How Disavowing Backlinks Can Protect Your SEO - Boost Your Rankings
If maximizing traffic from Google search is a top priority for your business, aligning with Google's guidelines is a must. And when it comes to SEO, one topic consistently under the spotlight—but often misunderstood—is backlinks.
Backlinks are hyperlinks from other websites to yours. They act as signals of trust, relevance, and authority to search engines. A backlink from a reputable site essentially “votes” for your content—boosting your visibility in search results.
Google itself highlights the value of backlinks in its search philosophy:
“Google search works because it relies on the millions of individuals posting links on websites to help determine which other sites offer content of value.”
But while high-quality backlinks can elevate your rankings, spammy or malicious backlinks can drag your site down—sometimes even leading to a manual action penalty. That’s where link disavowal comes in.
What Is Link Disavowal?
Link disavowal is the process of telling Google to ignore certain backlinks to your site—typically harmful or spammy ones that could negatively affect your SEO. This is done by submitting a special file in Google Search Console (GSC) using the Disavow Links Tool.
You’re basically saying to Google: “We don’t vouch for these links—please don’t count them.”
When Should You Disavow Links?
You should only disavow links if:
Your site has received a manual action penalty in GSC.
You’ve participated in link schemes or paid link-building in the past.
You're the victim of a negative SEO attack (e.g., sudden flood of toxic backlinks).
In these cases, disavowing harmful links may help protect your rankings or recover from penalties.
✅ Pro tip: Always attempt manual removal first by contacting the site owner and requesting they remove the link—Google recommends this step before disavowal.
When Not to Disavow Links
Do NOT disavow backlinks if:
Your Manual Actions report shows “No issues detected.”
You haven’t participated in manipulative link schemes.
You haven’t been hit by a spam link attack.
Google is smart at ignoring low-quality or irrelevant links by default. Disavowing unnecessarily can backfire, especially if you accidentally disavow good links—hurting your SEO instead of helping it.
What Is Google’s Disavow Tool?
Introduced in 2012 after the Penguin update, the Disavow Tool gives webmasters a way to distance themselves from manipulative link-building practices. The tool helps mitigate the impact of links you can’t manually remove.
🧠 Penguin was designed to crack down on link schemes and reward ethical SEO practices.
The tool allows you to upload a list of domains or URLs for Google to ignore when assessing your backlink profile.
How to Identify Toxic Backlinks
To detect harmful links pointing to your site, use tools like:
Google Search Console – Check under the "Links" section.
Semrush Backlink Audit – Classifies links as Toxic, Potentially Toxic, or Non-Toxic.
Ahrefs / Moz / Majestic – These tools also flag suspicious link activity.
Common traits of toxic links:
Low authority or penalized domains
Spammy or irrelevant anchor text
Links from malware, gambling, adult, or pirated content
Foreign-language content unrelated to your niche
Links from blog comments or link farms
🔍 Look for spikes in backlink volume, unnatural anchor text, and large numbers of links from questionable sources.
What Is a Disavowal File?
A disavowal file is a simple .txt file you upload to Google Search Console listing all URLs or domains you want Google to ignore.
Here’s what it might look like:
makefile
CopyEdit
https://spammysite.com/bad-link domain:lowqualitydirectory.net domain:untrustworthysite.biz
Each domain or URL goes on a separate line. Use domain: if you want to disavow an entire site.
How to Submit a Disavowal File
Step 1: Add a URL Prefix Property to Google Search Console
Even if you’re using a Domain Property, you need a URL Prefix Property to use the Disavow Tool.
Format your URL like:https://www.yoursite.com
Step 2: Create and Upload Your File
Go to: Google’s Disavow Tool
Choose your property from the dropdown.
Upload your .txt disavowal file.
Click Submit.
Google will confirm the number of URLs/domains disavowed. Processing takes time—so be patient.
How to Measure Results
1. Manual Action Penalty Lifted
Check Google Search Console > Manual Actions. If your penalty disappears, success! If not, submit a Reconsideration Request.
2. Improved Rankings
Track keywords using Semrush, Ahrefs, or GSC’s Performance Report. Look for upward trends post-disavowal.
3. Organic Traffic Recovery
Use Google Analytics > Acquisition > Traffic Acquisition to track growth in Organic Search.
4. Toxicity Score Decrease
In Semrush’s Backlink Audit, monitor your overall toxicity score. A lower score = cleaner backlink profile.
What About “Good” Backlinks?
Now that you know how to clean up your backlink profile, how can you build strong backlinks that actually improve rankings?
✅ Good backlinks:
Come from reputable, niche-relevant sites
Use natural, descriptive anchor text
Are editorially placed, not paid or exchanged
Drive real referral traffic
Help your content get visibility in AI Overviews and Featured Snippets
Want to build more of them? Try:
Publishing high-quality, link-worthy content
Guest blogging on industry sites
Getting mentioned in news or podcasts
Creating tools, infographics, or original research
Final Takeaway
Backlinks are powerful—but only when they’re clean.
Disavowing backlinks can be a lifesaver if your site is under threat from spammy links or manual penalties. But it’s not a “do it just in case” strategy. Use it only when necessary, and always proceed with caution.
With the right tools and strategy, you can keep your backlink profile healthy—and your rankings strong.