How to Remove Bad Backlinks from Google

Backlinks remain a fundamental ranking factor in Google’s search algorithm. However, not all links are created equal. While quality backlinks can elevate your site’s authority and rankings, toxic or spammy links can do just the opposite—triggering penalties, hurting your visibility, and eroding trust.

In this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn how to identify and remove bad backlinks from Google to protect and strengthen your SEO performance.

What Are Bad Backlinks?

Bad backlinks are links that violate Google’s Webmaster Guidelines. These are typically acquired through manipulative or deceptive link schemes, and they can significantly harm your website’s organic visibility. Understanding what qualifies as a bad backlink is the first step to defending your site against them.

Examples of Bad Backlinks

• Link Farms: Networks of websites created solely to generate outbound links.
• Irrelevant Directories: Low-quality web directories that have no contextual relationship to your business.
• Paid Links: Links bought solely for ranking manipulation without proper disclosure.
• Spam Comments: Links embedded in blog comments with generic or keyword-stuffed text.
• Hacked Websites: Links inserted into compromised websites to pass link juice secretly.

It’s crucial to differentiate between bad backlinks and simply low-quality backlinks. Not all low-DA links are harmful, especially if they are contextually relevant. However, backlinks from deceptive or black-hat practices almost always result in negative consequences.

Learn more about these techniques in our guide on White Hat vs Black Hat Link Building.

Why Removing Bad Backlinks Matters

Google’s algorithm is now highly sophisticated in identifying unnatural linking patterns. If your site accumulates bad backlinks, you may face:

• Ranking drops or complete deindexation.
• Manual actions and penalties from Google.
• Reduced trust and authority in your niche.

These penalties can severely undermine your long-term SEO strategy. Especially for local businesses, link integrity is key to visibility in local pack rankings. Read more in our article Is Link Building Still Effective for Local SEO?.

How to Identify Bad Backlinks

To remove bad backlinks, you must first identify them. This process can be manual or tool-assisted:

Use These Tools to Audit Your Backlink Profile

• Google Search Console: Free and reliable, provides a list of links Google sees pointing to your site.
• Ahrefs: Great for filtering backlinks by spam score, anchor text, and domain quality.
• SEMrush: Identifies toxic backlinks and assigns a “toxicity score.”
• Moz: Offers metrics like Domain Authority (DA) and Spam Score to help spot harmful links.

Red Flags to Watch For

• Over-optimized or irrelevant anchor text
• Links from unrelated or foreign language sites
• Sites with extremely low DA and little to no traffic
• Links from penalized or deindexed domains

Want to know what a healthy link profile looks like? Check out How to Build Backlinks for Your Shopify Store for examples of good link practices.

How to Remove or Disavow Bad Backlinks

Once you’ve identified the harmful links, follow these steps to eliminate them:

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Export the Backlink List: Use GSC or your preferred tool to download all inbound links.
2. Segment the List: Categorize links into ‘safe,’ ‘questionable,’ and ‘toxic.’
3. Manual Outreach: Contact webmasters to request link removal. Be polite and concise.
4. Create a Disavow File: For stubborn links, create a .txt file listing the URLs/domains to disavow.
5. Submit to Google: Use the Google Disavow Tool to upload your list.

Important Guidelines

• Only disavow after manual outreach attempts.
• Disavowing doesn’t remove the links—it tells Google to ignore them.
• Be cautious. Disavowing good links can hurt your SEO.

Remember, every quality link you lose reduces your link equity, so accuracy in this step is crucial.

Preventing Bad Backlinks in the Future

Preventing toxic links is just as important as removing them. Here are some best practices:

• Conduct Regular Link Audits: Monitor your backlink profile monthly.
• Stick to White-Hat Methods: Avoid shortcuts. Build links through trust and relevance.
• Vet Your SEO Providers: Ask for sample links and strategy breakdowns before hiring.
• Use Strategic Internal Linking: Strengthen page authority from within your own site.

Need help selecting the right link plan? Read How to Choose a Link Building Package to avoid low-quality vendors.

Rebuilding with Good Links After Cleanup

Cleaning up your backlink profile is only half the battle. The next step is to build a strong, authoritative profile:

Best Practices for Rebuilding Link Authority

• Create Valuable Content: Blogs, guides, tools, and original research attract natural links.
• Guest Posting: Publish on niche-relevant, high-DA blogs.
• Digital PR: Use HARO or press releases to earn brand mentions.
• Resource Pages: Get listed in industry-specific resources and directories.
• Influencer Collaborations: Partner with thought leaders in your niche.

To deepen your understanding, explore The Ultimate Guide to Link Building for Ecommerce Businesses and learn how different link types contribute to domain authority.

Also, bust common misconceptions with Common Myths About Backlink Building and equip yourself with 10 Powerful Link Building Techniques for SEO to solidify your rankings post-cleanup.

Conclusion

Backlink hygiene isn’t a one-time effort—it’s an ongoing necessity. Removing bad backlinks from Google protects your rankings, shields you from penalties, and enhances your site’s authority. But don’t stop at removal. Rebuild with high-quality, white-hat links that align with Google’s evolving standards. Stay proactive, audit regularly, and embrace ethical SEO practices to ensure your site remains competitive and credible.

Need professional help? Contact the SEO experts at 1Solutions for a custom link detox and recovery strategy.