Grasping Google’s approach to linking disavowals and linking penalties can streamline your backlink profile review.
A webmaster trends analyst, John Mueller, recently conducted a Hangouts session to address prevalent misunderstandings about link disavowals and penalties.
Let’s delve into the key points and debunk some widespread myths about link profiles.
Myth 1: Multiple reconsideration requests reduce your chances of re-inclusion.
The Reality:
Continue to submit your reconsideration requests and tidy up your links! Google doesn’t view multiple reconsideration submissions in a negative light.
Each request is assessed on its own merits, so don’t worry about appearing as a site that persistently acquires unfavorable backlinks.
Instead, see it as a continual effort on your part to enhance and maintain your website.
Myth 2: Google Holds Records of Your Link Disavowals
The Reality:
Mueller indicates that Google doesn’t maintain any record of this. Hence, it’s crucial for you to track the links you’ve previously disavowed. Every time you submit a new disavowal file, ensure you include them.
Avoid deleting these earlier disavowed links, or you could end up having to overhaul your backlink profile from the beginning.
Myth 3: Submitting the text-based Disavow file is enough.
The Reality:
Remember the prerequisites for link disavowal – it’s a measure of last resort, only to be used after you’ve exhausted all efforts to contact or locate the contact details of the owners of problematic websites linking to you. Though it’s not strictly mandatory, providing evidence, like a spreadsheet or tracking document, is beneficial, proving you made genuine attempts to reach out to the web admins before submitting the Disavow request. This can expedite your request.
Myth 4: Disavowing pages (not entire domains) is enough.
The Reality:
It varies. Disavowing a link from one specific page of a website may be adequate. However, there might be instances where duplicate links spread across multiple pages, and you’ll have to identify and disavow them to notice a boost in your rankings. The risk of blanket disavowing entire domains is potentially losing valuable backlinks that exist on other pages of that domain.
A practical approach would be to look for your brand name or recall any anchor texts you created on that domain. You can either conduct a general search for your brand name or use the more targeted “site:” command.
Myth 5: You shouldn’t focus on just the links on Google Webmaster Tools.
The Reality:
This statement holds elements of both accuracy and misconception. The latter is because the links shown in Google Webmaster Tools provide a solid foundation for tidying up your link profile. The former is due to the fact that upon closer inspection, you might come across linking patterns not identified by Webmaster Tools. Stay alert to any indications suggesting further refinement of your link profile is needed.
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