Filters are special algorithms that can be used to catch websites that break the rules of search engines. The result is the position of individual pages or the entire website dropping off the index. We will tell you how to determine if your site is under the penalties of search engines.
Google filters can be imposed in a variety of ways:
- Use of affiliates
- Selling backlinks
- Behavioral factors drive up;
- Over-optimization of text using keywords;
- Other questionable techniques: click jacking, cloaking, cryptojacking, Fishing, etc.
- Pop-ups and offensive advertisements
- Website infected with viruses
- Link building techniques that are restricted;
- Non-unique content;
- Hidden text
This is only part of possible violations since every search engine has its own set of rules that are constantly updated and supplemented. If you look up the links, you’ll see a list of Google violations for which it imposes sanctions. The filtering process is designed to improve search quality.
If the site’s ranking has drastically decreased and pages have been removed from the index of the search engines, and the traffic is dropping, it may be time to examine the site for possible violations of the filters. It can be done in a variety of ways.
Notifications of sanction in webmaster panels
This is the most efficient method to go. Search engines inform users about sanctions in the webmaster panel – Search Console Google.
Google Search Console
Google does not notify about automated filters, which are implemented as a consequence of updates to the core algorithm. Search Console will report manual actions. Check out the manual actions section.
The message will be sent in the event that there aren’t any sanctions
If there are sanctions, the reason and further actions will be described.
Begin fixing the issue once you’ve identified the issue. Next, click on the Request verification button at the end of the message. If you did everything right, Google will remove the filter after a period of time.
Filtering is a process of analyzing how many pages are in the index
Websites that do not comply with the rules are penalized differently by search engines. They can lower positions in the results of searches or even delete pages from the index. The filters may be the reason for a significant decrease in the index of one particular search engine.
It’s crucial to make the right diagnosis. Other than filters, there are additional reasons to remove pages from the index:
- Disallowing indexing of individual web pages in robots.txt or .htaccess or other CMS settings
- Blocking access of bots to the website by the hosting provider
- The virus or hacking of the website
- The website has been unavailable for crawling by robots for some time (for example, if hosting wasn’t paid for in time) and then it is removed from the search.
To quickly check the number of pages that are in the index, visit the search engine that you want to use and type in site:yourdomain.com (no spaces).
A sudden decrease in the number of pages is an indication of a penalty.
Google Search Console can be used to check the indexing of websites, and to determine the pages that were removed from the index.
Positions are checked by the top queries
It is important to be aware of the most relevant queries. The possibility of a decline in one of the search engines could be an outcome of automated sanctions.
It is recommended to check positions on a regular basis since most tools allow it once per month, once a week, or even every day.
Filter checks through traffic analysis
If you have noticed that the traffic has decreased on one search engine but is stable in the other, it is an indication of filtering.
You can assess traffic using the linked analytics system: Google Analytics. If the traffic chart shows a sharp drop that is not short-term, congratulations, your website is being filtered.
A good idea is to check the date of the decrease in traffic with the date of the next update of the algorithm used by search engines. All Google algorithm updates are saved on the moz.com service. It will be easier to identify which filter was responsible for the site’s performance if these dates occur in tandem.
Prompt check of the position by the brand’s keyword
This method is useful if you purchase a domain and are looking to see if it has been approved. Enter domain com into a search engine. This is the website address, without a dot and space. If the domain you are checking is not in the first position, then there is almost certainly something wrong.
Filter analysis with online tools
Several services analyze whether there are any sanctions from search engines.
For example Website Penalty Indicator. It’s only available for Google.
Another option is Google Penalty Checker. It shows the influence of Google algorithm changes on website traffic (blue indicates positive impact, orange = negative or neutral impact).
We recommend monitoring backlinks regularly in Google Search Console using the Linkbox back link software in order to avoid the Google Penguin filter.
There are numerous ways to determine the extent to which your website is subject to filtering. If you can use at the very least one of these techniques, you will know what is wrong with your website. Search engines will not have issues if your site is well optimized.