How to Recover From Any Google Penalty

SEO is a complex game full of surprises. Even with best intentions, it’s possible to invest in your SEO only to have your site penalized by a Google algorithm update or manual action.

If you notice your website traffic suddenly drop or your position in the SERP ranking falling, your site may have been a victim of a Google penalty.

Fixing these penalties should be a top priority, as a drop in your search engine ranking can result in lost customers and lost sales.

Luckily, appealing and rectifying these penalties is possible, but you need to understand the cause before you can fix the problem.

In this article, we’ll show you how to figure out if your site has been penalized and explain exactly what to do to fix your score.

What Is a Google Penalty?

A Google penalty is a punishment that Google delivers to sites that fail to follow their Webmaster Guidelines.

Penalties can be given automatically by Google’s algorithms or manually, by any of Google’s human auditors.

Some penalties are the result of Google algorithm updates, such as in the case of the Panda and Penguin updates.

Think of Google penalties like a red card in soccer. The referee (Google) says you did something wrong and you are forced to sit out the rest of the game.

When you receive a penalty, your website, much like the soccer player, is forced to sit out until a solution is found. This usually means you may no longer be listed in search results or your ranking for targeted keywords drops.

While Google penalties are designed to stop black-hat SEO tactics and other online rule-breakers, they can also happen to sites that made an honest mistake or did nothing wrong at all. Sometimes, it’s simply an error on Google’s end that will need to be fixed.

What Are Common Causes of Google Penalties?

The following triggers often cause Google penalties:

• keyword stuffing
• hidden links
• duplicate content
• irrelevant keywords
• bad redirects
• cloaking
• spyware, adware, and viruses
• data issues
• bad links

There are many ways to get a Google penalty, but they are often triggered by black-hat techniques or tactics intended to fool search engine bots.

There are two main types of Google penalties:

1. Algorithmic Penalties: Often caused by algorithm updates or changes.
2. Manual Penalties: Created by human auditors working for Google to ensure quality standards. These are usually given if you violate Google’s Terms of Service.

You can check if you have received a manual penalty in the Google Search Console.

For manual actions, go to Security & Manual Actions, then Manual Actions. If you see a green checkmark that says “No issue detected” you’re in the clear.

To determine if your site was hit with an algorithmic penalty, you’ll need to check your ranking, which we’ll cover in the next section.

Remember that not every decline in search traffic is the result of a Google penalty. For example, seasonal businesses often see a sharp decline in their off-seasons. As well, the increased online competition can force your business further down the SERP page.

Google has always maintained that high-quality, relevant content is prioritized above irrelevant content meant to boost SEO.

Essentially, Google wants businesses to create content that is best for the user, not just for search engines. When you try to trick the algorithm, you may get slapped with a penalty.

That said, it is possible to get a Google penalty even if you aren’t trying to trick the algorithm.

Errors in manual entry and algorithm changes may result in a penalty even for innocent marketers.

Because of this, it’s important to be aware of what can cause a Google penalty, and what to do if it happens.

Below, we’ll outline the steps needed to recover from a Google penalty.

How Soon Will My Site Recover From a Google Penalty?

Your site will recover from a Google penalty once all of the errors are corrected.

This can be anywhere from 10-30 days for manual penalties, depending on how quickly you fix the problem, submit a reconsideration request, and have your request accepted.

The recovery time can be significantly longer for algorithm penalties, with some companies reporting damage up to two years later. Most sites can expect a six-month recovery period.

How to Recover From Google Penalties

FAQs About Google Penalties

How do I know if I have a Google penalty?

Use tools such as Website Penalty Indicator and Ubersuggest to uncover any manual or algorithm penalties affecting your website traffic.

How can I fix SEO errors?

Perform an SEO audit to find and fix any SEO errors that may result in a Google penalty.

What tools can I use to clean up my backlinks?

Online tools such as Majestic SEO and WebMeUp can uncover bad backlinks. From there, you need to contact the webmaster directly to delete them or disavow them yourself.

When will my site recover?

Your site should recover in around 30 thirty days for manual penalties and six months for algorithm penalties

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Conclusion

A Google penalty can be a big issue for sites that rely on web traffic for revenue.

Luckily, you can take steps to find out how, when, and why your site is being penalized.

Remember, there are many ways to improve your Google ranking without getting penalized. Be sure to adhere to Google’s best practices at all times to minimize penalty issues.

Although we hope you feel confident enough to identify and fix Google penalties yourself after reading this guide, our agency is here if you can’t or don’t want to. Our experienced team can guide you through the SEO audit/fixing/growing process with whatever level of involvement you want.

How have you fixed your Google penalties in the past? What steps did you take?