Penalty

In the SEO field, a penalty occurs when a website suffers a reduction in its ranking in a search engine’s search results, or is completely removed from the index, due to practices that violate search engine guidelines. Specifically, on Google, penalties can be the result of algorithmic updates or manual actions.

Algorithmic penalties are automatic and occur when Google updates its algorithms to improve the quality of search results and to combat manipulative SEO techniques.

Today, however, so-called manual actions are more common, which are penalties assigned by a human Google reviewer who has determined that a page or site is not in compliance with Google’s guidelines. These actions can be the result of practices such as cloaking, use of hidden text, doorway pages, copied content, or other deceptive tactics. Site owners are notified of a manual action through the Google Search Console, where they can also find information on how to fix the problem and submit a request for reconsideration once corrections have been made.

Penalizations, both algorithmic and manual, are a clear signal that Google is committed to maintaining the quality and relevance of its search results and that companies must adhere to ethical SEO practices to avoid suffering negative consequences in their online rankings.