What is a Manual Action in SEO?

A manual action is a penalty that is manually imposed by Google on a website for violating Google’s Webmaster Guidelines. This can be in response to black hat SEO tactics, thin or duplicate content, cloaking, or other forms of content, and other factors that go against Google's guidelines. Manual action results in a drop in rankings and can even lead to deindexing; the website being removed from Google's search results entirely.

Manual actions are typically imposed after a website has been manually reviewed by a Google engineer and found to be in violation of the Webmaster Guidelines. Google sends a message to the webmaster through Google Search Console (formerly known as Webmaster Tools) to inform them of the manual action and what needs to be done to fix it.

If you believe your website was issued a manual action in error, you can submit a reconsideration request to Google through Search Console. You will need to explain why you believe the manual action was issued in error and what you did to resolve the issue. Once Google has reviewed your reconsideration request and is satisfied that the issue has been resolved, you can submit a reconsideration request to have the manual action removed.

What are the common causes of manual actions?

There are a number of potential causes for manual actions, but some of the most common include:

• Black hat SEO tactics: These include keyword stuffing, link farms, and other manipulative techniques that go against Google's guidelines.
• Poor or Duplicate Content: This includes plagiarized content, doorway pages (pages with poor or duplicate content), and other forms of low-quality content.
• Cloaking: This is when a website presents different content to users and Googlebot, in an attempt to manipulate search results.
• Pure Spam: This includes websites that are nothing but spam and websites that engage in aggressive behavior like buying links.

How can I avoid manual action?

The best way to avoid manual actions is to follow Google’s Webmaster Guidelines. These guidelines ensure website owners create a positive user experience and don’t engage in manipulative or deceptive practices. If you’re unsure whether a practice violates Google’s guidelines, you can contact Google for clarification.

Additionally, it’s important to keep an eye on your website’s search engine ranking and traffic levels. If you notice a sudden drop in ranking or traffic, it may indicate that your website has been subject to manual action. In this case, you check the messages in Google Search Console.

Finally, it’s a good idea to set up manual action alerts in Google Search Console. This way, you’ll be immediately notified if your website receives a manual action.

How do I delete a manual action?

If you believe your website was issued a manual action in error, you can submit a reconsideration request to Google. This is done through Google Search Console. You'll need to provide a detailed explanation of why you believe the manual action was issued in error and what you did to resolve the issue.

Once Google has reviewed your reconsideration request and believes the issue has been resolved, you can submit a reconsideration request.