What is a toxic link? Are they the same as spammy links? Can they affect your site’s ranking?
If you’re unsure about whether you should file a disavow, this article should clarify your doubts.
What is a toxic link?
A “toxic” link is generally considered harmful to your website’s ranking potential. However, the definition of toxic links and their impact on rankings is debated among SEOs.
Some argue that any link deemed unnatural as per Google’s link schemes documentation should be considered “toxic” and harmful. Others believe the term refers to spammy links that Google’s algorithms ignore.
It’s crucial to note that Google doesn’t officially recognize the concept of “toxic links”.
So why do SEOs talk about “toxic links”?
Several SEO tools aim to help you disavow unnatural links, identifying potentially harmful links based on their algorithms.
The idea is to use these tools to identify and disavow “toxic links” that might hurt your site.
In my experience, most tools find spammy links that Google likely ignores. The truly toxic links that could harm your site algorithmically are rarely flagged by these tools.
Let’s define three terms used in this article:
- Toxic links: Links identified by a tool as potentially harmful to your site.
- Spammy links: Low-quality links that most sites accumulate, such as those from domain stat publishers, gibberish foreign language pages, wallpaper image sites, and excessive links from sites like theglobe.net.
- Manipulative links: Links created to manipulate PageRank and improve rankings, such as paid links and SEO-driven articles.
There can be overlap between these types, adding to the confusion. Google recently mentioned that some links in guest posts and affiliate marketing posts can be seen as both spammy and manipulative.
Can spammy links hurt your ability to rank?
Most sites collect spammy links. Generally, these won’t harm your site’s ranking ability. However, this is a topic of debate.
I call these spammy links, “cruft links,” which include links from domain stat sites, random image wallpaper mentions, or odd foreign-language links.
When Google’s John Mueller was asked about this, he said:
“We already ignore links from sites like that, where there are unlikely to be natural links. No need to disavow.”
Google’s John Mueller
Google often isolates and ignores odd, useless links, especially those with adult terms or pharmacology keywords.
Before Penguin 4.0 in 2016, a large number of spammy links could harm rankings. Now, Google devalues spammy links rather than penalizing the site.
Google’s recent documentation mentions self-made attempts at link manipulation, distinguishing them from junk links.
The July 2021 link spam update aimed to lessen the impact of link spam, especially those built to manipulate rankings. Google targets specific link types, like:
- Affiliate links without nofollow or rel=”sponsored”.
- Guest post links primarily for rankings.
If you saw ranking declines after the July 2021 update, Google’s algorithms might have identified and nullified your spammy links. Google usually isolates and ignores link spam in their algorithms, which can feel like a demotion if previously valid links lose their effect.
Algorithmic demotions for manipulative links are possible but are reserved for extreme cases. We’ll delve into this further below.
Do you need to disavow spammy links?
“Spammy” links, often termed “toxic links” by SEO tools, are unlikely to negatively impact your rankings as Google’s algorithms usually ignore them. Mueller has repeatedly emphasized this, noting that most websites don’t need to worry about toxic links.
Despite his advice, some SEOs still disavow spammy links based on tool recommendations, claiming they’ve seen improvements. However, most disavow practices are likely unnecessary.
At my company, we’ve seen mild improvements in two cases after disavowing spammy links, but no dramatic ranking or traffic changes. We generally don’t recommend wide-scale disavowing of spammy links.
What about “manipulative links”? Do you need to disavow them?
If Google’s algorithms ignore spammy links, why use the disavow tool? There are two main scenarios:
- If you have a manual action for unnatural links in GSC.
- If you have numerous manipulative links that might prompt a manual action.
Google’s guidance on disavowing is clear: only do it if you have a considerable number of spammy, artificial, or low-quality links, and these links could cause or have caused a manual action.
Spammy links alone won’t trigger a manual action. The webspam team understands that you didn’t create thousands of links with adult phrases to improve non-adult terms’ rankings.
Manipulative links aim to increase PageRank. While promoting content is good, excessive link building can harm your reputation. Any links intended to manipulate PageRank may be part of a link scheme and violate Google’s guidelines.
If you’ve engaged in excessive link building and aren’t gaining traction, a thorough link audit and disavow might help.
Does disavowing actually do anything these days?
Disavowing spammy links is unlikely to help. However, disavowing manipulative links might. In 2019, Mueller mentioned that disavowing bad links could help algorithms trust your site more.
If Google’s algorithms detect widespread link manipulation, they might distrust the entire site. While rare, these cases can benefit from a thorough disavow.
We’ve seen improvements after disavowing manipulative links, but it’s often combined with other quality improvements.
Here are some common manipulative link patterns:
- Guest posting primarily for links.
- Publishing articles with links back to your site.
- Paying for in-content links.
How to determine whether you need to use Google’s disavow tool
There’s confusion in the SEO community about using the disavow tool. Here’s some guidance to help you decide.
For sites with a manual action: perform a thorough, non-automated link audit, remove self-made links where possible, and submit a disavow followed by a reconsideration request.
For sites without a manual action but with significant manipulative link building: conduct a thorough, non-automated link audit. If most links are created for PageRank, filing a disavow is recommended.
For sites with some manipulative links: evaluate the scale of the problem. Filing a disavow for peace of mind is an option, but it’s unlikely to result in significant ranking changes.
For sites with many spammy links: generally, do not disavow. However, if your profile was at risk for a manual action even before the spammy links, consider disavowing. Consult a specialist if your site has been hacked.
Summary
This article aims to clarify whether you need to use Google’s disavow tool. We find it useful for cleaning up widespread attempts at PageRank manipulation, but not for removing spammy or “toxic” links.
