What is a Manual Penalty? (And what is the cause)

What is a Manual Penalty?

For a Webmaster There is nothing worse than being Google Search Console to be notified that one of your websites has a Manual Penalty has received. Manual Penalties are Google's way of demoting or removing websites. These penalties are not related to Google algorithm changes like Penguin, Panda, Hummingbird or the others. It is simply Google's way of penalizing the websites you consider spammy.

For this you can receive manual penalties from Google:

Unnatural links to your website
Hacked page
Thin Content
Pure spam websites
User generated spam
Cloaking and stealthy redirects to other websites
Hidden text and spamming keywords
Spammy Freehosts

Should we be worried about Manual Penalties?

The answer to this question depends on one important factor: does Google's penalty affect the organic Traffic and/or the rankings of your website?

Some manual penalties may not have a significant impact on the organic Traffic and the Ranking of your website. For example, they may only affect pages that are no longer up-to-date or important for you, as they no longer generate revenue for your company. In this case, it may be worth deleting the pages in question instead of trying to remove the Manual Penalty to remove.

So how can you tell if a Manual Penalty harm your website and thus your business? The best way to do this is to call your Google Analytics on. Pay attention to the date when Google has penalized their website and now consider your Traffic before and after the penalty. Are there any significant changes?

If you are looking for the Manual Penalty you don't see a significant negative change in organic traffic (and conversions), then you may not have to worry about it. Or, at least, you don't have to try to make the penalty go away by any means necessary. However, if you do see a significant, negative change, you should react immediately!

Even if you have a Manual Penalty received from Google, this does not mean the end of the world. You may (possibly) have a long way to go with fixing your website, but if you are honest about the errors, it can still be fixed. For this, you can make use of a "Reconsideration Request" and convince Google to remove the penalty with the removal of the errors as well as a justification.

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FAQ

What is a Google Manual Penalty?

A Google Manual Penalty is a special type of Google algorithm that penalizes websites for violating Google's guidelines. Some of the most common violations are link spamming, inappropriate keywords, poor content and black hat SEO.

How do I know if I am subject to a Google Manual Penalty?

If you notice that your website has suddenly disappeared from Google search results, this is a sign that you are subject to a Google Manual Penalty. Another sign is a decrease in the number of visitors or web traffic to your website.

Why does Google impose a manual penalty?

Google imposes a manual penalty to penalize websites that violate its policies. This is one way Google ensures that websites deliver content that is useful and relevant to users.

How to remove a Google Manual Penalty?

To overturn a Google Manual Penalty, you must first review your website and identify and eliminate any elements that violate Google's guidelines. After you have fixed the violations, you can send a request for a decision override to Google.

What is a cleaning report?

A cleaning report is a report created by an SEO or webmaster expert who reviews the website and identifies any potential violations of Google's guidelines. A cleaning report can be helpful when requesting a decision override from Google.

What are the most common reasons for a Google Manual Penalty?

The most common reasons for a Google Manual Penalty are link spamming, inappropriate keywords, poor content and Black Hat SEO.

Are there any consequences to receiving a Google Manual Penalty?

Yes, if you receive a Google Manual Penalty, it can lead to a decrease in traffic or web traffic to your website. In severe cases, the Google Manual Penalty can also lead to a complete removal of your website from Google search results.

Is it possible to prevent a Google Manual Penalty?

Yes, there are several measures you can take to prevent a Google Manual Penalty. These include following Google's guidelines, avoiding link spamming, keeping your content high quality and avoiding black hat SEO.

Who can help with the removal of a Google Manual Penalty?

If you are subject to a Google Manual Penalty, it is advisable to contact an SEO or webmaster expert who can help you remove the violations of Google's guidelines.

How long does it take for the Google Manual Penalty to be lifted?

It is difficult to predict how long it will take for the Google Manual Penalty to be overturned. It may take a few weeks for Google to process your request to overturn the decision and remove the penalizing action.

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Niels Stuck

Niels Stuck has 10 years of SEO experience and is the founder of the SEO agency "WOLF OF SEO". He gained practical experience by building 20+ affiliate sites alongside his marketing studies. Finally, he wrote his bachelor thesis about the influence of SEO on Google rankings, traffic and sales development in the form of a case study. Today, he specializes in e-commerce SEO and helps more than 80 companies build a sustainable organic revenue channel through SEO. Niels advises startups, established brands and corporations in search engine optimization of their online stores and primarily focuses on data-based content strategies and link building. He shares his knowledge about SEO and online marketing in this blog, as a speaker at conferences, in podcasts and as a guest author for OMT, Forbes, Starting Up and many more platforms.

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