John Mueller provided insights into the various types of manual actions and how to recover from these penalties. Mueller’s observations are compared to Google’s historical approach to communicating penalties, uncovering some intriguing correlations.
Two Types of Manual Actions
John Mueller outlines two types of manual actions, with one being more severe than the other:
- Complete removal of a site from search and indexing.
- Partial removal from search.
Mueller’s explanation clarifies that manual actions can vary in severity.
Complete Removal From Google
The most severe penalty discussed by Mueller involves complete removal from search results and indexing, effectively causing the site to not exist on Google.
History of Google Penalties and PageRank
Previously, Google’s PageRank Toolbar displayed a level of PageRank from 1 to 10. A white bar indicated zero PageRank, implying a site either lacked enough links or had its PageRank reset. A gray bar meant complete exclusion from Google’s index, with the site no longer appearing in search results—a situation known as being "Gray Barred," the most severe penalty.
Gray Barred: Google’s Worst Manual Penalty
Being gray barred meant other webmasters would remove links to the affected site, which was treated as a communicable disease. Sites linking to gray barred sites risked a similar fate.
John Mueller on a Severe Manual Penalty
Mueller’s description of the most severe manual penalty aligns with historical experiences of being gray barred:
“On the one hand, we only remove pages completely from search with a manual action if there’s really something problematic on those pages… we stop showing it in the search results… we stop indexing it.”
Recovery from a Severe Manual Penalty
Recovering from a severe penalty is notable when a site reappears in search results for its domain name. This aligns with Mueller’s commentary on post-penalty repercussions:
“If that manual action is removed… we’ll start indexing this again… we’ll start showing it in the search results.”
The White Bar Penalty
The White Bar penalty results in zero PageRank but not complete removal. Sites in this state didn’t rank well for important phrases and were avoided by other webmasters.
John Mueller on the Less Severe Penalty
Mueller’s comments on less severe penalties reflect the White Bar penalty:
“If this is a manual action that doesn’t result in complete removal… we can rank it normally after a reconsideration request…”
Do Sites Remain Untrusted After a Penalty is Lifted?
Some believe a site remains sandboxed post-penalty:
“It’s not the case that our algorithms would hold a grudge… when these manual actions are cleaned up we will treat the website as it is.”
When penalties are lifted, a site’s rankings may or may not return immediately, depending on content quality and remaining links.
Takeaway: Penalty Recoveries Differ
Understanding manual penalties is crucial, as is distinguishing them from algorithm changes that affect ranking. Effective recovery relies on accurate diagnosis.
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