When a penalty hits your website, it may ruin your brand’s online website and campaign. Due to the sanction, website traffic will decline instantly, and your rankings will drop. If you don’t know how to remove this penalty, it can feel like the end of the world. However, there’s hope for campaigns to be suspended due to Google penalties. Our guide will reveal the meaning of Google penalties, their types, and how to remove them.
What Is a Google Penalty?
A Google penalty describes a sanction placed on websites that violate Google Search Essentials – previously called Google Webmaster Guidelines. If your website is hit with a Google penalty, it will face several consequences. The website’s traffic will reduce significantly, and rankings will drop. In rare cases, your website may disappear from Search Engine Result Pages (SERP) completely.
Types of Google Penalties
If you run a website, there are two types of penalties your platform can face;
- Manual Penalties
- Algorithmic Penalties
Manual Penalties
A manual penalty is a human sanction on your website based on Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines. If a reviewer feels your website violates these terms, they may manually sanction them. If your website faces a manual Google penalty, you’ll be notified.
Depending on the extent of your violation, you may face a partial or site-wide sanction. While a partial embargo will restrict some of your web pages, a site-wide boycott will ban your platform.
Algorithmic Penalties
Algorithmic penalties are tricky because you won’t be notified of the sanction. Two of the most popular algorithmic penalties are Panda and Penguin. The Penguin algorithm watches out for black-hat SEO practices, including keyword stuffing and link spamming. However, the Panda algorithm checks for low-quality content.
Because Algorithmic updates are often unannounced, you need to learn how to detect them. You can do this by staying updated on SEO news. If you want to remove an algorithmic update, it’s essential to take corrective actions that match Google’s policy.
Steps To Remove Google Penalties
Whether you’re facing a manual or algorithmic penalty, you can only remove it when you tackle the underlying issue. You must submit a ‘Reconsideration Request’ to clear the penalty. However, only do so when you’ve fixed the problem. The website sanction will be removed after a sanction.
If you don’t know what’s wrong, check the Google Search Console. Here, you’ll find a notification telling you the problem and what needs to be fixed. Your corrective actions should match the issue at hand.
Bad Links
Bad links refer to those on the website to mislead search engine rankings. These may be purchased links or those gained through deception. Follow these steps to tackle bad links:
- Go through the links on your website to determine if they are natural or unnatural
- After finding the unnatural links, contact the site owners and ask for their removal
- If you can’t reach the site owners, disavow the links on your Google Search Console
Poor Content
If you have plenty of poor content on your website, it can cause a penalty. This penalty is because Google wants to display only valuable sources. Common examples of proper content include doorway pages, scraped content, bad affiliate pages, and auto-generated content.
The solution for poor web content is simple. You must delete the bad content you’ve discovered and replace it with valuable information. When your message is more engaging, you can apply for reconsideration.
Hidden Text
If hidden text is discovered on your website, it indicates that you’re trying to manipulate your way to the top of search engine result pages. Many websites used to adopt this practice, but it’s now a quick way to get a penalty.
Hidden text may refer to any text that’s the same color as your background or details hidden from view. Another popular type of hidden text is those hidden with programming skills. To remove this penalty, delete hidden text from your website.
Keyword Stuffing
Keywords are essential to your content’s rank on SERP. However, keyword stuffing is detrimental. This occurs when you stuff too many action words into your content. The new Panda update strictly tackled any offenders in this category. To avoid keyword stuffing, adopt effective keyword policies.
How Can We Help – Premia TNC
If you want to tackle Google penalties effectively, you need professional help. At Premia TNC, we are experts at helping businesses establish an excellent online presence. We can help you with penalty assessment and diagnosis. Our professionals will assess your website to identify what’s wrong. Next, we will design an effective recovery plan. Our experts understand different techniques to sort content issues, algorithmic penalties, backlink concerns, etc.
The final step of our process is the implementation of corrective actions. We will follow the remedial measures we’ve outlined for content optimization. Our experts will also audit website links for on-page SEO. When we’re done, the quality of your web pages will improve, and the penalty will be removed.
Recovering from Google penalties demands expertise and a strategic approach. Let Premia TNC be your partner in revitalizing your online presence. Contact us today for personalized consultancy and step confidently towards a penalty-free digital future.
FAQs
How do I identify if my website has a Google penalty?
A website with a Google penalty will sharply decline in rankings or organic traffic. To identify these signs, monitor your Google search console and analyze website performance.
What steps can I take to remove a Google penalty?
When you notice a Google penalty, start by identifying the type of penalty - manual or algorithmic. Also, check for issues like bad backlinks, poor content, and keyword stuffing. Algorithmic penalties are removed by taking corrective action and waiting for system updates.
What's the average recovery time from a Google penalty?
The recovery time from a Google penalty depends on the type of penalty, its severity, and the nature of your corrective actions.
Manual penalties are removed after a Google review. The process may take weeks. The Search Engine’s algorithm sorts algorithmic penalties and may last for months.
