Disavow Links

[Nytshade]

When you use the disavow feature/tool don't you think you're helping google build a database of spam sites? When you disavow a link does it go straight to the google spam database? If so, won't that harm other people's rankings and minimize our chance of manipulating the search engine?

For instance, if people guest blog on a particular blog and a few of them decide to disavow their links from that particular blog. Sometimes bloggers can do the guest blogging thing overboard and the blog ends up becoming like an article directory with too many guest bloggers. Some may choose to stop posting on that blog and disavow their links.

Or a forum, many have disavowed forum links and social bookmarking sites. Or those who sell spam blog comments then they end up spaming your blog and someone decides to disavow your blog post.

Hope you get my point but my question is, are we helping google build a database of spam sites? How does disavowing links help or harm us as SEOs in the long run?

 

[samimnoorzaitgc]

Well, you know it better than me It really hurts search engine ranking of a website. Google says it must be used with caution. Let others give opinions.

 

[Nytshade]

Nytshade

No, I don't know much about the disavow tool I've never even used it before

What I'm worried about is how does the disavow tool help us in the long run as search engine optimizers (All SEOs not just 1 person). Are we helping google make our job of ranking sites a lot harder by using this tool? Do the disavowed links go straight to their spam database?

 

[samimnoorzaitgc]

Google Disavow tool was launched in October 2012. Google will penalize sites with link spamming so this tool were made to help webmasters disavow spam links to their websites. In answer to your question, Yes, disavowed links will be counted as Spam by google and they'll be ignored from affecting search rankings.

 

[ulterios]

I'm another one who is definitely not an authority on the disavow tool. I do think that it does have some negative affect on the site being disavowed, especially if a particular site gets a lot of links disavowed, although I can't be certain.

I know of some people that have used it as part of a negative/reverse SEO tool against other website owners. Meaning that they gain backlinks from the site in question and then disavow them or approach other site owners that have backlinks on that site and try to influence/lie/whatever them into disavowing their links as well. I have no idea if it really has any affect or not since I don't know anyone personally who uses this practice.

Again, this is just what I have heard but don't know personally. I do think that it would take more than one or a few links being disavowed before it would probably take affect.

 

[elcidofaguy]

I've always been suspicious with regards to the disavow tool as it certainly helps G with identifying sources of spam, low quality sites within their search index as well as sites which potentially sell links. On the most part I believe that they can identify those algorithmically but some sites, perhaps tons of sites can slip through the cracks such as PBNs.

I'm of the opinion that the data certainly feeds into manual reviews. Think about it for a second... The web master is concerned that rankings have slipped or will do due to dodgy aquisition of links - in some cases it could be through malicious efforts to undermine a site through neg seo. As such those links entered into a tool does raise red flags and is certainly information worthy of investigating.... Its really clever when you think about it - why waste resources to collate that data when you can get the minions to do it lol...

As far as I understand disavowing a link has the same effect as that link being set as "nofollow" within the index - as in the most part such links are not phyiscally removed... I recollect MC and Mueller talking about it in that way sometime ago... With that said the advice should be if you can remove the links manually then do it with the last resort being to do it via the disavow tool.

Hence I'm of the opinion before you enagage in risky off-site SEO practices to build tier one sites and use them as a conduit for links which in turn pass link juice to your money site.. That way if you mess it up you can easily remove the links.

In the case of neg SEO then your only option is to use the disavow tool which in my opinion is the only course of action should you see visible proof of a penalty and loss of rankings. Personally I really wish G would just simply just ignore such links as they once did as inadvertently they have created an entire criminal industry on the back of people being coerced/threatened/extorted out of money through neg SEO... Its about time they got rid of that lousy tool....

P.S. As I mentioned "nofollow" - lets avoid any debate on that subject on this thread as indeed it can be a contenious subject with some believing nofollow links directly influence the SERPs ;-)

 

[ulterios]

ulterios

Yeah, I've seen a few videos where MC and the G crew said just that. I personally have never been told no by a site owner whenever I have asked that a link from them be removed. I think for the most part, most site owners will do it as long as you are not rude about it and ask nicely. However, in some cases I have heard of site owners telling the asking person to go to "somewhere really hot (or so i'm told)" but I think that is just from asking the wrong way.

As far as the disavow tool goes, I also think that it might not be the best practice to go abusing it on your sites.

I do think that Google uses the data they get from the disavow tool for some purpose of which they think is for the greater good, so I would use it cautiously for that reason as well.

 

[Nytshade]

.... Its really clever when you think about it - why waste resources to collate that data when you can get the minions to do it lol...

Lol... that's true bro. I think we're being used, at the same time we're making our job as SEOs a lot harder by reporting low quality and spam sites.

P.S. As I mentioned "nofollow" - lets avoid any debate on that subject on this thread as indeed it can be a contenious subject with some believing nofollow links directly influence the SERPs ;-)

You had to clear that up bro, or else Lol...

When I read your P.S. it just made me laugh and sad at the same time. Now people have to be cautious and really explain themselves to avoid any confusion. And I'm the one to blame, sorry guys, I take all the blame but it will be cool soon.

But I just want to say that if it works as nofollow then it's not that bad because it doesn't affect the whole site, maybe I'm wrong here, let me know if I'm wrong. And I really hope these links are also manually reviewed, in that case then the tool is not that bad.

Hope we're not their minions because if we are then we should definitely stop using the tool, our job to rank content will be easier as well.

 

[SEOPub]

I don't see how it makes the jobs of SEOs any harder. Just don't use low quality sites/links.

Also, just because a site is fed into the Disavow Tool does not mean that Google acts on it. It's more of a suggestion for Google to do with what they want. There is no guarantee when you submit a list into the Disavow Tool that they just assume your list is all links that should be ignored.