As a digital marketer, one thing you never want to hear is that your website has been penalized by Google. It's like a nightmare come true. But what exactly is a Google penalty? And how can you avoid it? Let's dive in and find out.
Simply put, a Google penalty is a punishment for violating the search engine's guidelines. It can result in your website losing its ranking on search results, which can be disastrous for your SEO efforts. There are two types of penalties: manual and algorithmic.
Manual penalties are imposed by human reviewers at Google. They occur when your website violates one or more of the search engine's guidelines, such as using spammy tactics to manipulate rankings or having low-quality content.
Algorithmic penalties, on the other hand, are imposed by Google's algorithms. They occur when the search engine detects that your website is violating its guidelines automatically, such as through the use of black hat SEO techniques.
There are many factors that can cause a Google penalty, including:
If your website has been penalized by Google, you'll likely notice a drop in traffic and rankings. You can also check your Google Search Console account to see if any manual actions have been taken against your site.
To avoid getting penalized by Google, you need to follow the search engine's guidelines for quality and relevance. This includes:
If your website has been penalized by Google, the first thing you need to do is identify the cause of the penalty. Once you've done that, you can take steps to correct the issue, such as removing low-quality content or disavowing spammy backlinks.
A Google penalty can be devastating for your SEO efforts, but it's not the end of the world. By following Google's guidelines and best practices for digital marketing, you can avoid getting penalized and keep your website ranking high in search results.
