1. Examine repeated anchor text in context
A pattern of identical commercial anchor text can be worth reviewing. Open representative linking pages and check whether the links make sense to their readers. Repetition alone does not establish manipulation: related businesses, navigation and legitimate references can create repeated anchors.
2. Look at the publisher, not just domain privacy
Check whether the site has a coherent purpose, useful content and accountable editorial information. Private registration details are common and are not proof of spam. The original article placed too much weight on anonymous domain ownership.
3. Read the surrounding content
Ask why the link belongs on that page. Is it an editorial reference that helps the reader, or does the page seem to exist only to place unrelated commercial links? Record the evidence rather than relying on a tool’s score or an unattractive design.
4. Establish how the link was obtained
Ask the agency or publisher what was commissioned. Paid placements intended to manipulate rankings are different from outreach that earns an independent editorial mention. Paying someone for legitimate marketing work does not make every resulting link spam.
For publishers, qualify advertising and paid links appropriately, rather than promising an unqualified ranking link to the buyer. Google’s link qualification guidance explains sponsored, nofollow and user-generated links.
Do not turn the review into automatic disavowal
The same review applies when a brand supplies a product in return for coverage. Make the commercial relationship clear and check the appropriate link qualification. Judge the collaboration by its relevance to the publisher’s audience, not by a promise of ranking credit. Offering another benefit or choosing a different type of publisher does not turn a commercial arrangement into an independent editorial endorsement.
Google says most sites do not need its disavow tool and warns that incorrect use can harm search performance (checked 2026-09-10). Assess whether there is a manual action or a credible risk from link schemes you participated in. Follow Google’s disavow guidance, including removal efforts where appropriate, rather than uploading every link that looks odd.
See our SEO work. A historical algorithm deadline is not a reason to rush a destructive link decision.