When trying to improve your SEO rankings, the last thing you want is a penalty from the top search engine in the world. But to keep from getting Google search engine penalties, you must learn as much about what they are — and how to avoid them — as possible.
A Google penalty could mean two things: that your website either no longer gets listed on search results or that your keyword rankings have significantly decreased. When you get a penalty, your target audience won’t be able to find you. As a result, your revenue could drop.
At Ten Peaks Media, we know what it takes to stay on Google’s good side and avoid penalties that could harm your band. Let’s break it down.
Google Penalties Are Bad for Business
Google can inflict penalties on any website. And this can happen even when the web owner doesn’t do something intentionally wrong. Google could also penalize you over a well-intended and honest effort on your side of things. If you ever get a Google penalty, it can be challenging to reverse it and get back in the search engine’s good graces again.
Why Does Google Dish Out Penalties?
So why does Google give penalties to websites? The search engine’s goal is to answer users’ queries and recommend websites that will help them the most. If, from Google’s point of view, a website is trying to manipulate the search results, the search engine giant will inflict a penalty.
If your website has the following items, you run the risk of penalization:
- Spyware, adware, or viruses
- Deceptive redirects
- Keyword stuffing
- Duplicate content
- Irrelevant keyword usage
In other words, if Google believes you’ve attempted to manipulate its ranking of your website, the company will potentially issue a penalty.
Avoiding a Penalty on Google
The list of Google penalty triggers is extensive and intimidating. You don’t want to live in fear, but what can you do to avoid getting penalized over an innocent mistake?
One of the easiest ways to avoid a penalty from Google is by writing quality content that checks the boxes on appropriate keyword use and originality. Also, never buy links. You want your SEO to be as natural as possible to show Google that you’re the real deal.
How to Bounce Back if You Receive a Penalty
If you ever receive a Google penalty, we promise it isn’t the end of the world. Here are some steps you can take to recover:
- Appeal to Google to reindex your website
- Run a content, SEO audit, and Google penalty check
- Fix any issues your checks uncovered
- Clean up your backlink profile
- Check with a Google penalty consultant
Recovering from a Google penalty can take as little as 10 days to as long as multiple months. When you’re in doubt, consult a reputable marketing agency to investigate the issue and help you create an action plan to appease Google and put your brand back on top.
Avoid Google Penalties With Ten Peaks Media
Google penalties can happen even when you have good intentions with your website. To avoid Google penalties and rank high on search engines, partner with the expert marketing team at Ten Peaks Media. Contact us today to learn more.
