BUSTED
Disavow file usage is necessary
LINKS
LOW Impact
INTERMEDIATE
The Myth
"You need to actively disavow bad backlinks to protect your site from penalties."
The Truth
For most sites, disavow is unnecessary. Google is very good at ignoring spammy links automatically. The disavow tool was created for recovering from manual penalties or if you've participated in link schemes. Using it preemptively or excessively can actually hurt you by disavowing links that were helping. Only disavow if you have a manual action or know you bought links.
DInsight from @dejanseo
"I've seen people disavow their best links because a tool said they were 'toxic.' Stop obsessing over disavow. Unless you've bought links or have a penalty, leave it alone."