Google Webmaster Tools shows backlinks which are not active anymore - how do I remove them?

Question

In Google Webmaster Tools -> Search Traffic-> Links to your site, I have a lot of backlinks which are not there anymore.

For example, Google Webamaster Tools shows that there is a link coming from http://example.com.

When I check that domain, there is nothing there linked back to my site anymore.

Is there a way to remove these ghost backlinks?

Are these backlinks under your control? ie. You know for sure that these sites are not linking to you (bearing in mind that only the domain is shown in GWT)? How long has it been since these back-links were removed? TBH, I don't think there really is anything you can do. — MrWhite, Sep 3 '14 at 22:11
Google Webmaster Tools is rather slow and behind by quite a bit. It is often a waiting game with little you can do to control the outcome. You could see a link in GWT that has already disappeared which may be what you are experiencing. Some spam sites are hit and miss by nature meaning that a link will appear, disappear, then reappear with your having no control. Do not worry about what is in this list too much. Do work on positive backlinks that will compensate for any bad ones along the way. Control what you can control and rest easy that Google does not take all backlinks too seriously. — closetnoc, Sep 3 '14 at 23:12
sorry for slow reply ... my day's just starting - these links are not there anymore, they just still show in Google Webmaster Tools -> Search Traffic-> Links to your site ... When I go to that site, link is not there. BTW: this is a aftermath of a some "SEO campaign" went awry — Jeffz, Sep 4 '14 at 10:20

influential · Accepted Answer · 2014-09-04 05:29:57Z

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If you know what you're doing, just use the link disavow tool: https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/disavow-links-main

There's pretty clear instructions given with the tool...

answered Sep 4 '14 at 5:29

influential

1361 bronze badge

But you see these links are gone from backlinking sites, they just still are listed at Google Webmaster Tools -> Search Traffic-> Links to your site – Jeffz Sep 4 '14 at 10:20
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This doesn't remove the links from the actual sites, but it just tells Google to discredit them. You're kind of backwards in your thinking there. Google can't remove the actual links from a site, they just can discredit them. It will work. – influential Sep 5 '14 at 0:42

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