What is a Manual Action?
A manual action, also known as a Google Penalty, is a punitive action taken against a website by a human reviewer at Google. Manual actions can result in the demotion or removal of the website or a portion of it from Google search results.
Manual actions are typically issued for non-compliance with Google’s webmaster quality guidelines, which include attempts to manipulate search results.
Whenever a manual action is applied to a website, it will be visible in Google Search Console under the "Security & Manual Actions" section.
Why Do Manual Actions Occur?
Manual actions occur when a website is found to violate Google’s webmaster quality guidelines. Here are some common reasons for manual actions:
- Unnatural Links: Inbound or outbound links that are intended to manipulate PageRank.
- Thin Content: Content with little or no added value, such as automatically generated content, scraped content, or doorway pages.
- Keyword Stuffing: Overuse of keywords in an attempt to manipulate search engine rankings.
- Cloaking and Sneaky Redirects: Showing different content to users and search engines or redirecting users to different pages.
- Spammy Structured Markup: Marking up content that is invisible to users or irrelevant to the marked-up topic.
- User-generated Spam: Spam created by users in comments or forum sections.
- Pure Spam: Aggressive spam techniques, such as automatically generated gibberish, cloaking, scraping content from other sites, and more.
How to Check for Manual Actions?
To check if your website has been hit by a manual action, follow these steps:
- Log in to Google Search Console.
- Navigate to the “Security & Manual Actions” section.
- Click on “Manual actions.”
If there is a manual action, you will see details about the issue and the affected URLs.
How to Recover from a Manual Action?
Recovering from a manual action involves addressing the underlying issues and submitting a reconsideration request. Here are the steps to recover:
- Identify the Issue: Use Google Search Console to identify the specific reasons for the manual action.
- Fix the Problems: Take corrective actions to resolve the issues. This may involve removing unnatural links, improving content quality, eliminating keyword stuffing, or addressing other violations.
- Submit a Reconsideration Request: Once the issues are fixed, submit a reconsideration request through Google Search Console. Explain the steps you’ve taken to comply with Google’s guidelines and request a review.
How to Avoid Manual Actions?
Preventing manual actions is crucial for maintaining your website’s search engine visibility. Here are some best practices to avoid manual actions:
- Follow Google’s Guidelines: Adhere to Google’s webmaster quality guidelines and avoid any manipulative practices.
- Create High-Quality Content: Focus on producing valuable, original, and relevant content for your audience.
- Build Natural Links: Avoid buying or selling links and focus on earning backlinks through high-quality content and outreach.
- Monitor User-generated Content: Regularly check and moderate user-generated content to prevent spam.
- Use Structured Data Properly: Ensure that any structured data markup accurately represents the content on the page.
FAQs
What Happens if a Manual Action is Not Addressed?
If a manual action is not addressed, the affected pages or entire site may remain demoted or excluded from Google search results, leading to a significant drop in organic traffic.
How Long Does It Take to Recover from a Manual Action?
The recovery time can vary. After submitting a reconsideration request, it can take a few weeks for Google to review the changes. Recovery depends on the nature and severity of the issues and how effectively they have been resolved.
Can You Get Multiple Manual Actions?
Yes, a website can receive multiple manual actions if it violates different aspects of Google’s guidelines. Each violation needs to be addressed individually.
By understanding and adhering to Google’s guidelines, you can avoid manual actions and maintain your website’s search engine performance.
