There are a selection of instances the place websites hit by the expanded Google site reputation abuse policy, the place Google issued various instant handbook actions, are shifting the directories that had been hit to a brand new location on the area identify. It might be a mistake to try this in the long term and may result in extra penalties and probably the entire website being penalized.
Google has one other spam coverage that it instituted two years in the past to take care of this precise case. This spam coverage is named policy circumvention and in that coverage, it particularly calls out this observe.
The coverage reads:
If a website continues to have interaction in actions supposed to bypass our spam insurance policies or content material insurance policies for Google Search, we might take acceptable motion which can embrace limiting or eradicating eligibility for a few of our search options (for instance, High Tales, Uncover) and taking broader motion in Google Search (for instance, eradicating extra sections of a website from Search outcomes).
The precise examples Google offered embrace:
(1) Utilizing present or creating new subdomains, subdirectories, or websites with the intention of constant to violate our insurance policies
(2) Utilizing different strategies supposed to proceed distributing content material or participating in a habits that goals to violate our insurance policies
Yea, so “utilizing present or creating new subdomains, subdirectories, or websites with the intention of constant to violate our insurance policies” would fall underneath this.
As Glenn Gabe wrote on X, “For these making an attempt to bypass these handbook actions by shifting that content material to a different listing that is NOT impacted by the handbook motion, simply understand that Google has clearly documented their view of ‘coverage circumvention’.”
Heads-up for websites impacted by the most recent ‘Web site popularity abuse’ handbook actions (based mostly on Google’s coverage replace). For these making an attempt to bypass these handbook actions by shifting that content material to a different listing that is NOT impacted by the handbook motion, simply understand that Google… pic.twitter.com/RpR8DjM92P
— Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) November 22, 2024
This was introduced up a ton of social final week, right here is only one instance (word Forbes didn’t transfer this content material due to this coverage, Forbes moved it nicely earlier than the coverage was introduced):
Ideas on Forbes Advisor merely shifting to Forbes.com/portfolio and already surging within the rankings?
@lilyray.nyc @glenngabe.bsky.social @rustybrick.com @searchliaison.bsky.social
I replied to that on Bluesky saying, “I think somebody at Google was ready for this…”
I think somebody at Google was ready for this…
— Barry Schwartz (@rustybrick.com) November 21, 2024 at 4:12 PM
That is cute. pic.twitter.com/Z7NRumy6J2
— Igal Stolpner (@igalst) November 22, 2024
Oh, Brian Wooden, VP, Development at Forbes Advisor, wrote on LinkedIn, “Forbes Advisor moved a couple of dozen URLs into the /portfolio folder from the top of Oct to Nov 6. The final URL was added two weeks earlier than Google issued these handbook penalties. It was a part of an unrelated check and now we have eliminated all of these check URLs.” So this was not associated to the location popularity abuse penalty.
‘Web site popularity abuse’ replace: Forbes defined on LinkedIn that it moved urls to the portfolio listing on the finish of October *BEFORE* the most recent handbook actions had been utilized.
Me: That was after the algorithmic demotion in late September based mostly on Google’s ‘starkly totally different’… pic.twitter.com/fsgJq3XGGZ
— Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) November 23, 2024
Right here is Jonathan Jones, the SVP of Technique at Forbes and the way he replied to some over on X:
Examine the dates.
When did Google exit with their new coverage and due to this fact handed out handbook actions vs once we examined this out.
Use ahrefs like you’ve gotten right here.
Nothing to do with circumventing any handbook motion. https://t.co/aP0adsqP0L
— Mr Jonathan Jones (@Jonny_J_) November 22, 2024
FYI, Forbes moved that article(s) nicely *earlier than* Google issued the brand new Web site Status Abuse coverage ¯_(ツ)_/¯
And now it is all again
The “making an attempt to idiot Google” story did not fairly scent proper for a big writer that wishes to remain in Google’s good graces
Supply: @Jonny_J_ pic.twitter.com/XZ8zL5MDZQ
— Cyrus search engine optimisation (@CyrusShepard) November 23, 2024
“Every part” is just not right
— Mr Jonathan Jones (@Jonny_J_) November 23, 2024
Roughly 15 or so pages.
— Mr Jonathan Jones (@Jonny_J_) November 23, 2024
Not final minute however okay. We could not have predicted a coverage change would have occurred in November.
Much more advanced than what you are making it sound in a big organisation. That is form of the place smaller organisations excel in shifting shortly. Look, I can not go into element…
— Mr Jonathan Jones (@Jonny_J_) November 23, 2024
There may be much more however I can not embed the whole lot.
Google, regardless of what a lot of you assume, is basically not that dumb. Neither is Forbes…
