Google Disavow is a tool that has gained an increased amount of attention in recent years, primarily due to the way some people use (or abuse) backlinks and other forms of link building. The tool allows users to disavow links that they believe have nothing to do with their sites or otherwise may be harmful to their SEO presence. Because Google encourages its users to be vigilant about these sorts of things, this tool is a godsend for those who wish to monitor their online presences and reputations. Improper use of the tool, however, can create headaches all the same for webmasters, so it is important to understand why the system exists and how it works. In the following article, we’ll discuss some fun facts about Google’s Disavow Tool so that you can be more informed and ready to act if the situation dictates it necessary.

Nofollow Links Do No Harm

When it comes to pinging to Google a variety of links, nofollow links are one type that do not cause any issues with SEO. Because of their nature, search engines avoid these types of links and do not assess them in your rankings. There are plenty of reasons for the use of nofollow links: you may want to reference a competitor without providing any SEO benefit, warn people of a scam site or otherwise refer to an entity without associating your brand with it. Because of this, Google Disavow should never be used for nofollow links, as it will have no effect whatsoever. Google Disavow is designed for other types of links that directly impact your standing with the search giant.

You Can View These Links After the Fact

Any links that you have submitted to Google Disavow will show up in a report in your control panel. Each submission is verified and assessed by Google, and a decision is made. After this occurs, though, you can still see a list of all links that you have requested be disavowed through the platform. Those who already use Google Webmaster Tools may be familiar with this, but in case you are not, Google Webmaster Tools can be obtained for free and is a great way to keep tabs on dozens of different metrics for your site or blog.

No Damage is Done to Other Sites

There are plenty of reasons why you might need to use the Disavow tool, but its use will not penalize nor harm the sites of links you wish to disavow. Google has obviously considered the implications of the alternative, which would have created conditions for competitors to trounce one another via a war of link attrition. In some cases, you may be pinging to Google links from other sites that have recently been compromised or changed hands; if you no longer wish to be associated with these brands, then Disavow can help. It does not, however, cause any negative effects for those who you are disavowing.

Conclusion

Google Disavow can come in handy for a variety of reasons, but you must first understand its purpose to gain the most value. Google Disavow cannot be used as a way to attack other websites, and you can keep track of any pending or disavowed links through solutions such as Google Webmaster Tools. In addition to this, nofollow links are not the type of links you have to worry about removing due to penalties, so Disavow will not be of service in this case.