What is Google Penalty?
A Google penalty is a punishment or a negative action against your website for not adhering to the Google Webmaster Guidelines.
Your website will bear the cost of penalties in the form of dropped organic traffic and ranking. It is ideal to strictly adhere to the quality guidelines of Google to avoid penalties.
Google does not use the word “Penalty” in its official documentation instead, it uses the term “Action”, i.e. Manual action and Algorithmic action.
Manual vs Algorithmic actions
If your website's organic traffic or ranking suddenly drops, it may result from the following actions (penalties).
1. Manual Action
2. Algorithmic Action
What is Manual Action?
Google imposes a manual penalty on a website by manually identifying a violation of its webmaster guidelines.
If a website has violated the Google Webmaster Guidelines to trick the system into getting higher rankings, Google will review it. You will be notified of this penalty via Manual Action Report in Google Search Console.
What is algorithmic action?
Algorithmic Action, as the name indicates, is an algorithmic penalty that happens when a change in Google algorithm results in the de-ranking of a website.
Google shows the search results to users with the help of its complex algorithms. Google bots crawl different websites and send the data to Google, where its algorithm determines the ranking of a website based on various signals.
Google uses hundreds of signals as part of its algorithm to determine the ranking of a website. If these algorithmic signals lower a website's ranking, it will be referred to as an algorithmic action.
When a website is hit with an algorithmic action, it will see a sudden decline in its SERP ranking.
An algorithmic action can only be lifted by an algorithm after you make your website compatible with it. A human or Google team's manual interference will not help revoke the penalty.
Google constantly keeps on changing and updating its algorithms. Some changes are minor and will not impact a website's ranking; however, some are significant and will drop off a website's ranking.
If you want to uncover a penalty, note when you started facing a decline in ranking and look for a Google algorithm update during this time.
The two most important algorithm updates by Google that have drastically made an impact on websites are:
Google Panda (2011): It focuses on content quality and prevents sites with low-quality or thin content from ranking high in SERPs.
Google Penguin (2012): It focuses on websites that manipulate search engine rankings by acquiring low-quality and bad backlinks using unauthorized methods, i.e., link schemes, link farms, etc.
Most of the updates that are frequently made under Panda and Penguin are minor, but all sites are subject to them.
How to identify Google penalties?
Manual Actions are easy to identify, as you will find them under the Manual Action Report in Google Search Console.
These penalties lower a website's ranking and, in the worst cases, may completely remove web pages from SERPs.
In the case of Manual Actions, you will get the details in GSC as to whether a penalty is affecting a particular page or the entire website.
On the other hand, algorithmic actions are difficult to identify and challenging to resolve as you will not get any notification from Google to fix them.
If you experience any drop in your website ranking and have no notification under Manual Action, it can result from a potential algorithm update.
Possible Manual Actions and ways to fix them
Google makes changes to its algorithm several times a year. Some experts say it updates its algorithm from a few hundred to thousands of times in a year - yet there is no exact figure.
Most of these updates are minor and will not drastically impact a search engine ranking, while some are major and significantly impact a website.
As algorithmic actions are challenging and less often to occur – possibly with a major algorithm update - so here we will mainly discuss manual penalties and ways to fix them.
Thin Content
Content that is of no value to the readers or the searchers is referred to as thin content. This is also called shallow content. Examples of thin content include:
Bad-quality guest posts
Low-quality affiliate pages with no unique value
All these types of content provide no value to users and are totally against the guidelines of Google.
How to fix it?
Review all the pages with thin content. Spend some time and resources on creating quality content for your website visitors.
Remove all the instances of thin pages that cannot be updated with quality information.
Update the existing content by removing the duplicate content and, where necessary, update it with useful information.
Remove doorway pages and after fixing these issues, submit a review request.
Cloaking and/or Sneaky Redirects
Cloaking shows a different version of a web page to visitors and Google, while sneaky redirects send both to a different page.
This is totally against Google Webmaster Guidelines and can affect a portion or a complete website.
How to fix it?
Go to Google Search Console and use the URL Inspection Tool to fetch the pages from affected areas of your website.
Compare the content fetched by Google to the content on your website and see the difference between them.
Fix the differences between two pieces of content and make the same copies available to both searchers and Google.
Similarly, if there are sneaky redirects - sending the users to irrelevant pages or redirecting only users coming from a specific source – remove them.
Usually, these redirects are written in JavaScript and exist in a .htaccess file, or you can also look for them in CMS plugins to resolve the issue.
After fixing the error, Request Review to Google in GSC.
Cloaked Images
Cloaking is the practice of showing different content to both searchers and bots. This is also done for the images by hiding them behind a block of text or another image or by serving different images to searchers and bots.
How to fix it?
Manually fix the error by showing the same images to crawlers and searchers.
If there are any fishy plugins installed on your website that are responsible for cloaked images, remove them immediately.
After doing this, submit a review request.
Sneaky Mobile Redirects
This is another violation of Google Webmaster Guidelines as it redirects mobile users to the pages whose content is unavailable to the crawlers.
This is done intentionally to deceive the search engine, i.e. manipulating affiliate ad networks. It sends the visitors to the original redirected source while the search engine indexes the current page.
It is sometimes necessary to redirect mobile users from one URL to another for a better user experience - if the searchers are sent to the same page with a different version - it is legitimate.
Sometimes the pages are also modified to make them mobile-friendly; it is yet another legitimate example of displaying slightly different content to mobile and desktop users.
Other than these above-mentioned circumstances, sneaky mobile redirects are against Google Policies and must be carefully considered.
Moreover, these redirects sometimes occur without any knowledge of web owners.
According to Google, sneaky redirects can be a result of the following configurations:
Adding code that creates redirection rules for mobile users
Using a script or element to display ads and monetise content that redirect mobile users
A script or element added by hackers that redirects your mobile users to malicious sites
How to fix it?
If you are not involved in intentional sneaky mobile redirects, see the Security Issue Report to confirm that your website is not hacked.
Remove all the third-party elements or scripts on your website that you think are responsible for creating sneaky mobile redirects.
Consider debugging the issue if you think this element or a particular script is important for your website.
Use a Google emulator or a mobile device to check whether the issue has been resolved.
FYI: An emulator enables you to run and test various Android apps on various devices using your computer without having separate physical devices.
If you are involved in intentional redirects, fix all the errors and show the same pages to crawlers and users. Select Request Review by going to Google Search Console.
Explain why this happens and what you have done to resolve this issue.
Make sure to avoid any future violations and keep an eye on the GSC notifications, as they will inform you about the status of your request.
Hidden Text and/or Keyword Stuffing
Hidden text or keyword stuffing is also against the Google Webmaster Guidelines and will result in a Manual Action by Google. You can see all the pages by going to GSC and choosing the Fetch as Google option.
Now follow the below steps according to the type of problem.
How to fix it?
You can see the hidden text masked with the same colour background by pressing CTRL+ A and selecting the entire text or using CSS styling or positioning.
Remove all the text that is hidden or make it visible to humans.
If keywords are repeated, remove or fix them by creating meaningful sentences or phrases. Remove all the paragraphs or headings with keyword stuffing or edit them to make them meaningful.
After doing this, choose Request Review.
AMP Content Mismatch
AMP version is different from the canonical version of a web page. That doesn’t mean they are different in every aspect.
The topics of both versions must be the same but not necessarily the text. Moreover, users must be able to perform the same tasks on both.
If a manual penalty hits an AMP page, it will not be shown in SERPs; instead, its canonical version will be displayed.
How to fix it?
Ensure that an AMP page is correctly associated with its proper canonical version.
If the general content of both AMP and canonical pages is not the same, then edit and fix it.
Use the URL Inspection Tool of Google to see if AMP and canonical versions of pages are the same. Just like other penalties, send a Request Review after fixing the issue.
Pure Spam
If you receive a Pure Spam message in Google Search Console, it means your site is utilizing different black hat SEO tactics that will no longer help you in ranking.
How to fix it?
Pure spam may affect your whole website or a part of it. However, whatever its extent, it must be appropriately addressed.
Make sure you are not involved in any black hat SEO tactics and follow the Google Webmaster Guidelines.
After carefully reviewing your website, select a Request Review.
Now wait for Google’s response, and if your website complies with its guidelines – this manual penalty will be removed.
Spam via Free Host Services
Free hosting services seem attractive, but you will have no control over spammy comments and advertisements.
Ultimately, what seems attractive initially will end up in a horrible incident, as Google has already warned to take action against all those hosting services.
How to fix it?
Always avoid free hosting services.
Migrate your website to a reliable host service and select Request Review in GSC.
Unnatural Inbound Links
Misleading and manipulative links obtained through purchasing or link schemes are clearly against the webmaster guidelines. It may result in a Manual Action for a page or entire website.
How to fix it?
Go to Google Search Console or Ahref to download and audit the backlinks.
If there are backlinks violating the webmaster guidelines, contact the website owners either to remove them or add a rel=“nofollow” attribute to prevent passing the page rank.
If you are unable to remove certain links, use the Disavow Tool.
After cleaning up the bad links, submit a review request in the Manual Action Report.
Wait for the notification in GSC; Manual Action will be revoked once bad links are removed.
Unnatural Outbound Links
Selling deceptive and manipulative links or being part of link schemes is against Google’s Webmaster Guidelines.
Your website will have a Manual Action by Google if you are caught having deceptive and unnatural outbound links.
How to fix it?
Remove the links entirely or add a rel=“nofollow” attribute to stop passing the page rank.
Review all the links that violate the guidelines of Google, such as link exchanges.
Once you are sure that you have removed or fixed all the bad links on your website, select a Request Review in GSC.
User-Generated Spam
User-generated spam refers to the content posted in forum threads, guest book pages, comments, and community discussions just to add a link.
How to fix it?
Make sure to see the guidelines of Google on user-generated spam.
If there are pages on your website where users can leave a comment, identify those pages to look for spam.
If you detect any spammy activity like spammy usernames, irrelevant link comments, ad-based comments or posts, or auto-generated comments, remove them immediately.
Read the Google guide to protect your website from user-generated spam and do your website settings accordingly.
Once you have removed all the spammy content, submit a Request Review.
Google News and Discover policy violations
In February 2021, Google released new violation policies specific to Google News and Discover. Here is a brief overview of all of these.
Google Discover: Adult-themed content
If Google detects any content on your website that violates Google’s adult-themed content policies and contains nudity or sexually suggestive material, it will result in a Manual Action.
How to fix it?
Remove any adult-themed content from your website and update it.
Ensure all the content on your website complies with Google Discover and News policies.
Once you are sure no content on your website violates Google guidelines, select Request Review on Manual Action Report.
Once Google reviews your website, Manual Action will be revoked if it no longer violates Google’s guidelines.
Google News and Discover: Artificial freshening
Artificial freshening means updating the website's content or making slight changes without any added value and providing an update date without actually updating the content.
How to fix it?
Update the content of your website by offering real value to the readers
Update the content and provide enough evidence that the content is actually updated rather than just making minor changes or adding dates
Ensure all the content on your website complies with the Google Discover and News policies.
Once you are sure no content on your website violates Google guidelines, select Request Review on Manual Action Report.
Once Google reviews your website, Manual Action will be revoked if it no longer violates Google’s guidelines.
Google News and Discover: Dangerous content
Your website may contain content violating the Google Dangerous Content policies and could harm animals and humans or make them feel in danger.
Dangerous content is a broad term that covers many harmful acts. You can learn about them in detail on the YouTube Help page.
How to fix it?
Remove all the dangerous content on your website.
Ensure all the content on your website complies with Google Discover and News policies.
Once you are sure no content on your website violates Google guidelines, select Request Review on Manual Action Report.
Once Google reviews your website, Manual Action will be revoked if it no longer violates Google’s guidelines.
Google News and Discover: Harassing content
Your website may contain harassing content - bullying, threatening, and other forms of harassment – that may put people in serious harm, threaten them, or expose their private information.
How to fix it?
Review, remove, and update the content of your website that violates the harassing content policies.
Ensure all the content on your website complies with Google Discover and News policies.
Once you are sure no content on your website violates Google guidelines, select Request Review on Manual Action Report.
Once Google reviews your website, Manual Action will be revoked if it no longer violates Google’s guidelines.
Google News and Discover: Hateful content
You may have content on your website that is against Google's hateful content policies and provokes hate. Google describes it like this:
We do not allow content that promotes or condones violence or has the primary purpose of inciting hatred against an individual or group, including but not limited to, on the basis of their race or ethnic origin, religion, disability, age, nationality, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or any other characteristic that is associated with systemic discrimination or marginalization.
How to fix it?
Review, remove, and update the content of your website that violates the Hateful content policies.
Ensure all the content on your website complies with Google Discover and News policies.
Once you are sure no content on your website violates Google guidelines, select Request Review on Manual Action Report.
Once Google reviews your website, Manual Action will be revoked if it no longer violates Google’s guidelines.
Google News and Discover: Manipulated media
Your website may contain content that violates Google manipulated media policies that involve manipulating audio, video, or image content related to politics, social issues, or public matters to deceive or mislead the people.
This policy fosters confidence in electoral and civic processes by protecting people from harm.
How to fix it?
Once you identify any content on your website that does not comply with the Google manipulated media policies, remove it immediately.
Review it again and ensure there is no manipulated media content and that all the content on your website complies with the Google Discover and News policies.
Once you are sure no content on your website violates Google guidelines, select Request Review on Manual Action Report.
Once Google reviews your website, Manual Action will be revoked if it no longer violates Google’s guidelines.
Google News and Discover: Medical content
Your website may contain content that contains false medical information or that contradicts scientific evidence or medical consensus.
How to fix it?
Review and update your website’s content to make it compatible with Google medical content policies.
Ensure all the content on your website complies with the Google Discover and News policies.
Once you are sure no content on your website violates Google guidelines, select Request Review on Manual Action Report.
Once Google reviews your website, Manual Action will be revoked if it no longer violates Google’s guidelines.
Google News and Discover: Misleading content
Your website may contain content that misleads people towards the promised sources but actually does not show that in the content.
That means engaging the users and promising them to show content, topic, or story but delivering something else.
How to fix it?
Review and update your website content to make it compatible with Google policies and show your visitors the actual content rather than deceiving or sending them to irrelevant sources.
Ensure all the content on your website complies with the Google Discover and News policies.
Once you are sure no content on your website violates Google guidelines, select Request Review on Manual Action Report.
Once Google reviews your website, Manual Action will be revoked if it no longer violates Google’s guidelines.
Google News and Discover: Sexually explicit content
Your website may contain sexually explicit material (images, videos, audio, procedures, games, graphics) that violates Google policies.
How to fix it?
Remove all sexually explicit content and update your website. Avoid posting sexually explicit content in the future, as it may lead your website to a permanent block.
Ensure all the content on your website complies with the Google Discover and News policies.
Once you are sure no content on your website violates Google guidelines, select Request Review on Manual Action Report.
Once Google reviews your website, Manual Action will be revoked if it no longer violates Google’s guidelines.
Google News and Discover: Terrorist content
Your website may contain content that promotes terrorist attacks, celebrates them, or promotes extremism, terrorism, and similar activities.
How to fix it?
If you got a Manual Action in GSC for promoting terrorist content, immediately remove it from your website.
Update your website content and make sure you are not violating Google guidelines.
Ensure all the content on your website complies with the Google Discover and News policies.
Once you are sure no content on your website violates Google guidelines, select Request Review on Manual Action Report.
Once Google reviews your website, Manual Action will be revoked if it no longer violates Google’s guidelines.
Google News and Discover: Transparency
Your website must reflect transparency, especially if it is a News website. Readers want to read news from trusted sources, so it is essential to provide them with enough information regarding the publishers, authors, contact information, dates, bylines, and other relevant information.
If your website is not transparent enough to meet Google guidelines, it will get a Manual Action.
How to fix it?
Review and update your website content by providing enough information regarding authors, publishers, contact information, etc.
Ensure all the content on your website complies with the Google Discover and News policies.
Once you are sure no content on your website violates Google guidelines, select Request Review on Manual Action Report.
Once Google reviews your website, Manual Action will be revoked if it no longer violates Google’s guidelines.
Google News and Discover: Violence and gore content
Your website will be on Google's “Manual Action” list or a penalty if it contains material that provokes violence.
Google also discourages graphic content and other violent material that is disgusting, gratuitous, and extremely horrible.
How to fix it?
Remove all graphic content from your website, including disgusting images, gratuitous videos, and other nauseating content.
Ensure all the content on your website complies with the Google Discover and News policies.
Once you are sure no content on your website violates Google guidelines, select Request Review on Manual Action Report.
Once Google reviews your website, Manual Action will be revoked if it no longer violates Google’s guidelines.
Google News and Discover: Vulgar language and profanity
You will face a Manual Action if the content on your website contains gratuitous language, profanity, and obscenity.
How to fix it?
Remove any content that uses vulgar language or represents profanity.
Review and update your website content to make it in accordance with Google's vulgar language and profanity policies.
Ensure all the content on your website complies with the Google Discover and News policies.
Once you are sure no content on your website violates Google guidelines, select Request Review on Manual Action Report.
Once Google reviews your website, Manual Action will be revoked if it no longer violates Google’s guidelines.
Final Note
If you have received a Manual Action and are determined to fix it with good intentions, you can request Google to resolve the issue and lift the penalty. This is a reconsideration request.
Once you receive a Manual Action, you must mention all the important steps you have taken to resolve this penalty.
These steps may vary depending on the type of Manual Action. Once your penalty is lifted, you will be notified in Google Search Console.