disavow the links tool page.
- After that, you have to choose a property from the list of properties.
- Now click the button to post the list.
- Pick the disavow file from the computer.
How to remove the disavowals for a property?
If you plan to erase all the disavowals for a given property, look at the following step. Additionally, if you want to replace a new file with a previous one, you have to post a new list rather than following the steps.
- Visit the disavow links tool page.
- From the list of properties, select a property.
- Press on the “Cancel Disavowals option.”
In addition, if you want to know how long it takes Google to disavow a link, you must wait two to three months to see results.
How to disavow links to Ahrefs?
Another excellent way to find out the list of harmful backlinks is by using Ahrefs. It is significant to mention that you can make a disavow file while using the Ahrefs, but you will need to submit this file to Google Search Console’s Disavow tool. So, here are the steps you need to follow.
- Visit the Site Explorer
- Now, mention your domain
- Select all the domains that can be harmful.
- Click on Disavow Domains option.
Now a file will be created, and you have to transfer it into .txt format. After this, you will have to upload it on Google’s Console Disavow tool.
How to disavow links to SemRush?
Now, let’s talk about the procedure of disavowing links in Semrush. If you go for Google, it will only provide you with the details of the domain and the frequency of backlinking with your website. Sadly, there is no information regarding whether this backlink is worth enough to keep or whether it will be better to remove it.
So, the only method left is to check each and every domain by yourself, but this process is not possible for most of the sites. In a few years, a small website can accumulate junk of thousands of backlinks. Therefore, in this case, it will be worth it if you go for Semrush Backlinks Analytics.
Hence by using Semrush’s Backlink Report, you will get a list of all backlinks that can be potentially harmful or toxic. In this way, you can make a better list of all the Backlink Audit Tools disavow. Moreover, you can decide whether you should blocklist the entire domain or just a particular URL before transferring it to the .txt file that you will have to post to Google’s Disavow Tool.
Final Thoughts
To sum up the article, I would like to say that now you must know a lot about how to disavow backlinks by using Google Console or any other platform. Nobody can deny the importance of backlinks in SEO, but not all are beneficial. Some backlinks are too harmful and may affect your traffic badly, and you may face multiple complications. Therefore, we suggest you be vigilant and keep an eagle eye on your backlink’s profile, and if necessary, consider disavowing your backlinks to keep them safe and secure. If you have any queries, let’s ask us in the comments section.
