How to Block Bad Backlinks on Google and Protect Your SEO

Backlinks usually help your site rank better, but not all do well. Some links, especially from shady or spammy websites, can drag your rankings down. These bad backlinks send red flags to Google, making it look like you’re involved in manipulative SEO tactics—even when you’re not.

Cleaning up your backlink profile isn’t just about boosting rankings; it’s about keeping your website safe from algorithm penalties.

In this blog, we’ll walk you through identifying bad backlinks, how to block bad backlinks on google properly, and keeping your SEO profile clean.

What are Toxic or Harmful Backlinks?

Not every link pointing to your site is helpful. Some can do more harm than good. These are called toxic or harmful backlinks. They come from low-quality, suspicious, or irrelevant websites that don’t add any value to your site’s authority.

Toxic backlinks usually originate from:

• Spammy directories or link farms
• Websites with malware or adult content
• Irrelevant sites with no topical connection to yours
• Sites with thin or duplicate content
• Domains created purely to manipulate search rankings

Google can detect these patterns and penalize your site, especially if it thinks you’re trying to cheat the system. That’s why regularly monitoring and cleaning your backlink profile is essential.

How to Identify Bad Backlinks

Before blocking backlinks, it’s essential to separate the bad from the good. A few low-quality links won’t ruin your site, but a pattern of spammy backlinks can signal trouble. Identifying these links requires a bit of detective work, and here’s how you can do it:

1. Use Google Search Console (GSC)

Start with what Google itself shows you. GSC’s “Links” section provides a basic list of referring domains. Look for unfamiliar or suspicious ones—especially if they appear in large numbers.

2. Deep-Dive With SEO Tools

Tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, Ubersuggest, and Moz give you advanced insights like:

• Spam Score: A high score means the domain is likely spammy
• Domain Authority or Rating: Low-authority domains often signal poor quality
• Anchor Text Analysis: Irrelevant or keyword-stuffed anchor text is a red flag
• Link Velocity: A sudden spike in links from random domains might be unnatural

3. Evaluate Relevance and Language

Ask yourself: does this domain have anything to do with your industry? If you’re running a SaaS site and receiving links from adult sites or Chinese-language forums, that’s a problem.

4. Check for Link Farms and PBNs

Some domains are part of private blog networks (PBNs) or link farms designed to manipulate rankings. They usually:

• Contain thin, duplicate, or auto-generated content
• Link out to hundreds of unrelated websites
• Have no meaningful traffic or engagement

5. Use a Manual Spot Check

Sometimes, the best way to judge a link is to visit the page yourself. It probably is if it looks poorly maintained, full of ads, irrelevant, or fake.

Spotting bad backlinks early gives you a better chance to fix the issue before your rankings get affected. A clean backlink profile is safer and easier to manage in the long run.

Can You Remove Bad Backlinks? (Before Blocking)

Using the disavow tool should always be your last resort. Before you tell Google to ignore specific backlinks, try to remove them directly by contacting the website owners. While it takes longer, it keeps your backlink profile natural and shows Google that you’re handling issues responsibly.

1. Reach Out to the Website Owner

Start by visiting the spammy website. Look for a contact form, email address, or any “Contact Us” page. Politely explain that the backlink to your site is unwanted and request its removal. Here’s a sample message you can use:

2. Use Email Templates for Bulk Requests

Don’t start from scratch every time if you have dozens of bad backlinks. Create a few templates and tweak them slightly for each domain. This makes the process faster without sounding robotic.

3. Prioritize the Worst Offenders First

You don’t have to email every suspicious site. Focus on the spammy ones, have high spam scores, or appear on multiple blacklists.

4. Be Patient—And Follow Up Once

Wait 5–7 business days for a reply. If you don’t hear back, follow up politely. Avoid sending multiple reminders—too many emails may hurt your reputation or block you.

5. Keep a Tracker

Document every outreach attempt in a spreadsheet. Include:

• The referring domain
• Contact info
• Date of first and follow-up email
• Response status
• Removal confirmation (if any)

This tracker helps you stay on top of what’s been done and provides backup if you later disavow.

Manual removal won’t always work, but it’s a cleaner and more organic solution than asking Google to ignore links. If that fails, then disavow is your next best move.

How to Block Backlinks on Google Using Google Disavow Tool

When you’ve tried everything and still can’t get toxic backlinks removed, it’s time to use Google’s Disavow Tool. This tool tells Google to ignore specific backlinks so they don’t affect your rankings.

1. What Is the Disavow Tool?

It’s a feature inside Google Search Console (GSC) that lets you upload a file listing the URLs or domains you want Google to disregard while evaluating your site’s backlinks. But use it carefully—disavowing good links by mistake can hurt your SEO.

2. When Should You Use It?

Only use the Disavow Tool if:

• You’ve received a manual action warning related to unnatural links
• You’ve tried and failed to get links removed manually
• You’re 100% sure the links are spammy or manipulative

3. Step-by-Step: How to Use It

Step 1: Create a Disavow File

• Open a plain text editor (like Notepad)
• Add one domain or URL per line
• Use domain: before the site name to block an entire domain
• Example:

# Disavowing spammy domains

domain:spammyexample.com

https://anotherbadsite.com/spammy-page.html

Step 2: Save the File

• Save the file with a .txt extension
• Keep the encoding as UTF-8 or 7-bit ASCII

Step 3: Submit via Google Search Console

• Go to the Disavow Tool page: Google Disavow Links Tool
• Choose your property
• Upload your disavow file
• Google will take a few weeks to process it

4. What Happens After Submission?

Google won’t remove the links—it will just stop counting them in your ranking signals. You won’t get any confirmation, so monitor your site’s performance and backlink profile over time.

Best Practices for Disavowing Links

Using the Disavow Tool is not something to take lightly. Google itself warns that incorrect use can hurt your site more than help it. So if you’ve decided to disavow links, make sure you do it the right way.

1. Disavow Only When Necessary

Don’t create a disavow file just because a link looks unfamiliar. Some unexpected links might still be natural or helpful. Use the tool only if you’re confident the backlink is toxic and you’ve exhausted manual removal efforts.

2. Disavow at the Domain Level (When Possible)

If you notice multiple spammy links coming from the same domain, it’s better to disavow the entire domain using the domain: command instead of listing each individual URL. This ensures no link from that site is counted.

3. Keep a Backup of Your File

Always save a copy of your disavow file on your system. If you need to revise or re-upload it in the future, you’ll have a record of what you submitted.

4. Don’t Mix Good Links with Bad Ones

Double-check every URL or domain you add to the file. If you accidentally disavow a high-quality link, it may lower your site’s authority and ranking.

5. Monitor Your Backlink Profile Regularly

Just because you’ve cleaned up once doesn’t mean your work is done. Set a reminder to check your backlinks every month using SEO tools or Google Search Console.

6. Reaudit Disavowed Domains Periodically

Sometimes, a previously spammy site might clean up its act. Review your disavow list once or twice a year and consider removing no longer harmful domains.

7. Avoid Overusing the Tool

The disavow tool is not meant to manage your entire backlink profile. It’s for extreme cases, not regular SEO housekeeping. Don’t treat it as a replacement for smart link-building.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Blocking backlinks with the disavow tool might sound simple, but a small mistake can cause major SEO problems. Here are some common errors you should steer clear of:

1. Disavowing Quality Backlinks by Mistake

Not all unfamiliar links are bad. Sometimes legitimate blogs or news outlets may link to your site, even if you weren’t expecting it. Always check the context before adding anything to your disavow file.

2. Using the Tool Without Trying Manual Removal First

Google expects you to attempt manual outreach before submitting a disavow request. Skipping that step could make your actions seem careless or even suspicious.

3. Submitting Incorrect File Format

Google only accepts plain text files (.txt) with UTF-8 or 7-bit ASCII encoding. Using the wrong format, adding unnecessary characters, or submitting the file through the wrong property can cause your request to fail.

4. Over-Disavowing Domains

Some site owners panic and disavow dozens—or even hundreds—of domains in one go. This can damage your rankings more than the toxic links ever would. Always assess carefully before blocking.

5. Forgetting to Monitor New Links

Disavowing old links won’t help if you keep attracting new spammy ones. Set up alerts with tools like Ahrefs or Semrush so you’re notified when new backlinks are detected.

6. Ignoring Nofollow Links

Most harmful backlinks are “dofollow,” which pass authority. If the suspicious links are already marked “nofollow,” they usually don’t impact your rankings and may not need disavowing at all.

Learn more about dofollow vs nofollow backlinks to make informed decisions before disavowing.

Mistakes with the disavow tool are hard to reverse, so always act cautiously and keep your records updated.

Preventing Bad Backlinks in the Future

Blocking toxic links is only half the battle. The better approach is to avoid them in the first place. Keeping your backlink profile clean starts with taking proactive steps to prevent low-quality links from showing up again.

1. Avoid Shady SEO Services

If someone offers hundreds of backlinks for a cheap price, it’s usually a scam. These services often use link farms or private blog networks (PBNs), which can seriously hurt your site’s credibility.

2. Say No to Link Exchanges and Schemes

Unnatural link swaps and “I’ll link you if you link me” deals are easy to spot—and penalize. Stick to genuine, relevant connections in your industry.

3. Set Up Backlink Alerts

Tools like Ahrefs, Monitor Backlinks, or Semrush can notify you whenever a new domain links to your site. This helps you catch harmful links early.

4. Publish High-Quality, Original Content

Sites with strong content tend to attract better backlinks naturally. Focus on blog posts, research reports, case studies, or guides that people actually want to reference.

5. Disavow Regularly but Strategically

Make backlink audits part of your SEO routine. Every quarter, scan your profile and decide if there’s anything worth reviewing or disavowing.

6. Use Robots.txt Wisely

If certain parts of your site are being linked to heavily by spam sites, block those URLs from being crawled. This doesn’t stop backlinks but limits their exposure.

7. Build Links the Right Way

Use white-hat link-building strategies like guest posting, digital PR, and expert roundups. These approaches not only give you quality backlinks but also improve your brand’s visibility.

A bit of prevention saves a lot of clean-up. Staying alert and choosing the right SEO partners can protect your site long-term.

Need Help Auditing or Blocking Bad Backlinks? Try Konker

Manually auditing backlinks or creating a disavow file can be time-consuming, especially if you’re unsure what to look for. That’s where Konker comes in. On Konker’s SEO backlinks marketplace, you’ll find vetted SEO professionals who offer backlink audits, spam link clean-up, disavow file creation, and even white-hat link-building services.

Whether you need a one-time cleanup or ongoing backlink monitoring, there’s a freelancer on Konker who can help you out, without breaking the bank.

Final Thoughts

Bad backlinks aren’t always in your control, but how you respond to them is. A handful of spammy links might not tank your rankings overnight, but ignoring them long-term can do real damage. Knowing how to find, review, remove, and block these links is a key part of SEO hygiene.

Start by identifying the links that look suspicious. Try manual outreach first—it’s clean and preferred by Google. If that doesn’t work, use the Disavow Tool carefully and only when you’re sure the links are harmful.

And once you’re done cleaning, focus on prevention. Avoid risky link-building shortcuts, publish helpful content, and monitor your backlinks regularly. SEO isn’t just about gaining links—it’s about keeping the wrong ones away.