Google’s Disavow Link Tool Set to Be Discontinued in the Future
In a surprising announcement, Google has hinted at the possibility of discontinuing its disavow link tool within Google Search Console. John Mueller, a Senior Search Analyst at Google, responded to questions about the tool on Twitter, stating, “At some point, I’m sure we’ll remove it.” This news comes after Bing Webmaster Tools recently removed their own disavow link tool, citing improvements in their search algorithms.
The disavow link tool was introduced by Google back in October 2012 and was designed to allow website owners to inform Google of any bad or harmful links pointing to their site. This was particularly useful for sites that had received manual actions for unnatural links or were concerned about potential penalties due to paid links or link schemes. However, according to Google, most algorithmic issues are now handled by the search engine itself, which primarily ignores bad links rather than penalizing for them algorithmically.
The potential discontinuation of the disavow link tool has implications for SEO professionals who spend time regularly disavowing links in Google Search Console. If Google were to remove the tool, SEOs would no longer need to dedicate their time to this task. However, it is worth noting that Google has been consistently advising against spending too much time on disavowing links in recent years.
Interestingly, Bing Webmaster Tools made a similar move earlier this year when they removed their own disavow link tool. Fabrice Canel from Microsoft explained that their search algorithms had become advanced enough to determine which links to count and which ones to ignore. This suggests that Google may be following suit and relying more on its algorithms rather than relying on website owners to manually disavow links.
While there is no official confirmation from Google about the discontinuation of the disavow link tool, the statement from John Mueller has certainly raised eyebrows within the SEO community. If Google were to remove the tool, it would signify a shift in their approach to handling harmful links and could have significant implications for SEO strategies moving forward.
Overall, it is clear that the disavow link tool may not be necessary for most sites anymore. With advancements in search algorithms and Google’s emphasis on ignoring bad links rather than penalizing for them, website owners can focus their efforts on other SEO tasks. As the industry waits for further updates from Google, it’s important for SEO professionals to stay informed and adapt their strategies accordingly.
