Has your website suddenly tanked in Google search? Sudden loss of keyword rankings and traffic? This most certainly means your website has been struck with a Google penalty.
Each year, Google changes its search algorithm around 500–600 times. While most of these changes are minor, Google occasionally rolls out a “major” algorithmic update (such as Google Panda and Google Penguin) that affects search results in significant ways. Major algorithmic changes have had massive impact on methods of Search Engine Optimisation, which had been effective in the past. Whether through algorithmic filters or manual penalties, these alterations to the system has impacted how well your website organically ranks using the old approaches.
In the past, many crafty tactics have been used to exploit Google’s algorithm to gain an advantage in search results. With recent refinements in their search algorithm, Google are clamping down on such tactics, meaning many sites are being hit with a penalty. To fix such a penalty, the process will require the removal of links, which conflict with the new algorithm and other strategies to let your website correlate with the latest algorithmic updates. The ultimate goal is to restore the effectiveness of your website and have Google’s penalty revoked.