Penalties in the area of digital marketing and search engine optimisation (SEO) may strike fear into the hearts of website owners and marketers alike. Among the different sorts of penalties imposed by search engines, manual penalties are particularly important.
This piece seeks to deconstruct manual penalties by explaining what they are, how they occur, and how to recover from them.
What Are Manual Penalties?
Manual penalties are sanctions imposed by search engine evaluators who review websites for compliance with quality guidelines. Unlike algorithmic penalties, which are automatically triggered by changes in search algorithms, manual penalties are the result of human intervention. Such penalties can range from a warning for minor infractions to a complete removal from search engine results pages (SERPs) for severe violations.
How Do Manual Penalties Occur?
Manual penalties typically arise from a variety of violations of search engine guidelines, particularly those set forth by Google. The most common reasons for receiving a manual penalty include:
- Unnatural Links: This encompasses both incoming and outgoing links that are deemed to be manipulative or unnatural, including paid links or links from low-quality, spammy sites.
- Thin Content: Websites that contain little or no valuable content, or that rely heavily on duplicate content without providing any unique value, are at risk.
- Hidden Text and Links: Any attempt to manipulate search rankings by hiding text or links from users but visible to search engines is a violation.
- Keyword Stuffing: Overloading a webpage with keywords in an attempt to rank higher can lead to penalties.
- Spammy Structured Data: Misusing structured data markup to mislead search engines can also result in penalties.
Identifying a Manual Penalty
Recognising whether your website has been subjected to a manual penalty is crucial for remediation. The most effective way to identify a manual penalty is through Google Search Console. If a manual action has been taken against your site, you will receive a notification outlining the nature of the penalty and the specific reasons for it. These notifications often include a detailed explanation, which can be invaluable for addressing the issues.
Steps to Recover from a Manual Penalty
Recovering from a manual penalty requires a systematic approach to identify the issues and rectify them. Here are the steps you should follow:
- Review the Notification: Start by carefully reading the manual action notification. Understanding the exact nature of the violation is key to addressing it.
- Conduct a Thorough Audit: Perform a comprehensive audit of your website to identify the offending content or links. Tools like Google Analytics, SEMrush, or Ahrefs can be very helpful in this process.
- Remove or Disavow Problematic Links: If your penalty is due to unnatural links, reach out to webmasters to request the removal of such links. If that isn’t feasible, use the Google Disavow Tool to inform Google that you do not want these links to be considered.
- Improve Content Quality: Ensure that all content on your site provides value to users. Remove or rewrite thin or duplicate content and focus on creating original, informative articles.
- Submit a Reconsideration Request: Once you have made the necessary changes, submit a reconsideration request through Google Search Console. Clearly outline the steps you have taken to rectify the issues.
- Monitor Your Site: After submission, continue to monitor your site’s performance. It may take some time for Google to review your request and reinstate your site.
Conclusion
Manual penalties can be daunting, but understanding their nature and how they occur is the first step towards effective management. By taking proactive measures to align your website with best practices and promptly addressing any violations, you can minimise the risk of penalties and maintain a healthy online presence. Remember, the key to success in the digital landscape lies in providing value to users while adhering to the guidelines set by search engines.
