In the intricate world of SEO, encountering a Google penalty can disrupt your hard-earned momentum.
Whether it’s due to an algorithm update or a manual action, the repercussions on your site’s traffic and SERP ranking can be significant.
But there’s a silver lining: recovery is achievable with the right strategies – or when utilising the right SEO consultants.
Understanding Google Penalties
A Google penalty, which can result from non-compliance with Google’s Webmaster Guidelines, may manifest as a notable drop in your SERP position.
These penalties are of two types: algorithmic (stemming from updates to Google’s search algorithms) and manual (imposed by Google’s human auditors for guideline violations).
To check for a manual penalty, use the Google Search Console.
Navigate to ‘Security & Manual Actions’ and then to ‘Manual Actions’. A green checkmark means you’re penalty-free, but any alerts indicate issues that need addressing.
Identifying Common Penalty Triggers
Google penalties can arise from a variety of infractions, including excessive use of keywords (keyword stuffing), concealed links, irrelevant keywords, misleading redirects, cloaking, distributing malware, technical errors like sitemap or robots.txt issues, spammy or low-quality links, and unhelpful (thin) content – like AI tools are guilty of spitting out!
Recovery Timeline Expectations
Recovering from a Google penalty varies in time. For manual penalties, once you rectify the issue and submit a reconsideration request, recovery can take 10-30 days.
Algorithmic penalties might require a longer period, ranging from a few months to two years, depending on the severity and the response to corrective measures. If you have a great team and resources in place to tackle the core of the issue, you should be in a good place to get things back on track. The quicker you can tackle the problem the better.
Steps to Overcome Google Penalties
- Diagnose the Issue
Begin by confirming if a penalty is affecting your ranking using tools like the Website Penalty Indicator or SEO analysis tools like Ahrefs or SEMRush. These tools help identify common problems such as bad backlinks or duplicate content. - Align with Algorithm Updates
Compare your site’s traffic drop to recent Google algorithm updates using your Google Analytics dashboard. Identifying the specific update that impacted your site guides you in making the necessary changes. - Conduct an SEO Audit
Regular SEO audits are essential, more so when facing a penalty. Focus on back-end hosting, front-end elements like content and metadata, and external factors like link quality. - Perform a Content Audit
Evaluate your content for relevancy, freshness, and quality. Google prioritizes current, detailed content. Use tools like Sitebulb or Screaming Frog for a comprehensive site audit. - Clean Up Your Backlink Profile
Use tools like Majestic SEO, Google’s Disavow Tool, Ahrefs, or SEMrush to analyse and clean up your backlink profile. Remove negative or underperforming backlinks by contacting webmasters or using the Disavow Tool if necessary.
Avoiding Google Penalties Going Forward
In addition to resolving current penalties, it’s crucial to maintain ongoing SEO and content quality to avoid future issues. Regularly update your strategies to align with Google’s evolving guidelines and best practices.
For those who need extra assistance, seeking professional SEO services can be beneficial. An experienced team, like GooglePenalty.co.uk can help navigate through the complexities of SEO audits and recovery processes.
Remember, while a Google penalty can be daunting, it’s a very achievable challenge with the right approach and tools at your disposal!
Reach out to our team if you would like help diagnosing or tackling a penalty or algorithm hit.