Remove Toxic Backlinks to Improve Domain Authority

Not all backlinks help your Domain Authority — some can actually hurt it.

Toxic backlinks are links from spammy, irrelevant, or suspicious websites. They can signal to search engines that your site is trying to manipulate rankings. If left unchecked, these links may lower your Domain Authority, affect your keyword performance, and damage your SEO reputation.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to:

•   Identify toxic backlinks
•   Evaluate which ones to remove or disavow
•   Clean up your link profile to protect and grow your DA

What Are Toxic Backlinks?

Toxic backlinks typically come from:

•   Link farms or private blog networks (PBNs)
•   Sites unrelated to your industry or niche
•   Pages filled with spun or auto-generated content
•   Sites flagged for malware, adult content, or gambling
•   Mass directory submissions or comment spam

Google’s algorithms are increasingly smart at detecting unnatural link patterns. If your backlink profile includes many toxic sources, your Domain Authority may stagnate or drop.

To learn how Google’s trust signals matter, explore:
Is E-E-A-T Important for Google Rankings?

Why Toxic Backlinks Lower Domain Authority

DA is not a Google ranking factor, but it closely mirrors factors that Google does use.

When spammy backlinks:

•   Outnumber quality links
•   Come in too quickly
•   Are irrelevant or deceptive

They reduce the overall strength of your link profile. This impacts your:

•   Search engine credibility
•   Keyword rankings
•   Page authority flow
•   DA score over time

How to Identify Toxic Backlinks

Use tools like:

•   Ahrefs: Check your referring domains and “Domain Rating”
•   Moz: Review Spam Score in Link Explorer
•   Ubersuggest: Filter backlinks by low domain score
•   Google Search Console: See all referring domains (but no spam score)

Look for:

•   Domains with a spam score over 50%
•   Links from non-indexed or banned pages
•   Anchor text that looks irrelevant, foreign, or keyword-stuffed

Here’s a more in-depth resource:
Google’s Disavow Tool: What Every Website Owner Needs to Know in 2025

Step-by-Step: How to Remove Toxic Backlinks

Step 1 – Export Your Backlink List

Start by collecting your complete backlink profile using Moz, Ahrefs, or Ubersuggest.

Step 2 – Review Each Link

Manually review each suspicious domain:

•   Does it look like a real site?
•   Is the content relevant?
•   Is the page indexed in Google?

Mark anything that feels off — especially if it links to multiple unrelated domains.

Step 3 – Contact Webmasters for Removal

This is time-consuming but worthwhile:

•   Find a contact form or email
•   Send a polite message requesting removal
•   Wait a week before following up

Even if only a few are removed this way, it improves your profile.

Step 4 – Disavow the Rest

If removal fails, use Google’s Disavow Tool. Prepare a .txt file listing:

domain: spammywebsite.com
domain:example-spam-links.org

Submit it via Search Console. It tells Google to ignore these links when assessing your site.

Important: Only disavow if you’re sure — incorrect use can remove helpful links too.

For details, refer again to:
Google’s Disavow Tool Explained

Tools That Help Spot and Fix Toxic Links

•   Moz Link Explorer: Spam Score and link type labels
•   Ahrefs Site Explorer: Backlink health, anchor patterns, referring domains
•   Semrush Backlink Audit Tool: Automated toxic scoring and disavow file generator
•   Ubersuggest: Clean interface for DA and link health

Use these tools monthly or quarterly to stay ahead of problems.

How Often Should You Clean Your Backlinks?

•   For small/medium sites: Every 3–4 months
•   For high-traffic sites or rapid link growth: Monthly audit
•   After an SEO campaign or guest post spree: Spot-check for any bad domains

Add this to your SEO housekeeping checklist, just like updating content:
How Often Should You Update Your Website

What Happens After You Clean Your Backlinks?

Here’s what to expect:

•   Your Domain Authority may begin to improve gradually
•   Rankings stabilize or improve for content that was underperforming
•   Google sees a healthier, more trustworthy site
•   Your future link-building efforts become more effective

Removing toxic links helps your good links shine.
DA growth is not only about adding — it’s also about subtracting the harmful.

Avoid Future Toxic Links

•   Don’t buy backlinks — ever
•   Vet guest post opportunities carefully
•   Stay away from “link exchanges” or mass directory submissions
•   Use branded or natural anchor text
•   Track your backlink profile regularly

Need help choosing where to build safe, smart links? Read:
Blue Ocean Strategy in SEO

Conclusion — A Clean Profile Builds Real Authority

Domain Authority is not just about collecting links — it’s about collecting the right ones.

Cleaning up your backlink profile is one of the quickest ways to protect your SEO investments and strengthen your reputation in the eyes of both Moz and Google.

Stay vigilant, be selective, and let quality control be your ongoing link strategy.