Post Full Width

Back in 2012, Google introduced a tool that would benefit business owners who have an online presence.

This tool basically enables you to let Google ignore specific backlinks to keep your ranking in place. To deny a backlink, you need to submit a text file with the linking pages/domains using Google Search Console. Well, it is not relatively that straightforward.

At that point in time, it asserted that you should utilize the disavow tool with care and that if used incorrectly, you have to pay the price for search result rankings.

So, how do you use it correctly? Let’s find out.

Create An Audit Spreadsheet -

You can use various options to audit your links, but if you want to use the disavow links tool correctly, it is best that you manually review each link. 

Download Your Links -

One crucial thing you will need to do is download all your links. For this, you can use a webmaster tool. When you download links, you need to have both the sample link as well as the most current link. You could use various sites that can help you with that. 

Formulate A Link Spreadsheet -

Now you have to create a spreadsheet. You will have spreadsheets from many sources, which you want to combine into one large spreadsheet for all of your links to be found in one place. You need to remember that while creating the big spreadsheet, you need to keep all duplicates. 

Breaking URLs Down -

Now you have to add a new column to your spreadsheet, left of your URLs. Start by highlighting your first column. After that, click CTRL + D. The following step is to highlight your first column again and follow this sequence:

•     CTRL + C 
•     Click edit
•     Choose “Paste special”
•     Select “Paste values only”

Now you can utilize the find and replace tool. 

Get Rid Of Duplicates -

One link from every domain is enough. To get rid of the duplicate links, use the following steps:

•     Begin by ordering the links in the first column in alphabetical order
•     Create an extra column to the left of the first column
•     Insert this in the new column: ” =if(B1=B2,”duplicate”,”unique”) ”
•     Filter the column to give you duplicates
•     Remove each duplicate link

Audit -

Now you have to click on each URL on the spreadsheet. You can make a list of the links that you want to disavow for each website. While doing so, think of whether that link brings traffic to your site and whether that link was made for SEO use.

Planning A Disavow File -

On the new spreadsheet, copy the domains that you need to disavow in the first column. Now copy the domains, click “paste special,” and “paste as values.” This way, your disavow links will be in the second column. Save them as a text file.

Filing With Google -

Go to the Google Disavow Tool and select your website from the menu. Then choose the disavow links twice and then the text file you just saved from the previous step. The disavow tool will show you whether you have successfully uploaded the file or not.