Can you believe it! Google finally did something to support the search engine optimization community. That being, creating the new Google disavow links tool. This has been a heavily anticipated piece of functionality. Like many SEOs, our own VP Business Development / Director of Sales, has been talking about implementing this for at least the last 3 years.
“I’m happy to see Google has finally provided a mechanism by which websites can reject low quality inbound links. I have come across multiple webmasters who believed their sites had been maliciously targeted with bad links resulting in Google penalties. Whether in fact their sites had actually been negatively impacted by bad links, the ability to “disavow” links will provide peace of mind across the SEO landscape. I have been a strong advocate for a disavow link tool for many years now and I’m glad to see Google provide such a tool. As they say, ‘better late than never!’”
We of course know other SEO experts have been waiting for this as well, but Arnaud as been particularly adamant about it as you can infer.
What is the Google Disavow Links Tool Exactly?
According to Google, this is what the tool is for, “If you believe your site’s ranking is being harmed by low-quality links you do not control, you can ask Google not to take them into account when assessing your site.”
So how do you use the Google disavow links tool? Let’s walk through the steps below. It’s pretty easy actually…
Step 1: Choose a Site and Hit Disavow
Step 2: Click Disavow Links Again
After clicking on the Disavow button, this is what you get. Google says, “This is an advanced feature and should only be used with caution. If used incorrectly, this feature can potentially harm your site’s performance in Google’s search results. We recommend that you only disavow backlinks if you believe you have a considerable number of spammy, artificial, or low-quality links pointing to your site, and if you are confident that the links are causing issues for you.”
Step 3: Choose a File and Hit Submit
As a next step, you are asked to upload an excel file containing the links you want to disavow. You can of course generate this file from the backlink report in Webmaster Tools.
So that is it! You can now disavow links through this new Google tool. The tool can be accessed here: https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/disavow-links-main
Danny Sullivan on Search Engine Land says, “Cutts warned that the tool should be used with caution. He also warned that publishers should first try to remove links they are concerned about pointing at them by first working with site owners hosting links or with companies they may have purchased links through.” So make sure you don’t jump in too quick.
Important Points on Disavowing Links
- The process of disavowing links with the Google disavow link tool will not be immediate, in fact it will take weeks.
- You can only disavow 2MB of links at a time.
- If you make a mistake in the disavow process it can take weeks to fix and can hurt your rankings.
- This tool was mainly made for people hurt by Penguin or who are suffering from negative SEO.
Watch a Video on the Google Disavow Links Tool
What do you think about the new Google disavow links tool? Comment below!
