In the realm of search engine optimization (SEO), maintaining a website’s visibility and ranking on Google is a critical part of any digital strategy. However, websites that fail to comply with Google’s Webmaster Quality Guidelines risk facing penalties, including a manual action. A manual action occurs when a human reviewer from Google determines that a page, or sometimes an entire website, is not in compliance with these guidelines. As a result, Google may demote the page’s ranking or even remove it from its search results altogether.
Manual actions are typically taken against websites that engage in practices aimed at manipulating Google’s algorithms to gain unfair search ranking advantages. Understanding the causes, types, and potential solutions for manual actions is crucial for any website owner who wants to maintain their site’s search presence and credibility.
In this article, we’ll explore what Google’s manual actions are, why they’re issued, how they can impact your website, and what steps you can take to recover from them.
What is a Manual Action?
A manual action is a penalty applied to a webpage or website when Google’s human reviewers determine that it violates Google’s Webmaster Quality Guidelines. These guidelines are in place to ensure that websites provide valuable, relevant, and trustworthy content to users. When websites fail to meet these standards—either through intentional manipulation or poor practices—Google may intervene by issuing a manual action.
Unlike algorithmic penalties, which are automated and based on changes in Google’s search algorithms (like the Panda or Penguin updates), manual actions are applied manually by Google’s quality assurance team. They can have a significant impact on a website’s rankings or even result in deindexing, which removes the site from Google’s search results entirely.
Manual actions are visible in Google Search Console, where site owners are notified of the specific issue, the affected pages, and guidance on how to resolve the problem.
Why Does Google Issue Manual Actions?
Google issues manual actions to maintain the integrity of its search results and ensure that users are presented with high-quality, relevant content. Sites that attempt to manipulate search rankings through black-hat SEO techniques or violate the guidelines in other ways pose a risk to Google’s mission of delivering the best possible experience to users.
Here are some common reasons why Google might issue a manual action:
1. Unnatural Links
One of the most common reasons for manual actions is the presence of unnatural links—links that are artificially created to manipulate a site’s ranking. This includes both inbound and outbound links. Examples of unnatural links include:
- Purchased links: Buying or selling links that pass PageRank is a direct violation of Google’s guidelines.
- Link schemes: Participating in link exchange programs or acquiring links from low-quality or irrelevant websites.
- Excessive guest posting: Posting on numerous external blogs solely to generate backlinks without providing meaningful content.
Google’s algorithm highly values links because they indicate the authority and trustworthiness of a page. When websites abuse this system, manual actions may be taken to prevent these sites from unfairly dominating the search results.
2. Thin or Low-Quality Content
Google aims to serve users with content that provides value, depth, and relevance. Thin content refers to pages that offer little to no useful information. Examples include:
- Auto-generated content: Pages created by automated tools with no original thought or value.
- Duplicate content: Pages that are copied from other websites, with minimal or no unique additions.
- Doorway pages: Pages that exist solely to rank for specific keywords but funnel users to another destination, providing little to no content.
When Google identifies low-quality or thin content, it may issue a manual action to prevent these pages from appearing in prominent search positions.
3. Cloaking and Sneaky Redirects
Cloaking occurs when a website shows different content to users and search engine crawlers in an attempt to manipulate rankings. Sneaky redirects involve sending users to a different page than the one displayed in the search results.
Both practices are against Google’s guidelines because they mislead users and disrupt the integrity of search results. Manual actions for cloaking and sneaky redirects are taken to ensure that search engines and users see the same content.
4. Spammy Structured Markup
Structured data helps search engines understand the content on a page and display rich snippets in the search results (like star ratings, recipes, or event times). However, using misleading or spammy markup—for example, marking up fake reviews or irrelevant information—can lead to a manual action.
Google wants to ensure that rich snippets are trustworthy and provide accurate information to users. Misuse of structured data for ranking or click-through manipulation will result in penalties.
5. User-Generated Spam
Websites with open platforms for users to post content, such as forums, blogs, and review sites, can sometimes become havens for user-generated spam. This could include spammy comments, irrelevant links, or low-quality posts that don’t contribute to the topic or discussion.
When a website allows user-generated content, it must ensure that such contributions adhere to quality guidelines. Failure to monitor and manage spammy content can lead to a manual action.
6. Hacked Website
A website that has been compromised by hackers and is being used to distribute malware, phishing schemes, or harmful content will likely receive a manual action. Google prioritizes the safety of its users and will take swift action to prevent infected websites from appearing in search results.
7. Hidden Text and Keyword Stuffing
Adding hidden text or keyword stuffing—loading a webpage with excessive keywords in an attempt to manipulate rankings—is a direct violation of Google’s guidelines. Hidden text is often placed on the page in a way that users cannot see it but search engines can, while keyword stuffing makes the content unnatural and difficult to read.
Both practices undermine the user experience and can result in a manual action that demotes or removes the affected page.
The Impact of Manual Actions
The consequences of a manual action can be severe, particularly if it affects a large portion of a website. Depending on the severity of the violation, manual actions can result in:
- Ranking Demotions: The affected pages will see a significant drop in search rankings, reducing their visibility to users.
- Deindexing: In more severe cases, entire pages or even the entire website can be removed from Google’s index, meaning they won’t appear in search results at all.
- Loss of Traffic: Ranking drops or deindexing often lead to a sharp decline in organic search traffic, which can impact a website’s revenue and business performance.
How to Identify a Manual Action
Google notifies website owners of manual actions through Google Search Console. To check for any manual actions:
- Log into Google Search Console.
- Navigate to the Security & Manual Actions section.
- Click on Manual Actions to view any penalties issued by Google.
If your website has received a manual action, you will see details about the violation, including the specific guidelines you’ve breached, the pages affected, and the steps you need to take to resolve the issue.
How to Recover from a Manual Action
Recovering from a manual action requires identifying the root cause of the violation and taking corrective steps to bring the website into compliance with Google’s guidelines. Here’s how to recover from a manual action:
1. Understand the Issue
Review the details provided in Google Search Console to fully understand the type of manual action that has been applied. Google will often provide resources and guidelines that can help you resolve the specific issue.
2. Fix the Problem
Address the underlying cause of the manual action. For example:
- Remove or disavow unnatural links: If the manual action is related to link schemes or unnatural links, use Google’s disavow tool to indicate which links should not be counted towards your site’s ranking.
- Improve content quality: For thin or low-quality content, focus on improving the depth and relevance of the information you provide.
- Fix cloaking or sneaky redirects: Ensure that the same content is visible to both search engines and users, and that all redirects are legitimate.
- Clean up user-generated spam: Moderate forums or comment sections and remove any spammy or irrelevant user contributions.
- Remove malware: If your site has been hacked, clean up the infection and secure your website from further vulnerabilities.
3. Submit a Reconsideration Request
Once you’ve resolved the issue, you’ll need to submit a reconsideration request to Google. In this request, you’ll explain the steps you’ve taken to fix the problem and provide evidence that your website now complies with Google’s guidelines.
Reconsideration requests are reviewed by Google’s manual actions team, who will decide whether the issue has been resolved. If Google approves your request, the manual action will be lifted, and your rankings will gradually improve.
Preventing Future Manual Actions
Prevention is always better than cure. To avoid manual actions in the future, ensure that your website follows best SEO practices and stays compliant with Google’s guidelines. Here are a few key tips:
- Focus on Quality Content: Prioritize creating high-quality, relevant, and original content that adds value to users.
- Build Natural Links: Avoid engaging in link schemes or buying links. Focus on earning backlinks organically through valuable content and outreach.
- Monitor User-Generated Content: Actively moderate forums, comments, and user-submitted content to ensure it adheres to quality standards.
- Stay Updated on Google’s Guidelines: Keep yourself informed of any changes to Google’s Webmaster Quality Guidelines and adjust your SEO strategy accordingly.
Manual actions are a serious penalty that can have a detrimental impact on a website’s visibility and traffic. However, by understanding the common causes of manual actions, regularly monitoring your site for compliance, and taking swift corrective action when issues arise, you can protect your website from falling out of Google’s good graces.
Following Google’s Webmaster Quality Guidelines not only helps avoid penalties but also ensures that your site offers a better user experience—leading to sustainable, long-term success in the search rankings.