Google disavow process - what is Google's system to disavowing links?

[onlinesource]

So, as of last week I had 4,195 "links to my site" according to Google Webmaster Tools. I had run reports and found out that over 50% of those links were toxic. I sent a disavow request to Google, asking to remove 609 total links by eliminating 273 domains.

I uploaded the request on Wednesday 11/27. As of that Friday 11/29, we had 4,107 links (88 less links). I checked it again today and it still says 4,107. :o

Now initially, I had some trouble submitting my list. Google didn't like the format (I had an extra forward slash or two). I made some changes and tried again. Eventually, they took it.

I assume that now that my link total has gone down, that Google is aware of the list and is making changes?

What is strange is, again they removed 88 links in the first 48 hours but have not removed another since? Is this normal? Does Google do a few a day, stop and then try again later on? Is there a method to this? Is it bad to disavow all links at once? Have they stopped because some of my links are not toxic and not disavow worthy?

I'm trying to figure out if there is a time frame that x-number of links will take x-number of days to disavow? I plan to re scan "sites that link to me" once the link total goes down and search for any remaining toxic links.

Thanks for any feedback.

[aristotle]

As far as I know, after you submit a disavow list, the rest of the process is hidden from your view. In other words, at no point does Google tell you which (if any) backlinks have been successfully disavowed. The lists in webmaster tools don't reflect what progress has been made. You're in the dark.

[taberstruths]

there are 2 theories on this.

#1 the disavow file is similar to a robots.txt file and Google doesn't count all the urls you submit.

#2 The disavow file is compared to all the disavow files submitted and those sites that are theoretically above a certain percentage level in all disavow files are eliminated. (This is the machine learning theory)

I suspect the reason we do not see a large percentage of people seeing recovery after submitting a disavow file is because theory #2 is the correct one.

[onlinesource]

THis is so strange, I just gained 500 backlinks since yesterday. Totally confused now.

[johnhh]

@taberstruths

IMHO

#2 The disavow file is compared to all the disavow files submitted and those sites that are theoretically above a certain percentage level in all disavow files are eliminated. (This is the machine learning theory)

You are correct - it's a matter of scale. No way is Google going through every single website looking at their disavow files. They just collect the data until it reaches a critical point for a url.

[onlinesource]

johnhh posted...

@taberstruths

IMHO

#2 The disavow file is compared to all the disavow files submitted and those sites that are theoretically above a certain percentage level in all disavow files are eliminated. (This is the machine learning theory)

You are correct - it's a matter of scale. No way is Google going through every single website looking at their disavow files. They just collect the data until it reaches a critical point for a url.

Can somebody explain this in layman's terms? :)
.

[edited by: Robert_Charlton at 6:51 am (utc) on Dec 5, 2013]
[edit reason] added quote boxes [/edit]

[taberstruths]

onlinesource,

If 10 webmasters submit disavow files and 5 of them list spammylinksite.com then Google goes ahead and ignores or removes that website. If there is no other domains in common, then the rest are not ignored.

[aristotle]

#2 The disavow file is compared to all the disavow files submitted and those sites that are theoretically above a certain percentage level in all disavow files are eliminated. (This is the machine learning theory)

I'm confused too. What are they "eliminated" from?

[McMohan]

Contrary to what Google says, you can't depend on WMT links data to disavow links. Here is a chronological list of one of my recent experiences with WMT links data -

1. Site slapped with manual penalty - 745 domains/32k+ links
2. Links from about 100+ domains removed for a total of 30k links (One particular site had sitewide from 25k plus pages). After 3 weekks, WMT started showing 180 domains/10,000 links. Many sites from where links were removed still showing and some not. Sitewide site had gone.
3. More links removed. After another 2-3 weeks WMT data refreshes, and this time 630 domains/30k links. Sitewide site has again made a come back, from where links were removed over 2 months back.

Imagine if I had started link removal process when the data had showed only 180 domains.

[yacysh]

McMohan,

You can rely on WMT links data. I have several cases where it helped to remove manual filters. It's better to use majestic (it's free for your domain) too.

<snip>

[edited by: aakk9999 at 12:21 pm (utc) on Dec 10, 2013]
[edit reason] Removed link [/edit]

[McMohan]

yacysh, can you explain the example I gave above?

[onlinesource]

If 10 webmasters submit disavow files and 5 of them list spammylinksite.com then Google goes ahead and ignores or removes that website. If there is no other domains in common, then the rest are not ignored.

I see your point.

Still, what happens to those sites that are probably not being disavowed by anybody else but you?

In the past, we hired a SEO company to do some work. They appeared to have submitted some pretty spammy links for us. I'm trying to disavow most of them.

Now, let's say you want to disavow a link from a site called myspammylinks.net, an online link directory, and all of the sites on that domain appear to be stuff like online education scams, check cashing, knockoff handbags, etc; the sort of sites that are not maintained well and not the kind of sites that would bother to submit a disavow list. Most likely sites like that would abandon ship if they drop off of Google and start over with another site. So now, it's just you who cares to remove it (not 9 other webmasters).

Will that link most likely sit around for months because there is no other interest in disavowing it? What could I do? The site owner of myspammylinks.net is not returning my emails; which makes this a bigger issue.