Skip to content
    Moz logo Menu open Menu close
    • Products
      • Moz Pro
      • Moz Pro Home
      • Moz Local
      • Moz Local Home
      • STAT
      • Moz API
      • Moz API Home
      • Compare SEO Products
      • Moz Data
    • Free SEO Tools
      • Domain Analysis
      • Keyword Explorer
      • Link Explorer
      • Competitive Research
      • MozBar
      • More Free SEO Tools
    • Learn SEO
      • Beginner's Guide to SEO
      • SEO Learning Center
      • Moz Academy
      • MozCon
      • Webinars, Whitepapers, & Guides
    • Blog
    • Why Moz
      • Digital Marketers
      • Agency Solutions
      • Enterprise Solutions
      • Small Business Solutions
      • The Moz Story
      • New Releases
    • Log in
    • Log out
    • Products
      • Moz Pro

        Your all-in-one suite of SEO essentials.

      • Moz Local

        Raise your local SEO visibility with complete local SEO management.

      • STAT

        SERP tracking and analytics for enterprise SEO experts.

      • Moz API

        Power your SEO with our index of over 44 trillion links.

      • Compare SEO Products

        See which Moz SEO solution best meets your business needs.

      • Moz Data

        Power your SEO strategy & AI models with custom data solutions.

      Track AI Overviews in Keyword Research
      Moz Pro

      Track AI Overviews in Keyword Research

      Try it free!
    • Free SEO Tools
      • Domain Analysis

        Get top competitive SEO metrics like DA, top pages and more.

      • Keyword Explorer

        Find traffic-driving keywords with our 1.25 billion+ keyword index.

      • Link Explorer

        Explore over 40 trillion links for powerful backlink data.

      • Competitive Research

        Uncover valuable insights on your organic search competitors.

      • MozBar

        See top SEO metrics for free as you browse the web.

      • More Free SEO Tools

        Explore all the free SEO tools Moz has to offer.

      NEW Keyword Suggestions by Topic
      Moz Pro

      NEW Keyword Suggestions by Topic

      Learn more
    • Learn SEO
      • Beginner's Guide to SEO

        The #1 most popular introduction to SEO, trusted by millions.

      • SEO Learning Center

        Broaden your knowledge with SEO resources for all skill levels.

      • On-Demand Webinars

        Learn modern SEO best practices from industry experts.

      • How-To Guides

        Step-by-step guides to search success from the authority on SEO.

      • Moz Academy

        Upskill and get certified with on-demand courses & certifications.

      • MozCon

        Save on Early Bird tickets and join us in London or New York City

      Unlock flexible pricing & new endpoints
      Moz API

      Unlock flexible pricing & new endpoints

      Find your plan
    • Blog
    • Why Moz
      • Digital Marketers

        Simplify SEO tasks to save time and grow your traffic.

      • Small Business Solutions

        Uncover insights to make smarter marketing decisions in less time.

      • Agency Solutions

        Earn & keep valuable clients with unparalleled data & insights.

      • Enterprise Solutions

        Gain a competitive edge in the ever-changing world of search.

      • The Moz Story

        Moz was the first & remains the most trusted SEO company.

      • New Releases

        Get the scoop on the latest and greatest from Moz.

      Surface actionable competitive intel
      New Feature

      Surface actionable competitive intel

      Learn More
    • Log in
      • Moz Pro
      • Moz Local
      • Moz Local Dashboard
      • Moz API
      • Moz API Dashboard
      • Moz Academy
    • Avatar
      • Moz Home
      • Notifications
      • Account & Billing
      • Manage Users
      • Community Profile
      • My Q&A
      • My Videos
      • Log Out

    The Moz Q&A Forum

    • Forum
    • Questions
    • Users
    • Ask the Community

    Welcome to the Q&A Forum

    Browse the forum for helpful insights and fresh discussions about all things SEO.

    1. Home
    2. SEO Tactics
    3. Link Building
    4. Ways to remove spammy backlinks

    Moz Q&A is closed.

    After more than 13 years, and tens of thousands of questions, Moz Q&A closed on 12th December 2024. Whilst we’re not completely removing the content - many posts will still be possible to view - we have locked both new posts and new replies. More details here.

    Ways to remove spammy backlinks

    Link Building
    4
    3
    2670
    Loading More Posts
    • Oldest to Newest
    • Newest to Oldest
    • Most Votes
    Reply
    • Reply as question
    Log in to reply
    This topic has been deleted. Only users with question management privileges can see it.
    • CleanEdisonInc
      CleanEdisonInc last edited by

      Hello everyone,

      I got hit with an algorithm penalty and need to start removing old backlinks ASAP.

      1. Does anyone have any good resources on how best to ask webmasters for removal?

      2. Are there any other ways to remove bad back links besides the disavow tool? (An SEO consultant I talked to said that they had a proprietary software that can remove them - is that possible?)

      Thanks all,

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
      • toddmumford
        toddmumford last edited by

        Nothing can physically remove them but the webmasters that own those websites, so:

        1. You need to craft a well organized pitch email that doesn't offend the webmaster, and asks them politely to remove the link. Bank on this taking at least 3 total emails, and in many cases, you might get no response.

        PM me and I can send you a script or two that has been effective for us.

        2. No too can remove those links for you externally.

        Hope this helps!

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
        • Asher
          Asher last edited by

          The sercice I have been most impressed with is this: http://www.removeem.com

          However, there was a recent moz post about this exact issue: http://moz.com/blog/google-disavow-tool

          I hope that helps.

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
          • 1 / 1
          • First post
            Last post

          Got a burning SEO question?

          Subscribe to Moz Pro to gain full access to Q&A, answer questions, and ask your own.


          Start my free trial


          Browse Questions

          Explore more categories

          • Moz Tools

            Chat with the community about the Moz tools.

          • SEO Tactics

            Discuss the SEO process with fellow marketers

          • Community

            Discuss industry events, jobs, and news!

          • Digital Marketing

            Chat about tactics outside of SEO

          • Research & Trends

            Dive into research and trends in the search industry.

          • Support

            Connect on product support and feature requests.

          • See all categories

          Related Questions

          • mowafi

            How can i create backlinks from google redirect?

            backlinks link building domain authority

            I found some sites that make backlinks like this. How can I get it too?
            https://maps.google.com/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.ad/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.ae/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.com.af/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.com.ag/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.com.ai/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.al/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.am/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.co.ao/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.com.ar/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.as/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.at/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.com.au/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.az/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.ba/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.com.bd/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.be/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.bf/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.bg/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.com.bh/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.bi/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.bj/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.com.bn/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.com.bo/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.com.br/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.bs/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.bt/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.co.bw/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.by/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.com.bz/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.ca/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.cd/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.cf/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.cg/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.ch/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.ci/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.co.ck/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.cl/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.cm/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.cn/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.com.co/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.co.cr/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.com.cu/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.cv/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.com.cy/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.cz/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.de/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.dj/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.dk/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.dm/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.com.do/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.dz/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.com.ec/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.ee/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.com.eg/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.es/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.com.et/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.fi/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.com.fj/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.fm/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.fr/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.ga/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.ge/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.gg/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.com.gh/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.com.gi/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.gl/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.gm/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.gr/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.com.gt/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.gy/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.com.hk/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.hn/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.hr/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.ht/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.hu/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.co.id/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://toolbarqueries.google.de/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://toolbarqueries.google.de/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://toolbarqueries.google.de/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://toolbarqueries.google.de/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://toolbarqueries.google.de/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://www.youtube.com/redirect?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://maps.google.com/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://cse.google.de/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://clients1.google.co.uk/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://cse.google.fr/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://clients1.google.it/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://cse.google.ca/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://cse.google.nl/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://cse.google.ru/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://clients1.google.pl/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://cse.google.cz/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://clients1.google.co.in/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://cse.google.co.id/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://cse.google.com.tw/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://cse.google.co.th/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://cse.google.com.mx/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://clients1.google.com.ua/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://cse.google.com.ar/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://images.google.com/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://cse.google.be/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://cse.google.se/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://clients1.google.pt/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://cse.google.ro/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://cse.google.gr/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://cse.google.hu/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://clients1.google.com.tr/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://clients1.google.at/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://images.google.com.co/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://cse.google.ch/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://clients1.google.fi/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://cse.google.dk/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://clients1.google.cl/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://images.google.com.pe/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://clients1.google.com.vn/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://cse.google.com.sg/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://cse.google.no/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://clients1.google.co.il/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://cse.google.ie/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
            https://cse.google.co.kr/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com

            Link Building | | mowafi
            3
          • MarketAPeel

            Backlinks on Moz not on Google Search Console

            google search console backlinks

            Moz is showing thousands of backlinks to my site that are not showing up on Google Search Console - which is good because those links were created by some spammer in Pakistan somewhere. I haven't yet submitted a disavow report to Google of well over 10K links because the list keeps growing every day with new backlinks that have been rerouted to a 404 page. I have asked Google to clarify and they put my question on their forum for an answer, which I'm still waiting for - so I thought I'd try my luck here. My question... If Moz does not match Google Search Console, and backlinks are important to results, how valid is the ranking that Moz creates to let me know how I'm doing in this competition and if I'm improving or not. If the goal is to get Google to pay attention and I use Moz to help me figure out how to do this, how can I do that if the backlink information isn't the same - by literally over 10 000 backlinks created by some spammer doing odd things... They've included the url from their deleted profile on my site with 100s of other urls, including Moz.com and are posting them everywhere with their preferred anchor text. Moz ranking considers the thousands of spam backlinks I can't get rid of and Google ignores them or disavows them. So isn't the rankings, data, and graphs apples and bananas? How can I know what my site's strength really is and if I'm improving or not if the data doesn't match? Complete SEO Novice Shannon Peel
            Brand Storyteller
            MarketAPeel

            Link Building | | MarketAPeel
            0
          • wikiBudgets

            Does iframe itself count as a backlink?

            Our situation is similar to YouTube. We have an original content on every subpage that is genuinely useful when embedded as a widget on 3r party websites. That is why we offer an embeddable widget that shows slightly simplified version of the content - exactly like a YouTube video embedded on your blog. The embed code is simply an iframe sourcing from our subpage: <iframe src="wikibudgets.org/subpage"></p> </blockquote> <p>1/ Does the iframe itself pass any link value at all to the subpage?</p> <p>2/ If yes, what would be the equivalent of anchor text in iframe?</p> <p>3/ If not, will any link in the subpage pass link value from the 3rd party website to my domain/subpage?</p> <p>4/ If not, will I be punished/rewarded if I ask users to put a visible, unobfuscated link to the subpage below the iframe?</p> <blockquote style="background: #f7f7f7; padding-top: 5px; margin-left: 0px; padding-left: 2px; padding-bottom: 5px; white-space: nowrap; overflow-y: auto; font-family: monospace;"> <p><iframe src="wikibudgets.org/subpage" /><a href="wikibudgets.org/subpage">rich anchor text</a></p> </blockquote></iframe>

            Link Building | | wikiBudgets
            0
          • JamesG075

            Is there a difference between .com backlinks and .co.uk?

            (We are a UK based business) I am currently looking for sites for guest posting opportunities and I am not sure whether I should prioritize .co.uk sites or go for .com sites. Does it matter? Is more weight given to .co.uk sites if you are based in the UK?

            Link Building | | JamesG075
            0
          • BobGW

            PR1 and PR2 backlinks

            We're doing some content marketing. I've heard that it is a good idea to target even PR1 and PR2 sites (small DA sites). I'm concerned about these sites disappearing after a few months, as we've found that losing a backlink can sting a bit and be worse than never having it. Though this isn't as big a deal any more. Anyways, can somebody say when a PR1/PR2 backlink would be appropriate to go after? Some of them would be easy and if it's appropriate I'd like to include them. So far they would only pass our standards if they are Above PR0 Look like a white hat, quality site from the outside Have a clean backlink profile Look like they're going to stick around Successful Social Media Accounts a plus What are you guys' criteria for including these sites? Do you gain value from them?

            Link Building | | BobGW
            0
          • eddie_olivas

            Should I Use a Backlink Plugin

            One of my clients recently asked me if he should use a Wordpress plugin to create backlinks to his website. He mentioned WP-Syndicator as an example. I just redesigned his website and I'd like to ensure that he gets a bit more traffic than he was before. Should I suggest that he purchase/use a Wordpress backlink plugin? If so does anyone know which is the best one? Not sure if it's necessary, but here is the website I'm referring to http://intouchhome.com

            Link Building | | eddie_olivas
            0
          • DmitryP

            Is there a way to Rank above wikipedia?

            Is there a way to Rank above wikipedia? Please share any strategies.. Thanks

            Link Building | | DmitryP
            0
          • damon1212

            Press Release Sites for Backlinks

            OK, I read a previous thread about whether people found press release sites useful (specifically I am considering a reputable pay for release service). I understand the knock on press releases in this digital age (namely that no one reads them and arguably never did . . . ), but I was interested in moving the discussion in a different direction . . . Do press releases services really help a sites performance based on increased backlinking?  Is there a SEO benefit to PR services? My company is a local print company.  I've done quite a bit of research on my local competitors, and specifically for a couple products we would like to dominate.  The good news is that it looks like the hurdle would not be terribly high to really take over the web presence with a well planned and executed website/SEO campaign. My inclination is that for a relatively small company like mine (dealing with relatively small competitors) it WOULD benefit me to pay for the sheer number of backlinks a PR program would generate. The monthly cost is frankly about the same as the cost of this site, which OF COURSE I get value from (hey moderator, how about a couple extra MOZ points for that one!) Specifically, I am looking at this for myself, but feel free to expand the question to the broader topic.

            Link Building | | damon1212
            1

          Get started with Moz Pro!

          Unlock the power of advanced SEO tools and data-driven insights.

          Start my free trial
          Products
          • Moz Pro
          • Moz Local
          • Moz API
          • Moz Data
          • STAT
          • Product Updates
          Moz Solutions
          • SMB Solutions
          • Agency Solutions
          • Enterprise Solutions
          • Digital Marketers
          Free SEO Tools
          • Domain Authority Checker
          • Link Explorer
          • Keyword Explorer
          • Competitive Research
          • Brand Authority Checker
          • Local Citation Checker
          • MozBar Extension
          • MozCast
          Resources
          • Blog
          • SEO Learning Center
          • Help Hub
          • Beginner's Guide to SEO
          • How-to Guides
          • Moz Academy
          • API Docs
          About Moz
          • About
          • Team
          • Careers
          • Contact
          Why Moz
          • Case Studies
          • Testimonials
          Get Involved
          • Become an Affiliate
          • MozCon
          • Webinars
          • Practical Marketer Series
          • MozPod
          Connect with us

          Contact the Help team

          Join our newsletter
          Moz logo
          © 2021 - 2025 SEOMoz, Inc., a Ziff Davis company. All rights reserved. Moz is a registered trademark of SEOMoz, Inc.
          • Accessibility
          • Terms of Use
          • Privacy

          Looks like your connection to Moz was lost, please wait while we try to reconnect.