Removed from Google

Where Do I start?

[Rocknroll]

I just took over and SEO of a simplle HTML site and was confident that i ll get good rankings. BUT when i didnt get to see the site listed for anything other than "COMPANY NAME" on google, i got concerned. The site was really a bad design (Even text was images for some weired reason!)AND i Just came accross a hidden text on the home page! and that also 1px! The worst thing anyone can ever do. But now i am stuck with this and i feel like mess. I am sure now that the site has been blocked by google (though i havnt talked to anyone at google or anything but i am sure google is not going to miss hidden #ffffff 1px text ) SO now , where do i start guys?

1. Will email to google help? Also the client is advertising on google, I have heard that it helps calling people at google and requesting them to remove you from "BLACK/BLOCK" list.

2. Would changing the domain name help? and how long would it usually take to get listed if i am a new domain? I am not sure how attached the cient is to the domain name but if thats easier than getting out of google blocked list, that is an option.

3.Do my rates go up? ;)

Any help would be great. Thanks

[Magnum_PI]

You can e-mail google. Another option is to open a .net version and put the google "do not crawl" code on the first site.

[hutcheson]

Your message wasn't clear--have you already fixed all these turkey droppings? It would be a bad mistake to contact Google before doing the repairs -- like inviting the newspaper's restaurant reviewer back for a free meal before beginning to clean up the debris from the explosion in the kitchen.

[Rocknroll]

Thanks Hutcheson,
You guys will be surprised that the home page of the site had on layer (hidden ofcourse) and that layer had a whole paragraph of text which was not even very focussed. This was the only thing which they were doing! I removed that layer and thats all i can do to make all the things legal. Also can you please give me the email address at google where i should email and what should I tell them? Thanks

[kaled]

Before contacting Google the site MUST BE CLEAN. Certainly every critical page should be clean.

However, I would also make sure that you have in fact been penalised. It could be just that the competition is fierce and the existing SEO is rubbish.

webmaster-AT-google.com¦subject=reinclusion request is as good an address¦subject as any.

Keep emails VERY CLEAR AND CONCISE. NO WAFFLE.

Kaled.

[Rocknroll]

Guys,
In my email to google, do I specifically say that "we had hidden text" and be specific or Do I say " We had some content/practices which might be viewed as Spam" by google? Please help

[encyclo]

Don't forget to check out caveman's excellent thread A Dropped Site Checklist [webmasterworld.com], which may give you some valuable pointers.

[kaled]

I would simply state that there were numerous faults on the whole site, but that it has been cleaned up and passed through and HTML validator (do a few key pages). I would not admit specific SEO faults (like hidden text).

That's me - others may have differing opinions.

In all such situations, put yourself in the position of the Google tech reading the email. You're busy so you don't want to have to re-read emails, etc so it must be clear and simple. Stating that there were faults on the site but that they have been fixed is just that - clear and simple. If you start listing those faults you are adding unnecessary complexity (IMHO).

It is worth stating that taken over site administration but don't make a big deal of it.

Kaled.

[plasma]

No need to contact Google.
There isn't something like a 'penalty'. Forget about that.

Fix the site and be patient.