How can you identify algorithmic penalties on your website?

Algorithmic penalties are actions taken by Google to lower the ranking of websites that violate its quality guidelines or use manipulative tactics to boost their SEO. Unlike manual penalties, which are applied by human reviewers and notified via Google Search Console, algorithmic penalties are harder to detect and diagnose. However, they can have a significant impact on your traffic, conversions, and revenue. In this article, you will learn how to identify algorithmic penalties on your website and what steps you can take to recover from them.

1 Check your traffic data

The first step to identify algorithmic penalties is to check your traffic data using tools like Google Analytics or Google Search Console. Look for any sudden or significant drops in organic traffic, impressions, clicks, or rankings that coincide with the dates of known Google algorithm updates. You can use resources like Moz's Google Algorithm Change History or SEMrush's Sensor to track the major updates and their effects on different industries and regions. If you notice a correlation between an update and a traffic decline, you may have been hit by an algorithmic penalty.

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Nilesh Soni

Founder @ NILSON | Website & App Development, SEO, Digital Marketing | E-commerce Consultant
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Identifying algorithmic penalties on your website involves observing changes in search engine rankings and organic traffic. This is will give you an alert signal that is search engine algorithm updates impacted your rankings. Check few below important points that will help to identifies algorithmic penalties on your website: 1) Drop in Rankings 2) Traffic ups and downs 3) Content quality issue 4) Changes in user behavior 5) Technical issues 6) Back link issues Identifying algorithmic penalties requires a comprehensive analysis of various aspects of your website. Continuously monitoring, maintaining, and improving your website's quality and compliance with search engine guidelines is essential to avoid such penalties.

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2 Analyze your backlink profile

The second step to identify algorithmic penalties is to analyze your backlink profile using tools like Ahrefs or Majestic. Backlinks are links from other websites that point to your website, and they are one of the most important factors for SEO. However, not all backlinks are created equal. Some backlinks can be harmful or toxic, especially if they come from low-quality, spammy, or irrelevant websites. These backlinks can trigger algorithmic penalties like Penguin, which target websites that use unnatural or manipulative link building practices. To avoid or recover from these penalties, you need to audit your backlink profile and identify any bad or suspicious links that may be hurting your SEO.

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amin fathi

SEO Manager
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The disavow tool can help you effectively remove your harmful backlinks. Only use this tool if you are sure that you no need that backlink. Of course, recently Google ignores low-value backlinks, but you can use this free tool to be sure.

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Nick Pustay

Head of SEO
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The Backlink profile of a website is not the same as it was. This post had some bad advice - Do NOT use Disavow for links unless you have a Manual Action - Do NOT believe the authority scores Many search engines can determine garbage links and ignore them. Outreach to buy links will NOT "clean up" your profile. Don't just buy old domains. You have no clue what you are actually getting. If you are creating stuff for rank, Google spent almost all of 2023 telling us how they find and ignore this. Read up on the Helpful Content updates. Backlinks are necessary but often used by those less knowledgeable in the SEO field to add advice where they lack experience. Most bigger brands do digital PR and other less risky Backlink approaches.

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3 Audit your content quality

The third step to identify algorithmic penalties is to audit your content quality using tools like Copyscape or Screaming Frog. Content is the core of your website, and it should provide value, relevance, and uniqueness to your audience and search engines. However, some content can be detrimental or thin, especially if it is duplicated, plagiarized, keyword-stuffed, or irrelevant. These content issues can trigger algorithmic penalties like Panda, which target websites that offer low-quality or shallow content. To avoid or recover from these penalties, you need to audit your content quality and identify any issues that may be affecting your SEO.

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4 Review your technical SEO

The fourth step to identify algorithmic penalties is to review your technical SEO using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or Lighthouse. Technical SEO refers to the aspects of your website that affect its performance, usability, and crawlability. Some technical SEO issues can be harmful or slow, especially if they affect your site speed, mobile-friendliness, security, or indexation. These issues can trigger algorithmic penalties like Core Web Vitals, which target websites that offer poor user experience or accessibility. To avoid or recover from these penalties, you need to review your technical SEO and identify any issues that may be impacting your SEO.

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5 Monitor your competitors

The fifth step to identify algorithmic penalties is to monitor your competitors using tools like SpyFu or SimilarWeb. Competitors are other websites that target the same keywords, audience, or niche as you, and they can affect your SEO performance and ranking. Sometimes, a traffic drop or a ranking loss may not be caused by an algorithmic penalty, but by a competitor's improvement or strategy. To rule out this possibility, you need to monitor your competitors and compare their traffic, rankings, backlinks, content, and technical SEO with yours. This way, you can identify any gaps or opportunities that may help you regain your SEO edge.

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6 Consult an SEO expert

The sixth and final step to identify algorithmic penalties is to consult an SEO expert. SEO is a complex and dynamic field, and sometimes, you may need professional guidance or assistance to diagnose and fix your SEO issues. An SEO expert can help you with tasks like conducting a comprehensive SEO audit, performing a penalty recovery service, implementing a SEO strategy, or providing ongoing SEO support. By hiring an SEO expert, you can save time, money, and hassle, and ensure that your website is optimized for the latest and best SEO practices.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Amanda J.

MozCon x3 Speaker, BrightonSEO speaker. SEO process and strategy creation. Focused on organic growth for businesses. Often works with complex sites, industries, and organizations.
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Consider any changes that were made to your website during this period. If a major content update or website overhaul coincided with the timing of an algorithm update, this could be the actual cause of the observed drop in your traffic or rankings.

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How can you identify algorithmic penalties on your website?

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1 Check your traffic data

2 Analyze your backlink profile

3 Audit your content quality

4 Review your technical SEO

5 Monitor your competitors

6 Consult an SEO expert

7 Here’s what else to consider

Search Engine Optimization

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