Get ready to supercharge your SEO game with our step-by-step guide on setting up Google Search Console for using the Google Disavow Links tool! This must-have weapon in your SEO arsenal helps you show Google which backlinks to ignore, keeping your site safe from spammy or harmful links.
Don’t miss James Dooley’s insightful post, Mastering the Google Disavow Tool for SEO Success, which dives deep into strategies for making the most of this powerful tool. And for a comprehensive walkthrough on getting started with Google Search Console, HubSpot’s got you covered with their expert guide right here.
Join us on this journey to SEO domination and unlock your site’s full potential today!
Choosing the Right Google Search Console Property Type
To set up a new domain in Google Search Console, you need to go here and choose a property type:
Which one should you choose?
Use the Domain property type if you never plan to use the Google Disavow Links Tool
This option will include all subdomains and protocols (http, https) in one property.
Use the URL Prefix type if you want to use the Google Disavow Links Tool
This option will only include one specific subdomain and protocol in one property.
Why is this important?
It is because Google has not added the Disavow Links Tool to the newer Domain property type yet. We don’t know if they will do this in the future, but for now, you need to use the URL Prefix property type.
Which URL Prefix Variations Should You Use?
If your main domain variation is https://www.example.com, then you must set up the https://www. variation This is because this is usually where you will see most of your link and traffic data.
However, we recommend that you also set up:
https://example.com
http://www.example.com
http://example.com
https://anysubdomainyouhave.example.com
http://anysubdomainyouhave.example.com
Is this really necessary? Maybe not, but what we have found is that when we are removing Google Manual Actions (penalties), we have more success in getting them lifted if we send the disavow file to all possible domain variations.
We think this is because the Disavow Links tool is not as smart as Google claims.
For example, if your domain is now https://www.example.com but in the past it was http://www.example.com, you may have old links pointing to http://www.example.com. If you want to disavow those old links, we think it may help if you upload the disavow file in both the http://www.example.com and the https://www.example.com versions.
We are not sure if this is exactly what needs to be done, but for the extra few minutes of work, we think it is worth covering all bases.
If any Google representatives are reading this and can clarify the situation with the Google Disavow Links Tool and Google Search Console variations, please contact us. We would love to hear from you.
