Check for any manual actions in Google Search Console
Explanation & Implementation Guide
Explanation
A manual action in Google Search Console occurs when a human reviewer identifies non-compliance with Google’s spam policies on your Shopify site. Manual actions can severely impact your site’s SEO and overall performance. If left unaddressed, these actions can lead to reduced search visibility, penalties from Google, and damage to user trust and brand reputation. It is critical to address any manual actions promptly to maintain a healthy SEO profile.
Implementation Guide
Google Search Console:
- Log into your Google Search Console for your Shopify store.
- Navigate to the “Security & Manual Actions” section.
Check Manual Actions:
- Review the “Manual Actions” report in Google Search Console to identify any existing manual actions against your site.
- Check for specific details regarding the manual action, including the reason for the penalty.
Google Analytics:
- Cross-reference your data in Google Analytics for significant drops in traffic.
- See if these drops align with the timing of manual actions, which may indicate the penalty’s effect on your site.
Third-Party SEO Tools:
- Use third-party SEO tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz to identify potential issues or penalties affecting your site. These tools may provide additional insights into problems affecting SEO performance.
Fixing the Issue
Identify Specific Manual Action:
- Understand the details of the manual action by reviewing the information provided in the Google Search Console report. The report will give you specifics about what policy was violated, such as spammy content, unnatural links, or other Google guidelines violations.
Address Policy Violations:
- Identify and resolve the specific violations mentioned in the manual action report.
- Common issues include spammy or low-quality content, unnatural backlinks, or black-hat SEO tactics.
- Ensure your site is in full compliance with Google’s guidelines to avoid further penalties.
Reconsideration Request:
- Once corrective actions have been taken, submit a reconsideration request through Google Search Console.
- Clearly outline the steps you’ve taken to address the issues and prevent future violations.
- Provide details of any corrective actions, such as cleaning up content, removing harmful backlinks, or improving the user experience.
Review Site Content:
- Conduct a thorough review of your Shopify site’s content to ensure it complies with Google’s quality guidelines.
- Remove or update any content that violates policies, including keyword stuffing, low-quality articles, or duplicate content.
- Ensure your content provides real value to users and follows Google’s content guidelines.
Audit Backlinks:
- Perform a backlink audit to identify unnatural or spammy backlinks that may have contributed to the manual action.
- Disavow harmful backlinks using Google’s Disavow Tool if necessary.
Improve Security Measures:
- Strengthen the security of your Shopify site to prevent hacking or other security-related issues that might trigger manual actions.
- Ensure your site has SSL encryption, secure login practices, and up-to-date software.
Educate Teams:
- Educate your team or content creators about Google’s guidelines to avoid unintentional policy violations in the future.
- Regularly update them on best practices for SEO and content creation.
Monitor Regularly:
- Regularly monitor Google Search Console for any new manual actions or issues.
- Stay up-to-date with changes to Google’s policies to ensure ongoing compliance.
Diversify Traffic Sources:
- Reduce reliance on organic search traffic by diversifying your traffic sources.
- Explore additional marketing channels like social media, email marketing, or paid search to drive traffic to your site.
No comments to show.
Leave a Reply