Google is a dynamic, constantly changing beast. Recent algorithm updates, most notably Panda and Penguin, have contributed to the elimination of spammy sites with low-quality content, giving users an improved experience and more accurate search results.
Unfortunately, many legitimate sites were caught in the line of fire and received manual penalties in the process. The penalty forces the site out of the search results. As damaging as a penalty may seem, Google always offers a second chance. Here are a few tips to help you spring back from a manual penalty and properly request a reconsideration from Google.
1. Clean up your site.
Unnatural links—participating in link schemes or buying links to pass PageRank—is the most common offence. Identify all the links in your site and remove the ones you can, disavow or nofollow those you can’t.
The point is to take some action. Your site got dinged, but that doesn’t mean you should crumple. Make the effort to comply with Google’s quality guidelines before you file for reconsideration—even if it was another company that got those questionable links for you.
2. Show Google your progress.
Are you spending weeks or months fixing your site, getting rid of bad links, and consulting a search engine marketing company for help? Prove it to Google. Create a Google Doc that shows that you’ve been emailing hundreds of webmasters or a spreadsheet showing the progress you’ve made removing bad links or mending technical hiccups.
Be thorough with your documentation. You want to be as transparent as possible and show Google that you are making the effort. Copies of emails, screenshots, and records go a long way.
Avoid using a third-party program or hosting service to prove your progress. Google employees won’t open external files or click unknown links as it opens them up to malware attacks. Stick with Google Docs.
3. Reveal your SEO tactics.
Whether you paid for links from a blog network or hired a search engine optimization company to build links on your behalf, tell Google exactly what you did to gain your page rankings. Transparency is key, but this is also a means of holding yourself responsible. Take responsibility, even if it was an outside SEO company’s work.
4. Be polite and pleasant.
Probably easier said than done. The manual penalty cost you huge amounts of money and opportunity, and addressing the underlying issues will take a great deal of time and resources. Save the anger and vulgar language for another time. Yelling and being a bully won’t win the hearts of Google’s quality team. Don’t passive-aggressively tell Google how much money you’ve spent or how much you’re losing. Stay civil and ask what more you can do to get your site back up and running.
5. Commit yourself to change.
Make it clear to Google that you’re now committed to good, white-hat tactics and that you won’t game the system again in the future. Cleaning your site up and documenting your progress are often enough to gain Google’s trust, but it helps to state your new intentions in your reconsideration request.
Receiving a penalty and going through the reconsideration process is no fun, but applying your time and effort will result in a better site and better business. Good luck!
