Should I consider "disavow"?

[Ben Bowen]

First of all, I apologize if this is the wrong forum.

I have a local business with a website that is doing well. I have a healthy and diverse link graph. However, for several years (before I knew or cared about SEO) I had my website in my signature on a forum totally unrelated to my business. I was quite active. I know that forum links are useless, so they probably can't do much harm either.

Would you consider using "disavow"? Thanks in advance for the input, I have been enjoying reading comments here for several months now.

H/t Tony

 

[Linda Buquet]

Hi Ben... or Tony? (Which one?)

If concerned, why not just change your forum sig and all the links will go bye bye.

 

[Ben Bowen]

Thanks for the (really quick!) response Linda.

I did change my signature, but the links have stayed- in fact more have been indexed. Maybe I just need to be patient.

- Ben

 

[Linda Buquet]

So the link is no longer in sig? Just in G search? That should clear up.

 

[Thaddaeus]

How many forums are your links in? If it is only one, I would not worry about it. But someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Ben Bowen]

Just one- about 600 times

 

[Linda Buquet]

I would not worry even if it was off-topic from your niche.

I'd worry if it was a 'bad' neighborhood type of forum (like adult or black hat SEO). Or if it was tons of forums, enough that it could look like forum spam. But otherwise no worries.

 

[seranking]

There's no notification that your disavow has successfully been "processed" or anything like that, correct? Just gotta look for evidence in analytics?

 

[JoshuaMackens]

If it is optimized anchor text, I would definitely consider removing it (contact the webmaster) or disavowing it. In fact, I would do it anyway even if it wasn't optimized. The link probably isn't helping at any rate and could be a potential issue later on down the road.

No help & it's a liability.

Unless you think it's responsible for a significant amount of your ranking for whatever reason. If that's the case, if it's an optimized anchor text, I would definitely weigh the pros and cons of removing it, leaning more toward removing it. If it's not optimized, I might would consider leaving it if I really thought it was helping. You have to be careful though.

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As far as the disavow, I don't believe there is a process message. I've never heard of that at least. But it doesn't mean it's not out there.