How can you tell if Google penalized your website? (2024)

Last updated on Mar 7, 2024

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1

What is a Google penalty?

2

How to check for manual penalties?

3

How to check for algorithmic penalties?

4

How to recover from a Google penalty?

5

Here’s what else to consider

Google is constantly updating its algorithms to provide the best user experience and rank the most relevant and high-quality websites. However, sometimes these updates can also affect your website's performance and visibility negatively, especially if you violate Google's guidelines or use questionable SEO tactics. This is what we call a Google penalty, and it can have a serious impact on your traffic, conversions, and revenue. In this article, we will show you how to tell if your website has been penalized by Google, and what you can do to recover from it.

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  • Awais Sarwar

    How can you tell if Google penalized your website? (3) How can you tell if Google penalized your website? (4) 3

  • Benyamin Ebrahimi Search Engine Optimization Specialist

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  • Mohamed Jubair 11 years of hands on experience on SEO | Results Oriented SEO Professional | LinkedIn 17K+ Followers

    How can you tell if Google penalized your website? (8) 1

How can you tell if Google penalized your website? (9) How can you tell if Google penalized your website? (10) How can you tell if Google penalized your website? (11)

1 What is a Google penalty?

A Google penalty is a negative action that Google takes against your website when it detects that you are violating its quality standards or manipulating its ranking system. There are two types of Google penalties: manual and algorithmic. A manual penalty is when a human reviewer from Google's web spam team manually flags your website for violating the webmaster guidelines, such as using spammy links, hidden text, or cloaking. A manual penalty will usually come with a notification in your Google Search Console account, and you can request a reconsideration after you fix the issues. An algorithmic penalty is when your website is automatically demoted or removed from the search results by one of Google's algorithms, such as Panda, Penguin, or Fred. An algorithmic penalty will not come with a notification, and you can only recover by improving your website's quality and relevance.

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  • Mohamed Jubair 11 years of hands on experience on SEO | Results Oriented SEO Professional | LinkedIn 17K+ Followers
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    You can tell if Google penalized your website by monitoring changes in organic traffic and keyword rankings, receiving manual actions notifications in Google Search Console, noticing a sudden drop in search visibility or indexing issues, observing a decrease in backlinks or domain authority, and experiencing a decline in overall website performance. Conduct regular audits to identify potential penalties and take corrective actions promptly to recover and avoid further penalties.

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  • Ubaid Ur Rehman Media Buyer | Social Media Strategist | SEO Expert | Social Media Manager | Google Ads Certified
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    If you suspect a Google penalty, watch for:Ranking Plunge: Abrupt drop in rankings.Manual Action Alert: Notification in Search Console.Traffic Dip: Sudden, sustained decline in organic traffic.Search Visibility Loss: Your site disappears from search results.SERP Changes: Altered title/meta or warning message.CTR Decrease: Lower click-through rates on rankings.Page De-indexing: Loss of indexed pages.Backlink Devaluation: Low-quality backlinks losing value.Delayed Indexing: New content takes too long to appear.Search Console Messages: Check for manual actions or alerts.Act promptly if you notice these signs to address potential penalties. A thorough SEO audit can pinpoint and resolve underlying issues.

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  • Awais Sarwar
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    You can tell if Google penalized your website by observing:1- A sudden drop in organic traffic.2- Decreased keyword rankings.3- Manual action notifications in Google Search Console.4- Pages being removed from search results.5- Lower click-through rates.6- Suspicious or unnatural backlinks.7- Disappearance of rich snippets.8- Unusual traffic patterns.If you suspect a penalty, monitor your site's performance, check for notifications, and seek professional help if needed to address and resolve the issues.

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2 How to check for manual penalties?

The easiest way to check for manual penalties is to log in to your Google Search Console account and go to the Manual Actions report. This report will show you if your website or any of its pages have been flagged by Google for any web spam issues, such as unnatural links, thin content, or hacked content. You can also see the details of the penalty, such as the date, the reason, and the affected URLs. If you have a manual penalty, you should follow the instructions from Google to fix the problems and submit a reconsideration request. You can also use the Disavow Links tool to tell Google to ignore any bad links pointing to your website.

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  • Awais Sarwar
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    To check for manual penalties on your website:1- Log in to Google Search Console.2- Select your website property.3- Go to "Security & Manual Actions."4- Review any manual action messages.5- Address the identified issues.6- If eligible, submit a reconsideration request.Monitor for updates in Search Console.

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  • Muhammad Waqas Ashfaq ⭐ #1 SEO Analyst | Best SEO Consultant, Google Certifications | 7 years in SEO
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    Log In: Access your Google Search Console account.Choose Property: Select the property (website) you want to check.Navigate to "Security & Manual Actions": In the left sidebar, click on "Security & Manual Actions."Review "Manual Actions" Report: In this section, you'll find details about any manual actions taken against your site. Google will specify the issue, affected pages, and provide guidance on how to resolve it.Respond and Rectify: If you discover a manual penalty, follow Google's instructions to address the issue. Once resolved, you can request reconsideration through the same section.

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  • Abuzer Burhanpur Digital Marketing Specialist | Search Engine Optimization | Google Ads | PPC | Paid Ads | Content Marketing | Technical SEO | GA4 | CRM | WordPress | Shopify
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    To check for manual penalties, log into Google Search Console and navigate to the "Manual Actions" section. Here, Google will notify you if your site has received a manual penalty. They will detail the issues and provide instructions on how to rectify them. Address the issues, request a review, and wait for Google's approval to recover.

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3 How to check for algorithmic penalties?

Verifying if your website has been hit by an algorithmic penalty can be a challenge, as Google does not provide notifications. However, there are some signs that might indicate a penalty, such as a sudden and drastic decrease in organic traffic, rankings, or impressions; a discrepancy between target keywords and the search queries that bring traffic to your website; an unexpected decrease in click-through rate or bounce rate; or a loss of visibility or authority in your niche. To check for algorithmic penalties, you should monitor your website's performance regularly with tools like Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and SEO tools like Moz or Ahrefs. Additionally, it is important to stay informed of Google algorithm changes and announcements and compare them with your website's data. For instance, if you observe a decrease in traffic or rankings around the same time as a major Google update, such as Panda or Penguin, it is likely that your website has been impacted by the update.

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  • Awais Sarwar
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    To check for algorithmic penalties:Monitor traffic for sudden drops.Keep an eye on Google Search Console.1- Check rankings and content quality.2- Review backlink profile.3- Ensure mobile-friendliness.4- Stay informed about algorithm updates.5- Seek professional assistance if needed.

  • Samar A. SEO, ORM, Social Media Marketing, Google/Amazon/Walmart PPC specialist
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    Signs of Google penalty on your website include sudden drop in rankings and traffic, notification from Google Search Console, and decrease in indexed pages. Use Google Analytics and Search Console to analyze your website. To recover, identify the cause and make necessary changes, then submit a reconsideration request to Google.

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4 How to recover from a Google penalty?

Recovering from a Google penalty is not easy, but it is possible if you take the right steps and follow the best practices. The first step is to identify the cause of the penalty and fix the issues that are hurting your website's quality and relevance. For example, if you have a manual penalty for unnatural links, you need to remove or disavow the bad links and focus on building natural and relevant links. If you have an algorithmic penalty for thin content, you need to improve your content quality and value and avoid keyword stuffing or duplication. The second step is to monitor your website's performance and track the changes and improvements. You can use tools like Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and SEO tools to measure your traffic, rankings, impressions, and conversions. You can also use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, Google Mobile-Friendly Test, and Google Core Web Vitals to optimize your website's speed, usability, and user experience. The third step is to be patient and consistent. Recovering from a Google penalty can take time, depending on the severity of the penalty and the competitiveness of your niche. You need to keep working on your website's quality and relevance and follow the Google guidelines and best practices. You also need to be prepared for future algorithm changes and updates, and adapt your SEO strategy accordingly.

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  • Benyamin Ebrahimi Search Engine Optimization Specialist
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    To recover from a Google penalty and improve your website:Identify the issue.Address the problem.Request reconsideration.Follow Google's guidelines.Monitor and adapt for long-term success.

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  • Muhammad Waqas Ashfaq ⭐ #1 SEO Analyst | Best SEO Consultant, Google Certifications | 7 years in SEO
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    Identify the Penalty: Use Google Search Console to determine the type of penalty (manual or algorithmic) and the specific issues causing it.Resolve Issues: Address the identified problems, which may include removing spammy backlinks, fixing duplicate content, and improving site speed and mobile-friendliness.Request Reconsideration (for Manual Penalties): If it's a manual penalty, after fixing issues, submit a reconsideration request via Google Search Console, explaining the actions taken.Enhance Content: Elevate content quality, ensuring it's valuable and aligns with Google's guidelines.Optimize SEO: Conduct an SEO audit, addressing on-page and technical SEO errors.Acquire High-Quality Backlinks: If necessary, focus on securing natural

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  • Vivek Tank SEO Specialist | Google Search (Webmaster) Product Expert | Speaker | Noonies Award Winner | Backlink Experts | Blogger | Helping others understand their full potential
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    Recovering from a Google penalty involves a series of steps to address the issues that led to the penalty and then requesting a reconsideration review from Google.1) Check Google Search Console to see what went wrong.2) Figure out why Google gave you a penalty.3) Fix the Problem-> Make your website follow the rules.-> Remove bad links.4) Write down all the changes you make.5) If your site was hacked or has bad stuff, clean it up.6) Tell Google you fixed the issues.7) Wait for Google's answer.8) In future, Make sure your site follows the rules to avoid more penalties.

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5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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  • Ishan Vora B2B Marketing Expert | 14+ Years of Proven Experience | Specializing in Inbound Marketing | Crafting Result-Driven Lead Funnels 🚀
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    Check Structured Data:Structured data, or schema markup, provides context to search engines about your website's content. Misusing it can trigger Google penalties. Use Google's Structured Data Testing Tool or Rich Results Test in Google Search Console to find errors. Ensure you adhere to Google's guidelines and keep your structured data error-free to maintain or recover your website's search engine visibility and rankings.

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  • Awais Sarwar
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    Review your each webpage manually, run the site audit, fix the technical, On-page, Off-page SEO issues. and more importantly focus on core website vitals.

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