Disavow files - still relevant or just legacy?

P Pace ·

Disavow files - still relevant or just legacy?

P

Pace

New member
ngl been digging thru old project files and found a disavow I made like 5 years ago lol. Got me thinking about if we still really need them nowadays. Back in the day we disavowed like crazy after any penguin update and you'd see rankings drop in days if you didn't, now I'm not so sure. I'm on a new project, the site has some sketchy PBN links or at least I think they're sketchy, but they're from years ago before I even got involved. Should I bother uploading a disavow or is that a waste of time now? I ran some tools and the toxic score is high but the site still ranks fine. Kinda hesitant to do anything. Honestly I'm impatient about this cause I don't wanna lose traffic over some stupid thing that probably doesn't matter anymore but I also don't wanna ignore a ticking bomb. My gut says leave it, those links are old and not really in the current profile but then I see threads saying manual actions still happen. Think I'll probably skip the file but would be cool to hear from anyone who actually used one recently, not just theories. Btw if you're still building spammy links manually then yeah you probably need it but for old stuff I think Google's smarter now. Ymmv
 
yo different angle: sometimes the old disavow is just insurance. even if google's smarter now, better to play it safe if you got sketchy links from years ago. running a manual link audit with tools like scrapebox or ahrefs can help you decide if those links are worth disavowing now or not. better safe than sorry, bruh.
 
Over 80% of sites with old spammy links see some kind of ranking boost after a disavow is uploaded, even if they seem fine. So if those links are truly sketchy and you're worried about manual actions, it's probably safer to upload a disavow. Better safe than sorry, especially if you got a bunch of toxic links from years ago just chillin there.
 
disavows feel like a bandaid these days. but what if the site gets hit with a manual action down the line and those old links become an issue? are u prepared to risk that? or is leaving it be just fine until u see actual signs of trouble?
 
ok so careful with leaving old links uncleaned, those could pop up later even if they seem harmless now. If the toxic score is high and you worried about manual actions, maybe a quick disavow just to cover your ass is smarter. Imo, better
 
careful with thinking old links are dead and buried, those toxic ones can hide in the shadows and still bite you later if Google decides to get curious again.
 
You really think Google's suddenly gonna forget about those old links? Honestly, if the site ranks fine rn and you got no manual actions or penalties, I'd probably skip the disavow too. But if you're sweating over potential future issues, a quick disavow isn't gonna kill you. Just don't overthink it, sites are way smarter now, and most of that spammy stuff is old news to them.
 
Kinda hesitant to do anything, yeah, that's the dilemma. Honestly, if the links are super old and Google hasn't penalized yet, I'd say leave it alone. But if you wanna be safe, maybe run a quick cleanup with something like LinkResearchTools or CognitiveSEO just to double check toxicity. If the site's ranking fine now, probably not worth rocking the boat unless you got a bad feeling.
 
ngl been doing this 3 years and still use disavow files, especially for cleanup. i recommend using SEO SpyGlass, it helps identify bad links fast so you can disavow with confidence. easier than manual vetting all links.
 
Been doing this 4+ years and honestly I think disavow is still kinda needed. some links just won't die, and you gotta disavow or else your rankings suffer. dunno if it's a legacy thing or not but I wouldn't drop it completely.
 
bruh, still use it fr, some links just won't die no matter what. better safe than sorry with bad backlinks messing up your stuff
 
disavow files can be useful but I think they're not always necessary, especially if you keep a close eye on your backlink profile. I'd say it depends on how aggressive or spammy your link building is. ymmv but I
 
Disavow files? Kinda depends on the niche and how spammy your backlink profile actually is. I've seen folks do nothing and rank fine for years.
 
disavow files - still relevant or just legacy? Actually, kinda funny you mention that, I once ignored the disavow and woke up to a sudden drop in rankings, turned out a spammy backlink snuck through. Lesson learned, sometimes those files still save your ass.
 
ngl last month I used SEMrush to audit my backlink profile and found some dodgy links slipping through, so I disavowed with their tool. Honestly, ignoring it can be risky, especially if your site gets hit with spam links outta nowhere. ymmv but I'd say keep a close eye and don't dismiss the disavow just yet.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
🔥 Trending content
Back
Top