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Lost All My Rankings Since Penguin 2
Junior Member
joined:Nov 17, 2003
posts:106
votes: 0
Authority site since 2003 - one of the best in the financial niche I operate in... had lots of natural links, modestly I can say it was a good resource.
My only fault is that I got dragged a bit in the SEO race when I saw some more recent entrants outmaneuvering me in the search engines when they started accumulating big quantities of daily links [with inferior content].
I got hit in April 2012 and this was a wake-up call. I tried to remove all the paid links and artificial press releases. It didn't help as I continued to experience declines month after month. Last November or so I've used the disavow tool to disavow any article directories I had participated (whole domains) - I even cut done on the king of them all article directories (you know the one). It hasn't helped.
I haven't received any messages in webmaster tools but my traffic has disappeared. I expected a bit of a recovery with this Penguin update but if anything its worse. I can't be found for anything almost - this for a website with lots of natural links, been there since 2003, lots of original content and educational youtube videos.
I look at the companies that have taken my place and its mostly big brands and shallow crap sites.
What to do? I'm resisting changing domains as this website is almost a decade old. I'm thinking about contacting google to see if it has a manual penalty even if I haven't received any messages whatsoever?
[edited by: luckystrike at 6:44 pm (utc) on May 28, 2013]
Senior Member
joined:May 26, 2000
posts:37301
votes: 0
As frequent posts in this forum now show, many members have been put into this kind of challenge with Google's recent changes. Yes, you can definitely send a Reconsideration Request even though you received no message from Google. Not every penalty results in a message. So, as you said, you'll at least learn if your site has a manual penalty or not.
Just make sure to give some detail on the actions you've taken to "remove all the paid links and artificial press releases."
Junior Member
joined:Nov 17, 2003
posts:106
votes: 0
Only google webmastertools doesn't allow you to send any enquiry/re-consideration request if you haven't received any e-mails notifying you of a penalty...?
Senior Member
joined:May 26, 2000
posts:37301
votes: 0
It looks like you're right - when did that change slip by me? If you first log-in to WMT, then paste this link into your browser bar, does it work for you?
[google.com...]
Full Member
joined:Feb 1, 2006
posts:271
votes: 2
or logged in in WMT, help button in right upper corner, than search for reconsideration
Junior Member
joined:Nov 17, 2003
posts:106
votes: 0
actually that links works for me and there is my URL..! I'm not sure what that implies but I'm going to try it. Should I just ask first if there is a manual penalty without going into detail?
Full Member
joined:Feb 1, 2006
posts:271
votes: 2
no, you cannot ask if there is a manual penalty.
in other words, you have to ask for a reconsideration, (and if it is a real reconsideration request,you have to motivate it as much as possible, and than you should read into/about it first.)
Than you wait for a standard answer (which can take from 5 days upto several weks), which will be "no manual action was found against your site" or "you site is still violating our guidelines"
Than you have your answer if there is a manual penalty or not
Junior Member from US
joined:Oct 24, 2011
posts: 73
votes: 1
Great suggestions here...
I would first put together a simple reconsideration request that outlines your frustration and remedies, and asking if you could be reconsidered. You will then find out if you do in fact have manual action against your site. The caveat is that you could have no "manual" action against your site, and still be caught in an algo filter/penalty.
If you got hit last April, I would take a serious look at my anchor text diversity.
[edited by: tedster at 9:46 pm (utc) on May 28, 2013]
[edit reason] sorry, no domain names [/edit]
Senior Member
joined:Nov 27, 2003
posts: 1315
votes: 0
It looks like you're right - when did that change slip by me? If you first log-in to WMT, then paste this link into your browser bar, does it work for you?
[google.com...]
?
That works for me, and I have no penalty I guess,
I have lost due to duplicate content, my fault and also googles, but I have recovered and today I have a lot of trafic, not same as before but keeps getting better.or logged in in WMT, help button in right upper corner, than search for reconsideration
However on this I cant see any reconsideration
Does it mean if works for you, you are hitted?
Full Member
joined:Feb 1, 2006
posts:271
votes: 2
i think everyone should see the option to file a recon request, hitted or not, it's just a general option
Senior Member
joined:Nov 27, 2003
posts: 1315
votes: 0
i think everyone should see the option to file a recon request, hitted or not, it's just a general option
But by the post from tedster and luckystrikes answer sounded like if you there you hitted.
Junior Member
joined:Nov 17, 2003
posts:106
votes: 0
yes my site is in the 'Choose Site' drop-down menu while logged onto webmaster tools.
My rankings at the moment for this site are simply awful - I don't I have much to loose at this point. And I've really done a lot of work on removing spammy backlinks.
New User
joined:Aug 17, 2004
posts:35
votes: 0
Reading the evidence you've posted luckystrike, it sounds to me like it's algorithmic - a big drop in traffic coinciding with panda 2. The month-to-month declines also sound like they're algorithmic, because I'd have expected a sitewide manual spamming penalty to have caused a sudden traffic drop rather than a gradual drop.
Senior Member
joined:Oct 26, 2002
posts:3295
votes: 9
panda 2
Penguin 2?
New User
joined:Aug 17, 2004
posts:35
votes: 0
Yes, Penguin 2.
Junior Member
joined:Mar 9, 2013
posts:115
votes: 1
Have you used the disavow tool?
[edited by: tedster at 1:30 pm (utc) on May 29, 2013]
Preferred Member from ES
joined:Mar 4, 2003
posts: 488
votes: 6
Tried that link also and all my sites are in the drop list (all with, and without the www) - doesnt mean anything as fas I know
Junior Member
joined:Nov 17, 2003
posts:106
votes: 0
disavow hasn't worked - if anything my rankings have slipped further since November last year; in any case I've now requested reconsideration and will let you know how it turns out.
I've been suffering since April 2012; I know I've bit hit by algorithmic penalties but am not sure if there's also a manual penalty. I've cleaned my link profile thoroughly (and disavowed links i couldn't get remove) and the website is a genuine resource so... To-date I've resisting trying to contact google as I thought contacting them could somehow backfire but there is nothing to lose at this stage; not with my present disastrous rankings anyway.
New User
joined:Aug 17, 2004
posts:35
votes: 0
My thinking was that any serious manual penalty would have caused a sharp fall in your traffic, but apart from penguin 2, your fall has been gradual - therefore algorithmic and not something you could submit a re-inclusion request for. Anyway, best of luck with your request. I hope it turns up something helpful for you.
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