Manual actions, disavow, and backlink cleanup, what it is and when it helps
If your rankings fell after a link burst, or you see a flood of spammy referring domains, it is normal to think “disavow”. Sometimes disavow is the right move. Sometimes the bigger win is fixing anchor text patterns, slowing link velocity, and rebuilding with relevant backlinks that look natural. This page explains how we think about cleanup, without fear tactics. For the basics, see referring domains vs backlinks and anchor text strategy.
When to consider cleanup
Cleanup is not a badge of honor. It is a practical step when links are clearly harming trust signals, anchors, or relevance. Here are situations where we usually recommend taking it seriously.
Manual action in Search Console
If Search Console shows a manual action related to unnatural links, your priority is getting back to a clean baseline, then rebuilding with safer backlink services.
Sudden spike in spammy domains
A rapid increase in low-quality referring domains can drag your link profile into a pattern that looks manipulated or toxic.
Anchor text looks forced
Too many exact match anchors aimed at a money page is a classic problem. We normally rebalance with brand, URL, topical, and partial-match anchors.
Our cleanup flow (simple, step by step)
We treat this like a backlink audit with a decision tree. Not every bad-looking link needs disavow. The key is separating “noise” from “risk” and documenting choices.
Pull link data
Search Console links + third-party crawls. We merge, dedupe, then group by referring domain, target URL, and anchor text.
Risk scoring
We label links by relevance, placement context, outbound link patterns, and whether it looks like a network or paid footprint.
Removal attempts
Where possible, we try removing or changing the riskiest placements first. This helps if you need a reconsideration request later.
Disavow file plan
If removal is not realistic, we prepare a disavow list with notes. Disavow is usually focused on domains that are clearly toxic or part of a pattern.
What you get from us
Cleanup work is only useful if you can track it. We give you documentation and next steps, not mystery moves.
Cleanup report
- Top risky referring domains and why they are flagged
- Anchor text distribution notes and target URL mapping
- Link scheme footprints to avoid going forward
Rebuild plan after cleanup
- Safer link velocity and pacing notes
- Recommended backlink services (manual outreach, guest posts, editorial)
- Anchor text mix by intent (brand, URL, topical, partial match)