Google’s Got an Eye on You: Understanding Manual Actions!!

Photo by Alex Dudar on Unsplash

We all want our websites to rank well in search results, right? It’s the key to people finding us online. But sometimes, in the race to get to the top of Google, people take shortcuts that end up seriously backfiring.

Google is not a fan of websites trying to trick the system and if they catch you, they can hand out a nasty penalty known as a manual action.

Immediately following the release of its updated spam policies in March 2024 (which included both spam-specific and core changes), Google took swift action against websites deemed in violation. As a consequence, some websites were harshly penalized, facing either total or partial removal from Google’s search results.

This led to a devastating loss of search traffic. Google Search Console directly notified affected website owners of these penalties within the ‘Manual Actions’ section.

Here is a screenshot of one of the many we saw posted across the web:

Manual Actions: Like Getting a Bad Report Card from Google

Think of a manual action like getting called into the principal’s office. It’s not an automated warning. An actual person at Google has looked at your website and decided things aren’t quite right. Google has a set of rules (their Search Essentials) and if your site breaks them, trouble’s brewing!

Why You Might Get in Trouble

Here are some common ways people land themselves a manual action:

• Shady Links: Buying links or building tons of spammy links to artificially boost your site’s ranking is a big no-no with Google.
• Copycat Content: Your website needs original content that’s actually useful. If it’s mostly scraped from elsewhere or just plain thin, Google might take issue.
• Sneaky Tricks: Trying to hide things from Google, like jamming your pages full of irrelevant keywords or showing different stuff to users and search engines, won’t fly for long.
• Hack Alert: If someone hacks your website, Google might penalize you until you get things cleaned up.

The Bad News

Manual actions are basically a major search engine timeout. Your site could take a huge dive in the rankings or even disappear from Google altogether. Ouch! This is why it’s so important to try and prevent this in the first place.

How to Get Back in Google’s Good Graces

If you do get hit with a manual action:

1. Don’t Panic (Too Much): Google usually tells you why they’re mad in your Search Console. Take a deep breath and read it carefully.
2. Roll Up Your Sleeves: Get to work fixing the problem. This might mean getting rid of bad links, bulking up your content, or removing any sneaky code.
3. Own Up: Once you’ve fixed things, send Google a reconsideration request. Basically, it’s like writing them an apology letter explaining how you’ve improved your website.

Play it Straight from the Beginning

Honestly, the best way to deal with manual actions is to avoid them altogether. It sounds obvious, but it’s true!

• Good, Honest SEO: Focus on creating awesome content and building relationships that help you earn links naturally.
• Be Vigilant: Check your website regularly for hacked content or other technical problems that might raise suspicion.

The Bottom Line

Google wants search results to be useful, and they’ll protect that fiercely! Think of manual actions as their way of keeping the web fair for everyone. Play by the rules, create a genuinely great website and you wont have to worry about ending up on Google’s bad side.