Google Disavow Tool

What is the Google Disavow Tool?

Google Disavow Tool is a tool that helps website operators identify and remove harmful links. It gives the website owner the possibility to create a file with links that should no longer be linked on the website. This tool was introduced by Google in 2012 and is a very important tool to ensure that the website is not demoted in the rankings due to poor link quality.

Advantages of the Google Disavow Tool

The Google Disavow Tool offers website operators many advantages. Firstly, it helps website operators to identify and remove harmful links. This can save the website from potential ranking damage. On the other hand, the tool can help improve the overall link quality of the website by removing bad, unnatural or manipulative links.

1. Freeing from unwanted links:
   • The tool allows you to tell Google not to consider certain inbound links when ranking your website.
   • Illustration: Imagine you have a new circle of friends and some old "friends" you'd rather not have in your life. The Disavow Tool is like telling the people in your new circle, "Ignore the old buddies, they don't represent who I am now."
2. Protection from Google penalties:
   • If you notice that you have links that violate Google's guidelines (e.g. purchased links), you can "disavow" them using the Disavow Tool before you get a manual penalty.
   • Illustration: It's like you're proactively taking milk off the stove before it boils over and makes a mess.
3. Reputation Management:
   • Harmful Backlinks can affect the trust and reputation of your website. With the Disavow tool you can get rid of these links and protect your online reputation.

Disadvantages of the Google Disavow Tool

There are some disadvantages of the Google Disavow Tools. For one, it may take some time before the links listed in the disavow file are actually removed. Thus, it is not to be expected that the malicious links will be removed immediately after the file is created. On the other hand, some useful links may be removed if they are accidentally listed in the disavow file.

1. Risk of abuse:
   • There's a risk that you'll inadvertently reject good, valuable links. This can have a negative impact on your Ranking have
   • Illustration: It's like accidentally deleting a real friend from your contact list and then wondering why they stopped calling.
2. Time required:
   • It can take a lot of time to review links and decide which ones should be removed. This is especially the case if your website has many Backlinks has.
3. No guarantee of immediate results:
   • Just because you disavow links doesn't mean you'll see immediate improvements in the Ranking see. It may take a while for Google to take the changes into account.
   • Illustration: It's like you're going on a diet. Just because you don't eat cake one day, you won't lose weight right away. It takes time and consistency.

So, which links should you defuse?

1. Spam links: These are links from pages that were obviously created just for search engines. If you see a page that is full of unrelated keywords or that just doesn't make sense, that's a clear candidate.Illustration: Imagine you're at a party and someone nobody knows and who only talks nonsense tells everyone how great you are. That doesn't exactly inspire confidence, does it?
2. Links from irrelevant pages: If you run an online pet supplies store and suddenly a car parts website links to you, it could be considered irrelevant.
3. Purchased links: Google does not like bought links. If you have bought some and Google discovers them, you could face penalties. So better take precautions and disavow.
4. Links with over-optimized anchor texts: If ALL links pointing to your page have the same Anchor text (e.g. "cheapest sneakers"), it looks unnatural. A few such links might be okay, but if there are too many, it can become problematic.Illustration: It's like everyone who knows you keeps calling you by the exact same nickname. Sounds funny, doesn't it?
5. Links from pages with low Domain Authority: You need to be careful here. Not every link from a page with low DA is bad, but if you notice many such links, it could be an indicator of a problem.
6. Links from pages that violate Google's guidelines: These can be, for example, pages that contain explicit Content without appropriate labeling or that obviously use black-hat SEO techniques.

A few more tips:

• Caution is advised! You don't want to accidentally disavow good links. Examine each link carefully.
• Document everything! Before you defuse links, make a list of the affected URLs and the reasons why you want to remove them. This can be useful for future SEO audits.

And last but not least: The Disavow tool should really only be used as a last resort. If you have the opportunity to contact the owner of the linking site directly and ask for the link to be removed, do that first!

How to use the Google Disavow Tool

To avoid the Google Disavow Tool you must first create an account with Google Search Console create. Once you have that, you can go to the "Backlinksand then click the "Harmful" button. Backlinks report" click.

After you have done that, you need to create a disavow file. This is a simple text file in which you can specify the URLs of the malicious Backlinks that you want to remove. It's important to list each URL to a new line and make sure that there are no spaces or line breaks at the end of the URLs.

Once you have created the disavow file, you can upload it to Google Search Console. You will then have to wait a few days for Google to process the Backlinks can check and remove. It is important to remember that the removal of Backlinks can take some time, so you need to be patient.

How a Disavow file works

To create a disavow file, you must first create a text file. You can simply use a text editor like Notepad.

In this file you have to specify the URLs of the Backlinks that you want to remove. You can write the URLs individually per line or block whole domains (e.g. "domain:example.de") at once.

It is important that each URL is written on a new line and that there are no spaces or line breaks at the end of the URLs. You should also make sure that the URLs are written correctly, otherwise Google will not recognize them.

When you have inserted all the URLs you want to remove, you can save the file. Don't forget that the file should have a .txt file extension.

Then you can upload the disavow file to Google Search Console. It is important to know that the removal of Backlinks may take some time and it may also cause errors if the disavow file is not created correctly, so it is important to perform a thorough analysis beforehand and update the file regularly.

It is also important to mention that the Google Disavow Tool should be used with caution, as it may cause errors and it is better to make a thorough analysis of the Backlinks to do. It is also important to update the Disavow file regularly to make sure that all malicious Backlinks are contained and that there are no new harmful Backlinks there are that need to be added.

Use cases of the Google Disavow Tool

The Google Disavow Tool should be used by website operators if they have links on their website that are harmful or potentially harmful. Examples include links from websites that have been inactive for a long time or websites that have been identified as "spam". Also, if website operators notice that their website is being positioned worse due to bad links, they should take the Google Disavow Tool use

Examples of the use of the Google Disavow Tool

Example 1: A website owner has noticed that some links on his website come from websites that have been identified as spam. He can see the Google Disavow Tool to create a file listing all the links he no longer wants on his website.

Example 2: A website owner has noticed that some links on his website come from websites that have not been active for a long time. He can see the Google Disavow Tool to create a file listing all the links he no longer wants on his website.

The Google Disavow Tool is one way to tell Google which Backlinks should be ignored when rating your website. The Disavow tool accepts a file in txt format that contains a URL per line.

As soon as you enter the Disavow Links tool page, you will immediately see the warning from the Google team that this is an advanced feature that should be used with caution. If used improperly, this feature can affect your website's performance in Google search results.

This is not because the tool is fragile or detrimental to your SEO. In most cases, the Googlers are sure that their search engine algorithms work efficiently enough to correctly evaluate links and link equity.

Google recommends using the link removal tool only when you are sure that a large number of spammy, low-quality links will affect the authority of your website. You can't use it every other day for a few bad links. Using the Disavow tool happens once in a while and is a serious action. If you have only a few bad Backlinks you should first contact the webmasters of these websites and ask them to remove the links.

What has changed in the Disavow Tool

The Google Disavow Tool was a function of the Google Webmaster tools and is now integrated into the Google Search Console integrated. With the November 2020 update, the user interface of the Disavow tool was changed, but the principle and functionality remained the same.

The Disavow tool is not a 100% guarantee that the Ranking of your website improves as soon as you remove all bad Backlinks "disavowed". However, it is a way to protect yourself from link penalties or unexpected manual actions when a website's linking practices seem suspicious.

And the question that many website owners worry about. If someone puts your website on the disavow file list, it will not negatively affect the Ranking of your website. The Disavow file simply instructs the algorithms to ignore links pointing to a website. As for collecting data from the Disavow tool to find spam websites and penalize them, Google representatives assure that they do not do that.

Typical errors when using Google Disavow

1. Incomplete disavow file: One of the most common mistakes in the invalidation of Backlinks by means of Google Disavow is not to remove all harmful Backlinks to be listed in the disavow file. It is important to make sure that all malicious Backlinks are included to ensure that they are excluded from Google's evaluation of the website.
2. Too fast removal of Backlinks: Another mistake is to be too quick Backlinks to remove without first checking them thoroughly. It is important to make sure that the items to be removed are Backlinks are actually harmful before you include them in the disavow file, to make sure you don't accidentally disavow valuable Backlinks removed.
3. Use of wildcards: Another mistake when using Google Disavow is the use of wildcards (*) to remove entire domains or directories. Google recommends, Backlinks on an individual level instead of blocking entire domains or directories.
4. Remove from Backlinks without Google Disavow: Another mistake is, Backlinks instead of invalidating them using Google Disavow. It is important to remember that the removal of Backlinks without Google Disavow will not cause them to be excluded from Google's evaluation of the site.
5. Do not regularly update the disavow file: Another mistake is not updating the Disavow file regularly. It is important to check and update the Disavow file on a regular basis to make sure that all the malicious Backlinks are contained and that there are no new harmful Backlinks there are that are added

How to create a disavow file

To find spam links, create a disavow file and disavow it with the Google Disavow Tool you need to follow these steps:

1. find spam links

First you need to remove the harmful Backlinks that lead to your website. You can do this with tools like Google Search Console, Ahrefs, SEMrush or make Moz.

a) In Google Search Console: Log in to your Google Search Console account and select your website. Go to "Links" and then to "External links" - here you will find a list of all the Backlinks to your website.

b) With Ahrefs, SEMrush or Moz: Enter your domain into the respective tool and check the backlink report. You will get a list of the Backlinks and can analyze them to find spam links. Watch out for links from websites with poor quality, irrelevant Content or low authority.

2. create disavow file

After you have found the malicious links, you need to create a disavow file. This is a simple text file where you list all the links that you want Google to "ignore".

a) Create a new text file (e.g. with the editor or notepad).

b) For each spam link you want to remove, add a line starting with "domain:" or "URL:" begins. For example: domain:spamseite1.com domain:spamseite2.com URL:http://spamseite3.com/schlechter-link

c) Save the file as a ".txt" file, e.g. "disavow-links.txt".

3. use Google Disavow Tool:

Now you can use the Google Disavow Tool to remove the malicious links.

a) Go to the Google Disavow Tool-page (https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/disavow-links-main).

b) Log in with your Google account and select your website.

c) Click on "Select file" and upload your disavow file. Confirm that you want to disavow the links by clicking on "Submit".

d) Google will now review the links in your file and ignore them when ranking your site. This process may take a few weeks.

After you have performed these steps, the malicious links should no longer have a negative impact on the Ranking of your website. However, it is important to repeat the process regularly to identify and remove new spam links.

Conclusion

The Google Disavow Tool is a useful tool that can be used by webmasters and SEO expertn is used to reduce the negative effects of harmful or undesirable Backlinks on the Ranking of a website in the Google search results. The following is a detailed and neutral conclusion to the Google Disavow Tool presents.

Advantages of the Google Disavow Tools:

1. Protection from negative SEO practices: The tool helps to avoid the negative effects of spam links or unnatural Backlinks, which may have been created by competitors or spammers.
2. Restoration of the ranking: By removing malicious links, Disavow Tool can help save the Ranking improve a website's ranking in Google search results, especially if it is due to bad Backlinks was punished.
3. Usability: The Google Disavow Tool is easy to use and only requires creating a text file listing the unwanted links, which is then uploaded.

Disadvantages of the Google Disavow Tools:

1. Slow process: The devaluation of links with the help of the Google Disavow Tools may take a few weeks, as Google needs time to process the request and ignore the links when evaluating the website.
2. Potential Errors: If the tool is used improperly, there is a risk that legitimate or useful Backlinks be accidentally invalidated, which has a negative impact on the Ranking of the website may have.
3. No panacea: The Google Disavow Tool should only be used as a last resort when other measures to remove bad Backlinkssuch as contacting the webmasters of the linking pages, were unsuccessful.

Overall, the Google Disavow Tool a helpful tool for restoring and maintaining a website's ranking in Google search results. However, it should be used with caution and considered as part of a comprehensive SEO strategy. The regular monitoring of the Backlinks and taking appropriate measures to remove harmful links are crucial to a website's success in search results.