{"id":11705,"date":"2023-03-01T06:46:19","date_gmt":"2023-03-01T05:46:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ddigitals.net\/?p=11705"},"modified":"2024-09-13T18:43:49","modified_gmt":"2024-09-13T16:43:49","slug":"disavow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ddigitals.net\/en\/blog\/digital-marketing\/disavow\/","title":{"rendered":"Disavow: how to remove toxic links"},"content":{"rendered":"

Remove toxic links<\/strong> using the tool Disavow<\/strong> is one of the options for Technical SEO<\/strong> that can make a difference on our website. An effective way to Google<\/strong> do not take into account these domains<\/strong> that are aimed at us and are of no interest to us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In reality, rather than eliminating toxic links<\/strong>we have to translate it literally and call it disallow<\/strong>. The links will not disappear from the page that is linking to us, they will simply disappear. Google<\/strong> will not take them into account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It would be easier to talk to the owner of the domain<\/strong> and ask them to remove the link, but this is not always possible. Most often, they will not even reply. Even so, it is worth trying, it will be even better. remove toxic links<\/strong> than to disavow them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before I explain how to use Disavow<\/strong> at Google Search Console<\/strong>Let me explain what the toxic links<\/strong>where they arise from and why it is important to avoid them. With<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The history of toxic links<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Web<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The toxic links<\/strong> and I have our own personal story. A decade ago now, it's amazing how time flies, I moved to Madrid after finding it impossible to work in anything in my native Cadiz or in the Seville where I studied my degree and my master's degree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, I didn't get there and I started working as a SEO<\/strong>It was also a position that was just starting to be mentioned. Instead, I started as a stock boy in a well-known supermarket chain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was even interviewed on several TV and radio stations because at that time, at the end of the economic crisis, it was very popular to study a degree and end up in a non-specialised position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Funnily enough, that venture went well and I was offered my first job as a SEO copywriter<\/strong>as a freelancer for a digital marketing agency<\/strong>I was not allowed to leave my job as a cashier and stock boy. But it was a first step that led me to where I am today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The point is that at that time toxic links did not exist<\/strong>. A Google<\/strong> loved links, all of them, without exception. And if you wanted to rank a page, the easiest way to do it was to get lots and lots of links on any page, blog, forum, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My job consisted mainly of writing articles, the content of which didn't matter. The only thing that was relevant was that I had a link to a anchor text<\/a><\/strong> determined to the page that had contracted the service. The agency would then look for a place to place it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But that didn't matter much. In fact, the agency was offering me ten euros for every page on which I could place one of these articles. Or at least a anchor text<\/em><\/strong> with a link to the page they were interested in. Any page or blog would do. They made no distinction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem with links<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Thread<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

These links ended up being a problem for Google<\/strong>. Also for the user. In the end, it was not the best pages that were being rewarded, but the ones with the most links.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The important thing was to have an agency that would place you on all kinds of blogs, regardless of their relation to your subject matter. Quantity was valued over quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then Google changed its algorithm<\/strong> and decided that what mattered was the quality<\/strong>What does Google mean by a valid link? Well, a link on an authoritative page, either general (such as Wikipedia, a media outlet or a public administration) or specific to the topic of the keyword.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is, if we have a pet food, it is relevant that we are on a page about pets, but a link on Media Markt would have no value, even if Media Markt is an authoritative page for Google.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the years, this algorithm has been perfected and penalises those cases in which, for example, it detects that there are pages, in many cases media outlets, that commercialise links.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a page that Google<\/strong> has detected that you have a fraudulent relationship with your links, you have linked to us, Google is going to define that link as a toxic link<\/strong> and it will penalise us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What was a common practice in SEO<\/strong> ten years ago, now it is 100% Black Hat SEO<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are toxic links?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Example
Overview of toxic links (in red) at SEMrush<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For clarification, Toxic links are those that penalise the positioning of our site.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are penalised because Google understands that they are fraudulent<\/strong>. It is important not to confuse this with poor quality links, which need not penalise us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, if I have a travel agency and I link to a travel blog that has just started, that link will have practically no value for Google, but it will be understood as relevant, as it belongs to the same topic and \"makes sense\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another aspect that comes into play here is the link juice<\/a><\/em><\/strong>The question is about the authority conveyed by the links, but that's a topic for another post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this case, we are talking about toxic links, and to see what these links are, the only option we have is to use some SEO tool<\/strong> as Ahrefs<\/strong> o SEMrush<\/strong>. In fact, some of these tools allow the use of the disavow <\/strong>by communicating directly with Google Search Console<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As no tool is infallible for the time being, it is always interesting to review what we will disallow<\/strong>. It is possible that some of the links pointed out to us are not really toxic and have put us on alert due to a low score on domain authority.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By doing a link analysis we will be able to check how many of these links<\/strong> we have. If we see, as in the example above, that most of our links are toxic, we should not despair. On the contrary, it is good news, because we have detected the \"disease\" and now we can cure it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you don't know if you have the criteria to know if a link is toxic or not, you can consult the Google's spam policies<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

How to disavow links with Disavow?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"how<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

To disavow links with Disavow<\/strong> There are only two simple steps to follow. First, you have to create a list<\/strong> to include all toxic links that link to our website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second, it is necessary to upload the file<\/strong>. It is important to note that we can only have one file uploaded so it is a one-time job. Later, we can delete the list and upload a new one, but we cannot add more information to the list that is in the tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is why, Google<\/strong> recommends that this function not be used until we have a significant number of toxic links<\/strong> and we know for a fact that it is harming us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you do not have payment instruments<\/strong>Remember that within Google Search Console <\/strong>there is a section on Links<\/strong> where we can consult all the internal and external links that Google<\/strong> is considering and exporting them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we will not have specific information on whether or not Google<\/strong> whether or not it considers x link to be toxic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Create a list<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Blank<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

To create the list <\/strong>we have to create a file in which to include it. Its format must be .txt, so it is enough with a Notepad page<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, line by line, you must add the list of URLs<\/strong> o domains<\/strong> you want to disallow. You have to add it with its protocol, either http or https, otherwise it won't work. That is to say, each URL or domain on a separate line<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Likewise, we can deauthorise domains or subdomains <\/strong>in full. To do this you must first add \"domain:\" and then enter the domain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is important to know that URLs cannot be longer than 2048 characters.<\/strong> (if they have more, deauthorise the domain directly) and that the file must not be larger than 2 MB <\/strong>or have more than 100,000 lines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, if it helps you to organise the file, you can put lines with notes starting with #. These lines will be ignored by Google.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#URLs that I want to disallow with Disavow:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/publicidadenganosa.spam\/enlacecomprado<\/p>\n\n\n\n

http:\/\/notasdeprensa.fake\/noticia-inventada<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#Domains and subdomains I want to disallow:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

domain:pressnotes.fake<\/p>\n\n\n\n

domain:maspam.publicidadenganosa.spam<\/p>\n\n\n\n