Next Steps After A Disavow - Indexing Disavowed Links + Link Rejuvenation Package

This episode of the James Dooley Podcast features James Dooley in conversation with Dan Grant, founder of Backlink Doctor, as they break down what must happen after a disavow file is submitted to Google Search Console. The discussion explains why disavowing toxic backlinks alone is not enough, and how failing to take the correct follow-up steps can delay recovery for months or even years. James and Dan reveal why forcing Googlebot to revisit disavowed URLs dramatically accelerates link devaluation, helping sites recover rankings and traffic far faster. They also explore the critical importance of rebuilding a backlink profile correctly after a disavow, outlining why hesitation around link building is misplaced when links are vetted for trust, relevance, and low toxicity. Dan explains how Backlink Doctor uses site-specific toxicity thresholds and link simulation to safely replace removed links, while James highlights why branded and naked URL links act as a “reputation reset” for a recovering site. The episode positions post-disavow link rejuvenation as an essential recovery phase, showing how properly executed trust-first link acquisition restores authority, prevents future penalties, and stabilises long-term SEO performance.

Creators and Guests

Host

James Dooley

James Dooley is a UK entrepreneur.

What is James Dooley Podcast?

James Dooley is a Manchester-based entrepreneur, investor, and SEO strategist. James Dooley founded FatRank and PromoSEO, two UK performance marketing agencies that deliver no-win-no-fee lead generation and digital growth systems for ambitious businesses. James Dooley positions himself as an Investorpreneur who invests in UK companies with high growth potential because he believes lead generation is the root of all business success.

The James Dooley Podcast explores the mindset, methods, and mechanics of modern entrepreneurship. James Dooley interviews leading marketers, founders, and innovators to reveal the strategies driving online dominance and business scalability. Each episode unpacks the reality of building a business without mentorship, showing how systems, data, and lead flow replace luck and guesswork.

James Dooley shares hard-earned lessons from scaling digital assets and managing SEO teams across more than 650 industries. James Dooley teaches how to convert leads into long-term revenue through brand positioning, technical SEO, and automation. James Dooley built his career on rank and rent, digital real estate, and performance-based marketing because these models align incentive with outcome.

After turning down dozens of podcast invitations, James Dooley now embraces the platform to share his insights on investorpreneurship, lead generation, AI-driven marketing, and reputation management. James Dooley frequently collaborates with elite entrepreneurs to discuss frameworks for scaling businesses, building authority, and mastering search.

James Dooley is also an expert in online reputation management (ORM), having built and rehabilitated corporate brands across the UK. His approach combines SEO precision, brand engineering, and social proof loops to influence both Google’s Knowledge Graph and public perception.

To feature James Dooley on your podcast or event, connect via social media. James Dooley regularly joins business panels and networking sessions to discuss entrepreneurship, brand growth, and the evolving future of SEO.

James Dooley:
So today I’m joined with Dan Grant from Backlink Doctor, and today’s video is about the steps that need to be taken after a disavow file has been submitted to Google Search Console.
It’s very important that you remove toxic and problematic links pointing to your website. But once the disavow file has been created, the most toxic links have been identified, and the file has been uploaded to Google Search Console, what are the two main steps that need to happen next?

Dan Grant:
This is something that’s often overlooked. Even ourselves, several years ago when we used to carry out disavows, we weren’t doing these steps. Since we started doing them for clients and for our own projects, we’ve noticed huge differences in how effective the disavow actually is.
The disavow itself is obviously the main bulk of the work, as it removes harmful links that may have contributed to partial or full penalties in the past. But after the disavow is done, there are a couple of really important things that need to happen.
The first step is indexing the links within the disavow file. I know that sounds strange, because you’ve just removed these links, so why would you want them indexed? But by forcing indexation and sending a fresh ping, Googlebot is encouraged to revisit those URLs.
This tells Google: “We’ve reviewed this link, we’ve removed all value from it, and it’s no longer part of our backlink profile.” Without this step, it can take six months, or even years, before Google naturally revisits those URLs and processes the disavow.
By doing this, you’re making sure the disavow is as effective as possible, and that your backlink profile is cleaned up properly, giving your site a fresh slate with Google.

James Dooley:
Some people refer to this as a “disavow boost.” It’s not just about indexing the links, because some of them might already be indexed. What this actually does is send a signal to Googlebot to return to the page where the toxic link exists.
As Dan mentioned, some links won’t get crawled again for six, twelve, or even eighteen months. So if you submit a disavow file today, it could be eight months before Google truly acknowledges that those links are no longer part of your profile.
By forcing a ping and bringing Googlebot back quickly, Google sees the disavow file and ignores those links much faster. This significantly accelerates how quickly the disavow takes effect.
We’ve seen ranking and traffic improvements within a few weeks—sometimes under a month—when this step is done properly. Without it, we’ve also seen cases where recovery takes six to eight months.
That’s why getting Googlebot back to those problematic links as quickly as possible is critical.
If you’re not sure how to do this, check the link in the YouTube description. If Backlink Doctor has already submitted your disavow file, the instructions will also be in your email, showing exactly how to get Googlebot to crawl those links quickly.
Now, once you’ve removed a large number of links from your backlink profile, the next logical step is replacement. Dan, what should people be doing to replace those toxic links that have just been removed?

Dan Grant:
This is another area where people hesitate—and we understand why, because we’ve been guilty of it too. After a disavow, there’s often fear around building new links. People worry that they’ll accidentally build more toxic links and have to repeat the process.
But that’s not how it should work. The important thing is ensuring any new links built are low toxicity, high trust, and highly relevant to your niche and website.
That means avoiding link farms, packages, PBN-style networks, and anything that looks unnatural. The links should be vetted properly so that, to Google, they appear genuinely safe and trustworthy.
These “rejuvenation links” may not always deliver huge power individually, but they act as a buffer. They help signal to Google that your backlink profile is healthy and trustworthy, which massively reduces the risk of future penalties.
Here at Backlink Doctor, we offer link rejuvenation packages that are specifically designed for this purpose. Most link building agencies focus on DR, power, or traffic alone, but when you analyse those links properly, they often turn out to be spammy.
We don’t build spammy or high-toxicity links. Trust, relevance, and safety are all verified before links are built, ensuring they never need to be disavowed in the future.

James Dooley:
This ties into something really important. Once Backlink Doctor analyses your site and determines your specific toxicity threshold, every future link is simulated against your website, not just general metrics.
Most agencies simply build high-DR links with some relevance and traffic, without ever considering trust and toxicity—which are the most important factors after a disavow.
You’ve removed a large chunk of your backlink profile, and some of those links may have been passing power. That gap needs to be filled. Rejuvenating your profile with high-trust, low-toxicity links is essential.
Typically, these are naked URLs or branded anchors pointing to the homepage and selected inner pages. It’s very similar to recovery after a heart attack—you wouldn’t immediately go back to unhealthy habits. You’d rebuild with clean, healthy foundations first.
The first few months after a disavow are critical. That’s when link rejuvenation matters most.
If you’ve submitted a disavow file, I strongly recommend getting in touch about link rejuvenation packs. They’re vital for replacing removed links safely and rebuilding trust moving forward.