For anyone suffering under Penguin’s wrath, Google’s new Disavow Links Tool seemed like a gift from the heavens.
But there’s more to this tool than meets the eye and that means SEOs should think long and hard before making the Disavow Links leap.
In a recent article on SearchEngineLand.com, writer Erin Everheart pointed out some the pitfalls of using the Disavow Links Tool. Here’s a few of her thoughts on the subject.
More Harm Than Good?
One of Everheart’s biggest warnings about Disavow Links is echoed by none other than Matt Cutts. He said that using the tool incorrectly (i.e. before you’ve exhausted manual link removal efforts) could actually harm your page rankings.
Everheart adds that you may actually wind up sending Google links that you haven’t even been penalized for already. On top of that, there’s no guarantee that Google will even disavow those links anyways.
In short, use this tool conservatively.
Disavow Links is a Jailhouse Snitch
According to Everheart, the Disavow Links Tool is the SEO equivalent of a jailhouse snitch. Does Google really need SEOs ratting one another out in hopes of currying favor and page rankings?
She suggest, and we agree, that your time is probably better spent link building than link disavowing. Building good links is a time consuming, but risk free, strategy that the Disavow Links Tool can’t compete with.
Have you been using Disavow Links? Share your experiences in the comments section below.