Semalt About Google Filters And How To Manage Them

Every modern entrepreneur knows what Google's guidelines are and why they must be followed. Compliance with the search engine rules not only guarantees spectacular effects in the form of an increased recipient base and better sales results but also eliminates the risk of problems with the site's indexing and positioning.

However, in case of non-compliance with pre-established rules by Google services, your website could be severely penalized and the smooth running of your business will take a hit. This being the case, using a better SEO tool to monitor the day-to-day functioning of your website is an obligation that you must take care of.

But what happens if unintentional errors block the development of your website? In this article, we will review how to deal with a Google ban and look at effective methods to avoid any search engine penalties.

What is a Google filter?

A sharp drop in website traffic, a lower page position in the search results list or reduced conversion statistics are typical effects of the Google filter. But what is such a punishment?

The search engine imposes a filter on every website that it considers to be using illegal positioning techniques. Along with subsequent algorithm updates, Google introduces several methods that not only fail to bring satisfactory results but can also be severely punished if identified by the crawlers.

The Panda change implemented in 2010-2015 focused on eliminating all duplicate content and poor-quality articles. Sites whose content did not meet the interest of users then lost their place in the rankings, which drastically caused their fall.

The Penguin algorithm in 2012-2016 aimed to reduce spam on the Internet as much as possible. Abuse of backlinks from low-authority sites, cloaking and other Black Hat SEO techniques have been severely punished since then, and websites optimized through fraudulent methods have experienced severe drops in Google rankings.

Therefore, it can be said that a Google ban is a punishment imposed on a website whose ranking results from the use of deceptive Black Hat SEO methods aimed at deceiving both the search engine algorithms and the real users of the website. Indeed, you can avoid such penalties by hiring the services of SEO experts who by using updated, legal methods and latest-generation SEO tools such as the Dedicated SEO Dashboard, will allow you to reach the top positions of search results in a short period.

The different types of Google filters

There are two main types of Google filters, each with its own specificity. Therefore, it is important to know how to differentiate them to be able to effectively solve filter problems when they arise.

Algorithmic filter

This is a Google penalty imposed automatically by the search engine's algorithm. The receipt of this ban then results from the failure to comply with Google's guidelines resulting from the update of individual algorithms, such as Panda, Koliber, Penguin or Cołąb. The search engine robots then take into account the following factors:

originality of the content;
presence of possible duplicates;
quality of links leading to the website;
value of the content from the perspective of the target audience;
up-to-date aspect of the content;
keyword density;
transparency of the site's content;
Black Hat SEO practices if any.

If the search engine identifies irregularities related to the above factors, the website will lose its image on the web and receive a ban from Google. Therefore, you already run the risk of permanently losing traffic to your website if you do not stop what caused such a penalty and do not correct the errors highlighted by the search engine algorithms.

Manual filter

Google's manual filter is imposed by Google Search Quality Team employees who detect glaring errors in the website's ranking. This penalty is applied to any violations in the following areas:

spams - both that created by website users and any attempt to trick the algorithms by abusing keywords, links or tags;
Violation of search engine guidelines by masking, hiding content or adopting an inappropriate keyword strategy;
unnatural link networks based on low-quality links from low-authority sites.
Violation of security rules resulting from insecure payment methods or hacker attacks.

How to identify this type of filter? A manually imposed Google penalty can be identified based on the information contained in the Google Search Console report. By looking at the "Security and Manual Actions" tab, you can also find out why the ban was issued, which makes it a little easier to eliminate. On the other hand, if there are any doubts or major complications, using expert services such as Semalt would be a better option to quickly resolve this unwelcome situation for the proper functioning of your website.

How to deal with a Google filter?

How to remove a Google filter? The matter is a bit more complicated than it seems. Once you have identified the first signs, such as a drop in Google ranking or a drop in site traffic, move on to troubleshooting individual errors as soon as possible. Don't waste any more time!

In the case of a manual filter, the process of resolving the problem is a bit easier, as you only need to read the advice from Google's team and identify the reasons for the penalty. Then, you need to get rid of reasons for the ban to be removed by eliminating low-quality backlinks, removing low-value content or reducing spam on your website. After implementing the necessary optimization measures, you need to get Google's employees to check your site again. However, it is worth remembering that this process can take some time. It can take several days to several weeks to remove the filter.

Unfortunately, Google's algorithmic ban is much more difficult to remove. The biggest difficulty is identifying the real problem, which in the case of complex websites is a very demanding task. The best way to deal with the filter is then a thorough audit of the website with a better SEO tool such as the Dedicated SEO Dashboard, which allows you to detect possible errors and locate the elements that do not comply with Google's guidelines. Once any irregularities are fixed, all you have to do is wait. After that, it is worthwhile to regularly monitor the status of the website in Google Analytics and to analyze the traffic and positioning of the website for individual phrases. If there are no satisfactory results, it may be necessary to re-optimize the website.

How to avoid a Google penalty?

We all know the saying "prevention is better than cure". As you can see, getting rid of the Google filter is quite a demanding and time-consuming task that will significantly slow down the development of your online business.

Therefore, it is worth focusing on effective optimization methods that comply with search engine guidelines and will not only expose your website to a penalty but will also guarantee much better results. Instead of trying to fool the algorithm, it is best to use the following methods, which although more time-consuming, will certainly prove to be the key to your website's success:

optimizing content in terms of relevant keywords;
naturally creating backlinks from high-authority sites in the industry;
constant monitoring of the effectiveness of actions taken;
avoiding Black Hat SEO techniques such as masking, content masking or keyword stuffing;
taking care of the technical aspects of the website;
current elimination of possible errors and adaptation of activities to the latest updates of Google's algorithms.

As we have just seen, it is very easy and advantageous to do things right instead of constantly trying to fool search engines to achieve better rankings. If you resort to fraudulent methods, your website will be unmasked sooner or later and the penalty incurred will partially or permanently damage the smooth running of your online business.

Conclusion

The Google filter is a problem that many modern entrepreneurs face. The best way to deal with this type of complication is to hire the services of a professional SEO agency. A team of experienced specialists knows the search engine guidelines very well and has the knowledge and skills necessary for the process of effective website positioning. Therefore, it is worth considering such cooperation, as it will not only reduce the risk of failure but also ensure SEO effects that would be difficult to achieve by yourself.

Moreover, given the importance of being able to quickly detect Google filters, you should use modern tools that will show you a daily report of how your site is evolving, the errors that need to be corrected and also the aspects that need to be reviewed in order to reach the best positions on Google and, above all, to stay there. We advise you to adopt the Dedicated SEO Dashboard, an all-in-one SEO tool that will provide you with all the reports you need to constantly monitor the state of your website and strengthen its reputation not only with search engines such as Google but also with your visitors.

Do you have any specific questions or concerns? Our team of experts is available 24/7 to help you solve any of your concerns. You can leave us a message in the comments and we'll be happy to respond. If you wish, you can ask still your questions directly to our experts.