What is Google's Disavow Tool? Google's recent mathematical updates (called algorithms) penalised links that had too many automatically created low quality scores associated with them.
Websites that used bulk-submitters that created forum profile back links, blog comment links, etc.
saw a dramatic drop in their rankings.
The problem is that all sites sooner or later get back-links from dubious websites (content scrapers, link farms, paid blogrolls etc.
).
Some webmasters also worried that their competitors could deliberately cause harm to their website by creating low quality links to their site.
Google's disavow links tool enables you to tell Google that some links to your website should not count.
Should you use Google's tool? Google recommends that you should only use this tool if you know what you're doing: "We don't recommend using this tool unless you are sure that you need to disavow some links to your site and you know exactly what you're doing.
" According to Google, the disavow tool is only a suggestion to Google and it does not mean that the links will be ignored.
Google also says that it will take a few weeks until they process your request.
Basically, Google says that they will continue to judge the links as they seem fit.
Are We Being Tricked? Instead of punishing websites with low quality back links, Google could simply ignore these links.
Is it possible that the websites that were penalised simply didn't have enough good back links? It might be that the rankings just dropped because the low quality links do not count anymore.
If you use Google's disavow links tool, you show Google several things: You are already conscious that your website has low quality back links.
You are actively using SEO methods to promote your website.
You know that some of these methods might be spammy or unethical.
Some people are already of the belief that using the disavow tool might be seen as admission of guilt.
If you want to tell Google that you are (or have been) a spammer, then the disavow links tool might be a good way to do so.
There are, however, better ways to invest your time: Ask yourself if it is really necessary to remove a link to your site.
You might end up removing links that are actually helping your site.
The time that you invest in removing alleged bad back links is better invested in building new high quality ones.
You could also capitalise on that time by trying to improve the content of your website.
Show Google that your website is good.
That's better than trying to show them that your website is not bad.
Spamming is not the same as search engine optimisation Google's recent updates mainly targeted people who thought that search engine optimisation was the same as spamming.
Search engine optimisation is not about tricking the engines.
It is about optimising your web pages so that searchers, search engines and businesses get the best possible results.
Good search engine optimisation leads to a win-win situation.
If you didn't spam Google in the past, there's no need to use Google's disavow links tool, even if some back links to your site seem to have a low quality.
It is better to focus on things that you can influence, not the ones you cannot.
Unfortunately, there is nobody you can talk to directly at Google, so the only responses will come through your Google webmaster tools.
If you have issues send a reconsideration notice to Google, once you are assured that your site is clear of dodgy back links.
Good Luck!