Understanding manual penalties in SEO and their implications

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Manual penalty in SEO

In the world of search engine optimisation manual penalties are often feared by website owners and SEO experts.

These penalties can have a serious impact on a site's visibility in search engines such as Google.

What is a manual penalty?

A manual penalty is a penalty imposed by Google on a website that does not respect its SEO recommendations. This measure is taken when a Google employee deems that a site has used illegal referencing techniques or techniques that contravene the guidelines laid down by the search engine.

Manual penalties differ from algorithmic penalties, which are automatically triggered when specific actions detected by Google's algorithm contravene the guidelines. Manual penalties therefore involve human intervention on the part of Google to assess and penalise the behaviour of a website.

Causes and consequences of a manual penalty

There are several reasons why a manual penalty may be applied to a website. These include :

• From backlinks artificial If a site uses paid links, links from link farms or similar practices to manipulate its search engine ranking.
• Le duplicate content If a site copies the content of other websites without authorisation and tries to position itself on the same keywords in the search results.
• Le cloaking This involves presenting one version of the content to users and another to indexing robotsin order to deceive them.
• Spam techniques excessive use of keywords (keyword stuffing), comment spam or the insertion of hidden text are all methods that contravene Google's guidelines.

When a site is subject to a manual penalty, its positions in the search results are generally severely downgraded or even removed. As a result, the site's organic traffic and visibility can be significantly reduced, with a direct impact on sales and revenue for sites. e-commerce for example.

Identify a manual penalty and act accordingly

If you suspect that a manual penalty has been applied to your site, you can consult the Search Console from Google. In the event of a penalty, a message will inform you of the precise reason for the penalty and also give you advice on how to rectify the situation.

It is important to scrupulously follow the recommendations provided by Google in order to resolve the problem and request that the penalty be lifted. Here are a few actions that can help you resolve your situation:

1. Remove or modify artificial backlinks Analyse your incoming links and remove those that are considered unnatural or harmful to your SEO.
2. Improve your content If your site contains duplicate content, make sure you create original, relevant, high-quality content that meets users' expectations.
3. Optimise your markup and source code Make sure your site respects the basic rules of on-page SEO, such as the correct use of title tags, meta description and header (h1, h2...), as well as image optimisation (alt attribute, format and size).
4. Brush up on your netlinking internal : Be careful not to overuse optimised anchors or create artificial internal links, which could be perceived as an attempt at manipulation by Google.

Request for Google to reconsider

Once you have made the necessary corrections, it's time to submit a reconsideration request to Google via Search Console. This step is crucial to let Google know that you have taken the necessary steps to resolve the problems identified and that you want the penalty to be lifted.

It is important to provide Google with clear and precise information about the actions taken to resolve the problem. Be honest and transparent in your request, as this is a unique opportunity to establish a dialogue with the Google team and show your goodwill.

The importance of complying with Google's guidelines

To avoid manual penaltyWhen it comes to search engine optimisation (SEO), it is essential to follow Google's recommendations. Sites that use SEO techniques that comply with the search engine's guidelines are less likely to be penalised and are therefore more likely to succeed in the long term.

Adopt a user-centred approach and rely on quality content, appropriate technical optimisation and natural netlinking to boost your visibility without risking penalties.

By favouring a strategy Ethical SEO and sustainable, you'll have every chance of developing your online presence and attracting qualified traffic to your website.