One thing that we have recognised here at Metafocus is the so-called “Google Sandbox” effect. Although there is some dispute as to whether the Sandbox actually exists, we believe that we have encountered it on numerous occasions when we launch completely new website.
The Google Sandbox has been described as being “very similar to a new website being placed on probation, and kept lower than expected in searches, prior to being given full value for its incoming links and content.” [Ref: SEOChat] Essentially a new site may not be ranked highly for certain search terms immediately after it is launched despite having keyword-rich content and quality inbound links.
Symptoms of being stuck in the sandbox include:
- not ranking highly despite having strong content and inbound links
- high Page Rank but low ranking in results pages
- ranking well for secondary terms but not highly competitive terms
- ranking well in other search engines but not in Google
Of course, some of these symptoms would appear if your site is not particularly well optimised or focussed but if you have a high quality, SEO- ready site which is not being found, the Google Sandbox may be the reason why.
So what can you do to get out? To be honest, it seems like time is the most important factor. Sites appear to stay in the Sandbox for a seemingly pre-determined period of time whilst they are vetted and filtered. in that time it is very important to keep on building good content, finding quality links and promoting your site in all the usual ways.
Some examples. Currently, we belive that we have a couple of sites in the sanbox:
Ouch Personal Injury Solicitors – www.ouch1.com
Sandboxed keywords: accident compensation claim, no win no fee solicitor
Bournes Debt Solutions – www.bournesdebtsolutions.com
Sandboxed keywords: bankruptcy advice, debt management plans
We’ve already seen the sites begin to be ranked for some of their terms and are constantly working to build more links and even better links but it seems like we have to also be patient and wait for the sites to rank as highly as they should be!
If you have a site that you think is stuck in the Sandbox or have any questions about search engine optimisation, web design Nottingham or Pay Per Click management, give us a call.
Rich
