Google’s John Mueller advises concentrating on the data available in the Search Console links report when deciding which backlinks to disavow.
This topic was discussed in a recent Google Webmaster Central hangout when a site owner inquired if the data in Search Console is sufficient for eliminating bad links.
The question was phrased as follows:
“Google Search Console shows incoming links. Is it enough to disavow the bad ones that are shown in there in order to get rid of the bad links?”
In response, Mueller stated that the links displayed in Search Console are the ones worth focusing on.
However, he also suggested that it might be worthwhile to delve deeper into this data under certain circumstances.
For instance, if you observe a pattern of unfamiliar links, it might be beneficial to investigate if there are additional links of that type.
Does that involve using a third-party tool? Mueller was not specific, but the main takeaway is that focusing solely on disavowing links found in Search Console is a reliable approach.
See the full question and answer below, starting at the 8:06 mark:
“In general, those are the ones that I would focus on. Sometimes if you’re aware of link building that was done in a significant way, then the Search Console links can provide an idea of the general pattern, but it’s still worth checking if there are more links to include. However, for the most part, the data displayed in Search Console are the links you should be concentrating on.”
