Are you in Google Jail? RANK can help you recover from a Google Penalty!

Are You Stuck in Google Jail? RANK Can Help You Recover from a Google Penalty!

Ever played Monopoly? Land on that Jail square, and unless you throw doubles or pay up, you’re stuck. You miss out on passing GO, collecting your $200, while everyone else keeps building their empires. It’s a frustrating spot to be in.

Getting hit with a Google penalty feels a bit like that. Your website metaphorically “goes to jail” – its rankings plummet, traffic dries up. And unless you fix the issues and comply with Google’s guidelines (like their Search Essentials), you stay penalised while your competitors keep getting leads and building their businesses online here in NZ.

Unlike Monopoly, though, there’s no lucky break or get-out-of-jail-free card. Once your site’s metaphorically behind bars, it takes real, focused effort to get out and back into the ranking game!

Getting Out Isn’t Luck: The Recovery Process

What if we told you it’s often possible to not only recover your rankings but potentially even improve them? Some clients, after recovery, have seen rankings improve significantly compared to before the penalty. How? Recovery needs to be well-planned and expertly executed. Getting the right team on board is crucial.

Can RANK Help?

Yes, RANK can definitely be that team for your NZ business. However, how effective recovery is depends on a few things: the type and severity of the penalty (whether it’s a manual action or an algorithmic issue), and exactly what caused it in the first place.

Step 1: Audit and Identify the Issues

The first vital step is a thorough audit. We need to check every aspect of your website to pinpoint what triggered the Google penalty. Key areas include:

On-page factors: Looking for things like keyword stuffing, hidden text, or other sneaky tactics that violate Google’s guidelines.
Backlink profile: Conducting a backlink audit to find spammy, low-quality, or irrelevant links pointing to your site.
Content quality: Checking if your content is original, genuinely valuable to users, and not duplicated from elsewhere or too thin.

Step 2: In-Depth Investigations & Cleanup

Once we know the problems, we get to work fixing them.

Backlink Cleanup

If dodgy backlinks are the culprit:

Identify spammy links: Using analysis tools to flag harmful links.
Request removal: Contacting the website owners hosting the bad links to ask for removal.
Disavow links: If removal isn’t possible, telling Google to ignore those links using their Disavow Tool (accessed via Google Search Console). This must be done carefully!

Content Cleanup

If low-quality or duplicate content caused the penalty:

Address thin content: Removing or significantly rewriting pages that offer little value.
Enhance existing content: Improving the quality, depth, and usefulness of your current content.
Eliminate duplication: Ensuring all your content is original and unique.

Step 3: Technical SEO Fixes

Sorting out technical website issues is often part of recovery:

Fix crawl errors: Resolving errors reported in Google Search Console so Googlebot can access your site properly.
Improve site speed: Speeding up your website using techniques like image optimisation and code minification (check PageSpeed Insights).
Ensure proper indexing: Making sure important pages aren’t accidentally blocked by your robots.txt file or noindex meta tags.

Step 4: The Reconsideration Request

If the penalty was a manual action, once you’ve fixed everything, you need to submit a reconsideration request to Google via Search Console. This request should:

Detail your fixes: Clearly explain the exact issues found and the steps taken to rectify them.
Provide evidence: Include proof like screenshots, lists of removed links, links to updated content, etc.
Be transparent: Show Google you understand the problem and are committed to following their guidelines moving forward.

Step 5: Ongoing Strategy for Recovery & Growth

Getting the penalty lifted is just the start. You need a solid ongoing strategy:

Content Marketing & Quality: Consistently create high-quality, valuable content that aligns with what your Kiwi customers are searching for.
Social Media & Ads: Build brand visibility and engagement through social media. Well-managed Google Ads can complement organic recovery. Understanding the importance of social media marketing is key.

Step 6: Monitor and Adapt

Keep a close eye on your website’s performance using tools like Google Analytics and Search Console:

Track traffic trends: Look for recovery signs or new issues.
Monitor keyword performance: See how your rankings are changing.
Check site health: Stay vigilant for any new errors or warnings.

Advanced Recovery Tactics: Domain Washing & More

For severe penalties, sometimes more advanced techniques are needed.

DOMAIN WASHING: Our popular technique, detailed in another RANK blog post can sometimes speed up recovery from major penalties and potentially improve rankings beyond pre-penalty levels, often at a lower overall cost.
Engage with Influencers: Collaborating with relevant NZ influencers (influencer marketing) can build quality backlinks and boost credibility.
Local SEO: If you serve a local area, optimising for local SEO is crucial.
User Experience (UX): Continuously improving your site’s navigation, design, and overall user experience helps keep visitors and Google happy.

Conclusion: Recovery Takes Time

Recovering from a Google penalty takes time, effort, and the right strategy – there are no magic bullets. Seeking professional help from experienced SEO experts like the team at RANK can make the process smoother and more effective.

If your NZ business is stuck in Google Jail, give us a call. Let’s chat about how we can help you get out, recover your rankings, and start building wealth online again.