In the aftermath of Google Penguin 2.0
rollout, the main focus was on the link profile of the sites, which caused many
websites to be badly affected. As an effort of recovery, some of the websites
selected Disavow Link tool to successfully overcome manual penalties or
algorithmic setbacks.
Google’s Disavow Tool allows reporting the links, which
were otherwise unanswered by webmasters. When this tool was introduced, many
expected it to be a panacea for restoring the SEO rankings. But just like any
other new tool, there are many myths and concerns about Disavow tool. This
article will cast a light on how to get the most of this tool and how to avoid
critical errors that might hurt the ranking of the websites.
What is
Google Disavow Tool?
Google’s Disavow tool was rolled out
last year, with the purpose of cleaning unsavoury link profiles. This tool
allows to submit a list of sites from bad neighbourhoods in order to be
considered by Google. Disavow does not necessarily remove the links, rather it
lets Google know which links are to be ignored from the perspective of search
rankings.
This tool must be used judiciously as Google demands for removing the
spammed links before going for disavowing. Rather than wholesale uploading of
all the bad links of a site via the tool, Disavow should be considered as the
last resort. It is also important to identify the links to disavow and request
their removal from the websites via the traditional method of sending e-mails.
This might sound a bit time-consuming but worthy for avoiding incurring future
penalties.
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Guidelines
for using Google Disavow Tool Effectively:
Before resorting to Google Disavow, one
should spend some time to launch a superior quality campaign to the site
owners, requesting them to remove the unwanted links to the site. A systematic
approach should be adopted, which includes the maintenance of a spreadsheet
with following information:
- Anchor text and URL to which it is linking
- Link URL
- Name of URL or site
- Name of the site owner and contact information
- Record of contacts
It is always recommended to try minimum
three times for reaching out to the site before adding it to the Google Disavow
file. The message requesting complete removal of the links should have a
personalised touch and follow up should be done on regular intervals. If even
after the third trial, Webmaster does not respond, reporting in Google Disavow
can be considered. Google’s esteemed engineer Matt Cutts cautioned not to use
the tool unless there is extreme urgency and requirement for using it.
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Steps for
using Google Disavow tool:
Dumping the spammy links into a file and
uploading it to Disavow links is not sufficient for recovering the search
engine ranking of a site. One should follow the steps mentioned below for
utilising Disavow tool:
Step 1: Conducting link audit:
Google Webmaster tool is sufficient for
this purpose. No third-party tool is required for auditing the links.
Step 2: Analysing link data:
A thorough manual review is necessary to
audit the output of the tools after using any of the link evaluation tool for
link data analysis.
Step 3: Documentation:
It is recommended to record every detail
of outreach campaign on a spreadsheet and include Google Drive credentials in
the request for reconsideration.
Step 4: Removing links through email outreach:
It is a good idea to let the webmaster
know where the link is positioned in the page, where it points to and the
anchor text. This will help the webmaster to find and remove the links easily.
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Step 5: Using Disavow tool:
The final step is to log into Google
Webmaster tool, then go to Disavow tool and select the proper domain and to
upload the files.
Step 6: Request for reconsideration:
This is an optional step for the
websites, which are charged with manual penalty.
Google Disavow tool should be used with
much caution, since it is tricky to use. As per Matt Cutts’ words, one should
not use Disavow like a ‘fine-toothed comb’, rather use it like a ‘machete’ for
maximum benefit.
About Author: Kevin Cull takes immense interest in
internet marketing and the various techniques involved in it. In his leisure
time he writes blogs on search engine optimisation and its new
trends. (SEO by Sumit Sharma)
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