Most SEOs tend to work within the confines of Google’s set guidelines in order to get traction organically. This is why there are so many content writers, SEO specialists, and content researchers being hired in various different industries. The most popular way of doing SEO is doing it the right way. The digital marketing industry is built upon using online marketing techniques is the right way.
Then there are others who like dabbling with the dark side. Google’s guidelines are what they are named – guidelines. They are not rules, but guidelines Google thinks you should follow.
Many techniques that are considered unfair or spammy by Google are grouped under black-hat SEO. These specific practices aim to get higher ranking on Google through unfair means which hurt user experience in some form or another.
While Google has been able to make most black-hat techniques obsolete by constantly revamping its algorithm, there are still techniques used by those who try to bypass Google’s algorithm.
In most digital marketing institutes, you’d find trainers warning students against flirting with the idea of bypassing Google’s search algorithm. A lot of times, those using black hat techniques see the short term benefits of high traffic and not the grave long-term consequences.
Table of Contents
We discuss what could happen if you try and bypass Google’s search algorithm.
You Will Get a Penalty
Google penalizes websites that do not follow their guidelines and try to con their way to the top.
As a company, Google has to provide people who use its search engine with the best search results. Those who try to con the system in order to get better search rankings are in a way obstructing Google from doing its job. This is why they penalize websites who do not follow the designated SEO guidelines to reach people.
Google penalizes websites either through an algorithmic or manual penalty.
Algorithmic Penalty
An algorithmic penalty takes place when your website is in the wrong according to a new algorithmic change. It is not exactly a ‘penalty’ in some cases and more of a warning for the website to get in line with the new update. For instance, the Google Mobile update effectively penalized websites that were not mobile-friendly. While calling it a penalty sounds harsh, it did feel like a penalty for a website which faced a loss in traffic as a result.
Manual Penalty
A manual penalty is when a Google employee penalizes a website for using unfair means to game the search algorithm. A manual penalty is much more severe as it is more than simply being out of sync with an algorithmic change and highlights a much deeper problem with the website.
Even after receiving a penalty, a website can again get traffic if it starts complying with Google Search guidelines.
In Conclusion
In conclusion, this article covers what could happen if you try to bypass Google’s search algorithm.
About the Author – KamlaJha is a digital marketing trainer and guest lecturer at DelhiCourses, an institute known as digital marketing institute in Delhi.
