Episode Details

E678: The disavow tool in Google Search Console lets you tell Google to ignore "toxic" backlinks. But is this actually useful in 2025?

I break down whether you should be using the disavow tool, who it is really for, and why most websites and businesses are wasting their time (and money) on it.

A listener emailed me about their SEO expert disavowing links with zero results. That inspired this deep dive into:
- What the disavow tool is and how it works
- Real opinions from SEOs on Reddit and the broader community
- My honest take after well over a decade in SEO
- What actually moves the needle in rankings
- Why focusing on keywords, search intent, and smart link building is way more effective

💡 TLDR: Unless you've received a manual penalty, disavowing links might be doing more harm than good.

⭐️ Google Disavow Tool Mega Thread - https://www.reddit.com/r/SEO/comments/1cnfee5/has_anyone_seen_positive_impact_from_using/

💎 Compact Keywords - My SEO Course - Get paying customers through SEO - Clear step-by-step video breakdowns - SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/

00:00 Introduction
00:10 Real-Life Query: Asaf's Experience
00:58 Overview of the Disavow Tool
02:12 Community Opinions: Mixed Reviews
04:38 The Heated Debate: Is Disavowing Worth It?
09:40 Alternative SEO Strategies
12:16 Conclusion and Upcoming Episodes

The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/

#searchengineoptimization #seohacks #seotips #linkbuilding