What will Google penalize your organization for?

The search giant has become the de facto internet police, promoting companies that play by its rules, and downgrading web pages that—in its view—fail to serve users.

Ragan Insider Premium Content
Ragan Insider Content

This article originally appeared on PR Daily in March of 2018.

The influence of Google on business is unquestionable.

The tech giant generated 62 percent of all ecommerce traffic between July 2016 and June 2017—and 63 percent of all online business revenue, according to the Wolfgang Digital 2017 ecommerce study of 143 million website sessions. Only 18 percent of online business results from direct traffic, where users type in a URL and are directed straight to a website.

If a business isn’t ranking well in Google’s search results, it’s losing potential profits.

Though most webmasters and site owners are aware of Google penalties, and know to avoid them, they might not fully understand what causes these dreaded consequences.

While only true corporate insiders know every part of the constantly-evolving algorithm, this compilation should set you on the right track. Here is a breakdown of each type of penalty—and advice on how to submit a reconsideration request after you’ve fixed the issues:

1. Cloaking and sneaky redirects

To read the full story, log in.
Become a Ragan Insider member to read this article and all other archived content.
Sign up today

Already a member? Log in here.
Learn more about Ragan Insider.