Last Updated 22/07/2026

The Odyssey New Media team completed one of its largest and most in-depth backlink analyses and disavow file compilations for one of its clients. The website had accumulated more than 1,700 referring domains and over 14,700 backlinks, but its backlink profile had never previously been analysed.

Following an initial review of the site’s backlink profile using our SEO tools, we identified indicators that suggested the website may have been affected by a link-related penalty around 2010–2011. Although this had never been confirmed by Google through Google Webmaster Tools, our manual spot checks of the backlink profile supported this suspicion.

After discussing our findings with the client, it was agreed that a full backlink audit should be carried out. The objective was to identify any low-quality or potentially harmful backlinks and compile a disavow file for submission to Google to help protect and improve the site’s long-term SEO performance.

Link Analysis & Disavow work undertaken by Odyssey New Media

During the analysis process, our dedicated team of SEO specialists manually analysed every referring domain and individual backlink to determine whether each link should be retained or disavowed. As a result, we found that more than 90% of the backlinks were low quality, irrelevant or potentially harmful to the website’s SEO performance. These findings have been reviewed with the client, and the disavow file is now ready for submission to Google. We will provide a follow-up update if we see a positive impact on the website’s organic search performance. 

Our SEO backlink analysis, link removal and disavow service includes:

• Extraction of all the site backlinks seen by Google through Google Webmaster Tools.
• Combining this with backlink data we acquire through the use of our SEO link analysis software (you can use one or more tools such as Majestic SEO or Ahrefs, the more the better).
• Manual analysis of all links and categorisation (i.e. bad, poor, good etc.).
• Reviewing potentially harmful backlinks with the client and agreeing which links should be removed or disavowed.
• Email the offending websites requesting removal of the bad/poor backlinks.
• Collate a disavow file for submissions to Google through Google Webmaster Tools.
• Submit the disavow file to Google so that low-quality or harmful links are ignored.

Contacting Odyssey New Media if your site needs Link Analysis

If you’ve never had your backlink profile analysed, make sure you do, there could be bad links holding your website back.

Feel free to contact us for a quick link audit to see if your website has been affected by poor, irrelevant or harmful links pointing to your website.

About The Author

Robert Stoubos
Founder & Managing Director of Odyssey New Media, a leading Digital Marketing Agency based in Birmingham, UK. With over 20+ years experience in Digital Marketing Rob has is a results-driven marketer with the skills required to successfully implement cross-channel digital marketing campaigns that generate increased brand awareness, sales and ROI. Specialising in search marketing i.e. SEO and PPC. Other channels Rob has experience and interest in include Content Marketing, Inbound Marketing, Social Media and Website Conversion Enhancement. If you want to improve your sales, increase sales leads and grow your customer base then contact us today and see what we can do to help your company achieve your goals.

Email info@odysseynewmedia.com or call us now on 0121 439 5450

Editor’s note: Google Webmaster Tools, referenced throughout the original case study, has since been renamed Google Search Console. The original terminology has been retained to reflect the tools and processes used at the time of the case study.