Google has published an FAQ on what to do if you receive a manual spam action. This was posted by Ryan T. of Google who titled his post on the Google Webmaster Help Forums as Have you received a “Pure Spam” manual action notice? See what it means for your site and how to address it.
With the massive manual actions sent last week and all the updates to Google’s spam policies, I suspect Google thought it was a good time to release this update information.
Here’s the full FAQ that Ryan has posted (these posts tend to disappear over time, so I’ll archive them):
What is a manual pure spam action?
Google issues a pure spam manual action when a site appears to be using aggressive infringing spamming techniques Google Spam Policies. This includes tactics such as auto-generated content, cover up, scrape content of other websites or other serious infringements. When this action is applied, it can affect some or all pages on your site, significantly affecting your site’s visibility in Google search results.
Why do manual actions exist?
The goal is to maintain relevant and high-quality search results. Manual actions help Google combat spam and manipulation attempts, ensuring that users find the information they’re looking for and that legitimate sites get the visibility they deserve.
How to identify if your site has been penalized?
Check the Manual actions report in Search Console. If there is a pure spam action against your site, it will appear there along with details about the pages affected and the specific issues detected.
Additional points:
Although most affected sites with a “pure spam”, the manual action presents clear violations Google Spam Policies, sometimes there are websites that, at first glance, don’t fit neatly into the category of being overtly spammy. This could be due to more subtle issues, which may not be as easy to spot as outright spam, but still negatively impact site quality and relevance. Violations may not always be obvious, and a deeper review of site content and structure is crucial to identifying and addressing potential issues.
Steps to resolve a manual pure spam action:
Understanding Infringement: Review Google Spam Policies to understand violations that lead to manual action. Audit your site: Visit your site to identify content or techniques that might be considered spam. Make the necessary changes: remove or review problematic content and practices. Update your site to adhere Google Guidelines. Request a review: Once you’ve cleaned up your site, use the “Request for review“option to the Manual actions report. Describe the changes made, providing examples of removed and improved content. Important things to remember: Reconsideration requests can take several days to weeks, depending on the complexity of the review. You will receive email notifications about the status of your application. Removing the manual action does not guarantee an immediate restoration of your site’s previous rankings. It allows your site to be reconsidered for indexing and ranking in search results.
Key considerations:
Focus on compliance and quality: Focus on aligning your site with Google policies and improving the overall quality of your content. This addresses both immediate manual action and contributes to a healthier and more sustainable site strategy. Long-term strategy over quick fixes: Addressing a manual action effectively requires looking beyond immediate fixes to consider the long-term viability of your site’s approach. Adapting to user expectations and policy changes is crucial to lasting success in search rankings.
Frequently Asked Questions: Q: Can correcting a few pages lead to the removal of the manual action? A: No, you must resolve the issues on your entire site. Partial corrections will not result in the removal of the action. Q: Should I remove the rel=canonical tag to avoid contradicting Google’s chosen canonical for spam pages? A: In general, it is recommended to keep the appropriate canonical tags based on your site structure and content. For pure spam actions, focus on removing or correcting spam. Q: What if I’ve fixed the issues but my site still isn’t ranking well? A: Restoring a site’s ranking after a manual action can take time. Continue to focus on creating high-quality content and follow best practices. Q: Has my domain been lost? Should I clean my site and start over? A: Receiving a pure manual spam action does not mean your domain is irreversibly damaged. If you address the violations, remove the spam, and bring your site into line with Google’s guidelines, you can request a review and work to get the penalty lifted. Q: Why has my site been deindexed for spam, but there are still other “spam” sites listed? A: Google uses complex algorithms and manual reviews to identify and penalize spammy behavior, but some sites may temporarily evade detection. This does not mean that these sites will not be penalized in the future. Focus on making sure your site meets the guidelines to provide long-term stability in search rankings. Q: My site has lost a lot of traffic but has not received a manual penalty, what do I do? A: Traffic drops can come from a variety of factors, including technical SEO issues or changes in Google’s algorithms. It is essential to perform a full audit of your site to identify areas that can be improved. Regularly monitoring your site’s performance in Search Console is important to spot traffic trends and troubleshoot potential issues. For more detailed guidance on how to resolve pure spam actions and improve your site’s compliance with Google policies, visit: Manual actions report, Spam Policies for Google Web Search i Google Search Essentials.
Hat tip:
hey @rustybrickdid you know there is a community guide on the google forums for spam penalty?
It would be great if you could add to it, share it and spread the wordhttps://t.co/win4SWSoZv
— Gaston Riera. 🤘 (@GastonRiera) March 13, 2024
Discussion in the forum a X.
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