Spammy backlinks: Should we disavow or allow in 2024?

How should you handle spammy or “toxic” backlinks? Should we disavow them to protect our websites, or allow them to remain in our link profiles? We certainly have a clear view on how to handle them.

We have seen several cases where SEO experts have advised businesses that so-called unwanted backlinks can significantly harm their websites. It is not uncommon to hear statements such as: “We have identified spammy/toxic backlinks to your website, and disavowing them is essential to ensure that you rank well in search results”. But is it really necessary?

We do not believe this is the right solution. Google itself has confirmed that it either ignores spammy links or gives them value if they are relevant. Disavowing links is therefore rarely necessary unless your site experiences severe ranking losses and all other SEO strategies have failed.

Over the years, Google has become much better at handling spammy links. Its algorithm, particularly with the introduction of Google SpamBrain, can now identify and ignore unnatural links automatically. This means that most spammy links will not affect your website’s ranking, as Google simply chooses to ignore them.

It is important to understand that harming a domain through link spam is extremely difficult today. Most cases of aggressive link spam are quickly ignored by Google. This has led to a change in practice, where disavowing links is no longer necessary unless you are a highly experienced SEO specialist and know exactly what you are doing. Google itself has said: 

“This is an advanced feature and should only be used with caution. If used incorrectly, this feature can potentially harm your site’s performance in Google Search results.”

Disavowing links should only be considered as a last resort. If your site is not ranking at all and all other SEO measures, such as content optimisation, building new high-quality links and improving the user experience, have failed, it may be worth considering disavowing links. Even then, it should be done with great caution and in small stages to avoid unwanted consequences. However, in the case of manual actions in GSC, it may be the right solution. 

Instead of automatically fearing bad backlinks, let’s stay focused on what works. In most cases, Google will already be able to handle bad links without our intervention. Spend your time building a strong, natural link profile through quality content and relevant links, rather than worrying about disavowing every single “toxic” backlink. We therefore believe it is a waste of money if an agency or SEO consultant spends all their energy disavowing backlinks instead of, for example, developing a solid, robust SEO strategy for the future.